July 2007
TADS news
Visit to Burberry's
On Tuesday 29 May 29 TADS members Ian, Carol, Derek and Bob together with two non-members, took up the offer by David Quelch, a director of Burberry's Ltd of London, to show a party from TADS around the archives and collections currently housed in the basement of St Albans House, (opposite the Haymarket shop) in London.
David had prepared a short talk on the history of Burberry's and showed us many of the artefacts etc that he has accumulated in the short time he has been involved with this side of the business. We then exchanged various cuttings, etc. which we had accumulated from the Basingstoke Gazette on Burberry's and Major G I Roller of Tadley, a close friend of Thomas Burberry and one of the two illustrators that Burberry's used to draw their advertisements. We identified many more drawings in the archives through Roller's "scrawled" signature.
David had requested that we bring with us the book The Story of the 34th Company (Middlesex) Imperial Yeomanry by William Connor, published in 1902, detailing Sgt-Major Roller and his mare Gaberdine during various operations in the Boer War. Derek had copied the relevant bits for David before hand.
After spending almost two hours with David, Bob asked if we could visit one of the stores. Three of us then walked through Piccadilly Circus and along Regent Street to number 157, where Burberry's have a large store. Needless to say no one purchased anything!!
History in the Making
May 2007, Walter Long MBE died at the age of 88. Wally was born in Douglas, Isle of Man. He was brought up in SE London. After University, his early career was spent at with MoD at RAF Aberporth, West Wales where he met Nancy his wife, and then at Wescott, Bucks. He joined AWRE in 1955 and was involved in many of the early Weapon Tests. In 1958 he went to Washington as UK leader of the joint US/UK nuclear weapon coordination office. Later he was the liaison person between Aldermaston and various facilities in the USA. A role he continued until his retirement in 1988. Although not a member of TADS he was very active in the local community, especially as 'footpath officer' for the Basingstoke Ramblers.
What's on - local events
Hampshire Record Office
(Sussex Street, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 8TH Tel 01962 846154). Last Thursday Lectures; 1.15 - 1.45 pm; admission free, but donations welcome.
26 July 2007: Eighteenth-century country houses and gardens - vanity or ideology? by Nicola Pink.
30 August 2007: Women and their hidden role in slavery by Nigel Sadler.
Willis Museum
7 July to 18 August 2007: What lies beneath Basingstoke? The hidden archaeological landscape of Basingstoke.
7 to 21 July 2007: Basingstoke Art Club exhibition.
28 July to 18 August 2007: Around the Corner; impressionist landscapes by local artist Jayne Perkins.
25 Aug to 6 October 2007: Basingstoke at work. Celebrating the industrial achievements of the town, past and present.
Milestones Museum
16 June to 2 September 2007: The Story of the FA Cup.
4 to 12 August 2007 (closed 6 August): British Organ Grinders' Association gathering. A week of spectacular barrel organ music in Milestones' streets.
Silchester Church
2.30pm, Sundays 15 & 29 July 2007: The History of Silchester's 12th Century Parish Church by Robina Rand.
Teas available in the Churchyard. Visit the annual dig at Calleva Atrebatum before or after the talks.
Hampshire And The Islands Historic Churches Trust Sponsored Ride & Stride
Saturday 8 September 2007. The Annual Walk/Bike-Ride for Historic Churches now has a new title!! The aim of this nationwide event is to enjoy visiting churches and chapels, at the same time raising funds via sponsorship, for church repairs. Half the money raised is for the Trust, whilst the other half goes to the church nominated by the walker or cyclist. A large number of churches in Hampshire (and other Counties too) will be welcoming visitors and there is the opportunity to visit many interesting churches in the Basingstoke and adjacent areas. Full details of this year's event are obtainable from Ralph Atton, Area Co-ordinator, 0118 970 0825 or email: ralph.atton@btopenworld.com.
Newbury Family History Fair
19 August 2007 at the Northcroft Leisure Centre, Newbury.
Last month's TADS meeting June 2007
The Madding Crowd, by Mike Bailey, Musical Director of the Madding Crowd.
The Madding Crowd is a 33 strong choir and band, which performs songs and stories from the 18th and 19th centuries while dressed in period costume. The name was borrowed from the book of novelist Thomas Hardy, who had in turn borrowed it from Thomas Gray of Gray's Elegy fame. Mike is also Chairman and driving force behind the West Gallery Music Association, an international body (they have members in the USA, Australia and an enthusiast in India) with 400 members dedicated to researching and performing country church music of the 'Georgian' period, roughly 1700 to 1850. It was this aspect that Mike chose to explain with musical illustrations to about 45 TADS members, particularly because he was able to make direct links to Tadley.
The Puritans destroyed the organs of most country churches, so after the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, instruments were bought to lead the singing during services and at other parish events. The 'Singers', a term that includes both choristers and instrumentalists, usually occupied the west gallery of the church. An illustration from about 1750 showed singers as all male, but not in the gallery, and with just a pitch pipe to set the key. Mike said the only contemporary pitch pipe he had found was not helpful in determining the pitch actually used! More typically the wind instruments used were; bassoon, oboe, clarinet, flute, flageolet - a type of recorder, all made of wood. Mike demonstrated most of them using originals and copies. One instrument he did not have with him, but which is used in his bands, was the extraordinary looking Serpent, a bass instrument of which it has been said" The first note played is only a basis for negotiation". Obviously, it is not an easy instrument to master. String instruments such as violin, cello and, occasionally, a bass were also used.
The Tadley Parish Church (St. Peter's) Records of 1750 to 1870, held in the Hampshire Records Office, show much evidence for Singers. The parish accounts of 1795-6 have 2/6d spent on altering the gallery. £2/12/6d paid for a Bassoun (sic) in 1797, a very large sum for the time. 10/6d spent on singers in 1802/3 and £1/3s on a hoboy (= oboe). 2/6d to mend the clareenet (sic) in 1804. 15/6d paid to James Exell for a flute for church in Jan 1808. 3/- paid for repairing the baseoun (sic) in 1810. Music must have been important to the congregation.
A 1790 picture showed the singers now in the gallery and the congregation singing from books, wearing lots of clothes, a three decker pulpit, but no pews. The use of books was actually quite rare at that time. Most music was hand copied from manuscript books and from bought single pages. Psalms at that time came from the Old Version of the mid 1500s (eg the Old 100th - the tune used for the hymn 'All people that on earth do dwell') and the New Version of 1696. The hymns came from Charles Wesley the elder and Isaac Watts in the early 1700s. Mike sang and played recordings to illustrate typical renditions, including an hilarious version of 'While Shepherds watched'. Printed books became more available in the early 19th century.
By the mid 1800s things were changing fast with organs - pipe, barrel, or reed - being installed in the country churches, and reform of the clergy and rituals. The singers, (and by all accounts the worst of them were pretty bad), disappeared and the publication of Hymns Ancient & Modern in 1861 killed off many of the ancient tunes and words. But in places they lingered on - Thomas Hardy with his Father and Grandfather played in the band of Stinsford, his birthplace in his beloved Wessex.
Thank you Mike for your very interesting and entertaining talk, which brought alive church music that time had buried.
www.wgma.org.uk is the West Gallery website
www.maddingcrowd.org is the website of Mike's band & choir
Richard Brown
Page last updated: Friday 21 December 2007