Church Music

For many working men and women in the 19th century, music was the main outlet for their creativity. They joined church and chapel choirs and bands. Many supplemented their incomes by joining bands that entertained the visitors; others turned to composition and there is a fine and extensive collection of manuscripts charting their achievements.

For many years now there has been detailed work in the area of collection, analysis and transcription of this music. Some of the hymns are still in use and others being reclaimed from painstakingly assembled but now fragile manuscripts. The Promised Land is a Heritage Foundation CD that introduces some of these invigorating pieces.

Recently published is a Manx Hymn Book, which contains over 250 locally-composed hymns, with an extended introduction giving the background to the music and the writers. Although some authors produced both words and music, most were content to set existing texts, though they were not always very good at indicating what those texts were!

The music belongs to a genre known widely as ‘West Gallery Music' and the new collection will join other publications of church music familiar to Manx congregations, The Promised Land: anthems from the collection of Edward Quayle and Ye Boundless Realms of Joy: 40 psalms and anthems from the Colby Notebooks.