The Music Community of Victorian Worcester
Written by Albert Edward Bibbs
Mr. Sims barely missed being born in Worcester (his mother was a Worcester lady), but to make amends, he says, he was shortly afterwards christened in St. Nicholas church. He was very partial to Worcester and often wrote of it in the 'Referee', and in a letter I have from him, he waxed eloquently upon the merits of Mountfords' cheesecakes, to which he was very partial.
Among other memories are those of the last appearance of Madam Adelina Patti at the Albert Hall, in the presence of the King and Queen, when she finished with the singing of 'Home, sweet home', for which she was famous, and of that great little Worcester lady, Miss Vesta Tilley, when she gave her farewell performance at the Coliseum on June 5, 1920 and an album containing one million signatures of her admirers was presented by Miss Ellen Terry, who described her as "this wonderful little gentleman".
A pleasent memory is that of Cathedral organists I have known. Dr. C. Harford Lloyd: Mr. C. Lee William: Dr. G. R. Sinclair: Dr. Percy Hull: Dr. Done: Mr Hugh Blair: Sir Herbert Brewer, and Sir Ivor Atkins, from most of whom, I have received much kindness.
For several years my business took me to Birmingham, where I joined the Birmingham Festival Choral Society, then under the direction of the late Mr. W.C. Stockley, and sang at a Christmas performance of the 'Messiah', which he had conducted consecutively for twenty-five years: and there I met an old chorister, who had actually sung in 'Elijah' at its first presentation, August 26, 1843, under Mendelssohn himself.
Another memory was the first performance of Stanford's 'Eden' set to the poem by Mr. Robert Bridges, the late poet-laureate, and in which George Henschel took the part of Satan. Another well remembered concert was that when Sir Hubert Parry conducted his 'Judith', which included Madam Clara Butt as soloist.
In connection with the Birmingham Festival, I once attended in the role of music critic for a Worcester paper, whose representative (now deceased) could not attend. I am afraid I did not take it very seriously. Dr. Hans Richter was the conductor, and the various works, which included Bach's St. Matthew Passion was conducted without any score.
After the retirement of Mr. Stockley, I sang under Dr. Swinnerton Heap.
It was also my pleasure to belong to the special choir of Mr. A.R. Gaul, the composer of the 'Holy City': a most charming and entertaining little man. His rehearsals were a joke. He would start off with a few bars, and then, "Oh that reminds me of a story," and he would go on telling stories most of the time.
I was a member then of the Moseley Parish Choir, which formed a well known male voice quartet, of which I was the Alto. The organist, Mr. F.H. Bell was a rare musician, and his father old Henry Bell was a famous trombone player for over fifty years, and often played with the orchestra of the Worcester Philharmonic Society. At the same time I was a member of the Kings Heath Male Voice Society: a body similar to the Worcester Vocal Union.
Written by Albert Edward Bibbs
Mr. Sims barely missed being born in Worcester (his mother was a Worcester lady), but to make amends, he says, he was shortly afterwards christened in St. Nicholas church. He was very partial to Worcester and often wrote of it in the 'Referee', and in a letter I have from him, he waxed eloquently upon the merits of Mountfords' cheesecakes, to which he was very partial.Among other memories are those of the last appearance of Madam Adelina Patti at the Albert Hall, in the presence of the King and Queen, when she finished with the singing of 'Home, sweet home', for which she was famous, and of that great little Worcester lady, Miss Vesta Tilley, when she gave her farewell performance at the Coliseum on June 5, 1920 and an album containing one million signatures of her admirers was presented by Miss Ellen Terry, who described her as "this wonderful little gentleman".
A pleasent memory is that of Cathedral organists I have known. Dr. C. Harford Lloyd: Mr. C. Lee William: Dr. G. R. Sinclair: Dr. Percy Hull: Dr. Done: Mr Hugh Blair: Sir Herbert Brewer, and Sir Ivor Atkins, from most of whom, I have received much kindness.
For several years my business took me to Birmingham, where I joined the Birmingham Festival Choral Society, then under the direction of the late Mr. W.C. Stockley, and sang at a Christmas performance of the 'Messiah', which he had conducted consecutively for twenty-five years: and there I met an old chorister, who had actually sung in 'Elijah' at its first presentation, August 26, 1843, under Mendelssohn himself.
Another memory was the first performance of Stanford's 'Eden' set to the poem by Mr. Robert Bridges, the late poet-laureate, and in which George Henschel took the part of Satan. Another well remembered concert was that when Sir Hubert Parry conducted his 'Judith', which included Madam Clara Butt as soloist.
In connection with the Birmingham Festival, I once attended in the role of music critic for a Worcester paper, whose representative (now deceased) could not attend. I am afraid I did not take it very seriously. Dr. Hans Richter was the conductor, and the various works, which included Bach's St. Matthew Passion was conducted without any score.
After the retirement of Mr. Stockley, I sang under Dr. Swinnerton Heap.
It was also my pleasure to belong to the special choir of Mr. A.R. Gaul, the composer of the 'Holy City': a most charming and entertaining little man. His rehearsals were a joke. He would start off with a few bars, and then, "Oh that reminds me of a story," and he would go on telling stories most of the time.
I was a member then of the Moseley Parish Choir, which formed a well known male voice quartet, of which I was the Alto. The organist, Mr. F.H. Bell was a rare musician, and his father old Henry Bell was a famous trombone player for over fifty years, and often played with the orchestra of the Worcester Philharmonic Society. At the same time I was a member of the Kings Heath Male Voice Society: a body similar to the Worcester Vocal Union.