The Passing of the Precentor

JOH N CAMP BELL IN THE TOLBOOTH C H U R C H F O ST G ILES, ED INBU R GH T H E P A S S I N G O F THE P R EC ENTOR B Y D U NC A N FR A SER , P rece ntor t o the Umted Fr ee Chu rch Gen er a l Assembly l I ’ THE EMPTY D ESK BOSTON S KI R K , , ‘ P hot o ra h d ’ ‘ J u n ( g e s ecwll for th l i book by r La r en . ) p p y ! , k u E D I N B U R G H ! P U B L I S H E D A T ’ “ HA Y W . J . J OH N KNOX s HO U SE , B Y LOND ON ! SA MU EL BAGSTE R §ONs LIMITED M C M V I s P R EFACE IN this little b ook the writer is well aware that he only touches the fringe Of a subj ect whi ch by - and - by may His o is receive fuller treatment . h pe i el kee that , meantime , t may h p to p alive the memory of th e Old meth o d of Uptaking the Psalme until that time comes for , unless something regarding e o n th Precentor is put record speedily , b o th the man and his work will soon be forgotten by a generation that has not been distinguished fo r valuing eithe r of em th too highly . The craftsman of the Middle Ages , whose conscience called fo r the highest artistic skill in the unseen work rele PREFACE as as gated to dark nooks , well in the work exposed to the glare of the su n and the gaze of the multi was no t his tude , without counterpart re ce n t o rh oo d in the ranks of the p , who wi ei r , th all th shortcomings and mannerisms , did right loyal work in the days when musical taste and sen t ime nt ei r were at th lowest , alike in pulpit and in pew . The portraits embodied in this work form a somewhat unique gallery of musical celebrities , and the author tenders his warmest thanks t o the friends who placed the original photo at graphs his disposal . To Mr J . M . B . of Free Taylor , Curator the Museum , his Paisley , thanks are also due for per of R mission to copy the portrait . A . mi S th in that institution . vi PR EFACE Some o f the sketches in Part I I . The We ekl Scotrma n appeared in y , and the writer acknowledges the courtesy of the proprietors of that j ournal in ei r allowing th reproduction . EDINBU R G H, I rt D ecembe r I 90 5 vii CONTENTS PA RT I O LDEN-TI ME P R EC ENTI N G — U ptakin—g of the Psalm Order of the Service Reading the L ine —Time of — — D ecadence A Revival Scotland inte re st e d PA RT I I P R EC ENTOR S A N D TH EI R WOR K m — — A . S it h J ohn J R . Templeton ohn W —D — L . H ilson avid Kennedy T . ately H — u J G e t c . T . M . nter oseph eoghegan , Type s of Country Precentors PA RT III LI G HTS A N D SHA D OW S OF P R EC ENTI N G — The D e sk - The G o n Innovations — w — The Band Personal Traits A mateur Pre ce nt ors PA RT IV CON C LU SION The Power of Psalmody—The Old Order change t h ix ’ Tm! frontispiece is reproduced from Kay s E ” l dinburgh Portraits , and depicts the we l k - u - nown non ch rch goers of the day listening , in the Tolbooth Church (portion of St E D r A x W — dinburgh , to le ander ebster the A s most evangelical preacher of the day . the Ka J precentor, y selected for his model ohn Canon at e Campbell of the g Church , a notable teacher of music in the city . Campbell was a Te nducci favourite pupil of the celebrated , who , ’ on leaving the city, had Campbell s portrait engraved and presented to his circle of patrons, k thus establishing Campbell , without his now H . e ledge , as his successor was for twenty five Canon at e years precentor in the g Church , and Burns was a frequent guest at his table . It was through Campbell that Burns sec ured permission for the erection of the tombstone F e to Robert ergusson the po t . POR TR AITS C MPBE P of Canon at e C A LL , recentor the g hurch ’ in St Giles (qft e r Kay) Fr ont irpieee ’ TH E D ESK B ST N S CH U C H ETT I CK , O O R , R Vig net t e on R OBERT ARC H I BALD SM I TH Fa cing P ag e JOHN TEMP L ETON JOHN WI LSON D AV I D KENNED Y THOMAS LEG ERW OO D HATELY TH MA HU NT ER O S M . D A V I D STEP H EN W I I I E LL A M M . M LL R D AV I D TAYLOR LuDOVI c GRANT SAND I SON xi The Pa ssin g O f t h e Pre c e nt o r THE of passing the Scottish precentor , View it how we may , is not without an element of pathos ! it affects o ne like of or the removal an ancient landmark , Of was the end an auld sang , as said of o f the Union the Crowns . And such things appeal to the Scottish nature ; fo r of , alongside his sterner character ist ics o f , there has ever lain a vein senti ment in the Scot , like the red thread that is spun into the thickest rope o f R the oyal Navy . Before viewing the precentor under the lights and shadows which o ur ar THE PASSING OF THE PRECENTOR rangement o f the subject may cast upon S fi him , it is necessary that we hould rst glance briefly at the Offi ce and the Offi cial as they are to be seen at the Of fi time their rst institution . ORD ER OF T HE SERV I CE In the Presbyterian Church of Scot at land , and for many years after the R eformation , public worship was divided into two parts . fi R The rst part consisted of eading , Praise and Prayer and the end of each of these exercises was intimated by the o f ringing the kirk bell . It was not until after the third bell that the minister ascended the pulpit and the sermon began . ’ “ In Knox s Directory o f Public ” Worship we can only fi nd mention THE PASSING OF THE PRECENTOR made of two places where a psalm was to be sung ; but when we remember that singing occupied one third o f the time given to the fi rst part of the ser it vice , can easily be seen that music occupied an important place in the early Church worship . The name given to the leader of the singing in public worship at this time ” U ta eer the P sa /me was that of p of . This Offi ce was conjoined in many in “ ” Of R ea der stances with that the , and in others with that o f the teacher of “ ” ‘— the Sang Scu le a very important institution in Scotland in those days . From a record Of the “ Burgh o f C an o n at e 1 8 we g , Edinburgh , 5 4 , 1 Sir Edward Henderson was the Master of the Sang e E S ule of dinburgh at the time of the Reformation , hav 1 ing been appointed in 5 5 3 by the Town Council . THE PASSING OF THE PRECENTOR se e how the offi ces were often c on j oined . “ The q u hilk day the bailies and c o unsall has appointed and ag re e it with Walter Bro nne to serve in the kirk in reading the prayers , Uptaking Of the P salme s , and serve as ane Clerk in the S i ” e ss o une . In the Second Book of Discipline , “ ” 1 8 1 Psalme s 5 , the Takers up Of are twice mentioned in the list of classes entitled to receive a share of the re venues Of the Kirk That this share was not burdensome can be gathered by referen ce to many Town Council or K - R irk Session ecords . Thus “ 1 Aberdeen Burgh , 5 7 7 . The said ! rant id o f day , the counsel g the sum four pu ndis t o the support of James S mso une do ct o u r Scuill y , of their Sang 6 THE PASSING OF THE PRECENTOR — clo t his fo r his to help to by him , guid service the tym bygane , and in houp of his continuance in tym to ” com . Or Glasgow Kirk - Session R ecords fo r 1 604 H e that taks up the line in the ” K 2 0 High irk to get merks quarterly . 1 d 1 5 d . (A merk was 3 . 4 . Scots , or 3§ o f the present day .

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