Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Popular music of the olden time > Volume 2

REIGN OF CHARLES II. TO WILLIAM III. 577
The moments ; for, each morn, his score was less ! —
Visions of vacant home yet brighter grew;
When lo ! stern fate obscur'd the blissful view :
Droops his sick heart. And " Ah, dear fields, (he cries)
" Ye bloom no more ! dear native fields, adieu I"
" Home, charming home ! " still plaintive Echo sighs,
And to his parting breath the dulcet murmur dies.
PolwheeVs Influence of Local Attachment, p. 57.
Dr. Milner, in his History of Winchester, says, " We shall now conclude this
account of the college, with inserting the famous song of Dulce Domum, which
is publicly sung by the scholars and choristers, aided by a band of music, pre-
viously to the summer vacation. The existence of this song can only be traced
up the distance of about a century [from the time at which he wrote], yet the
real author of it, and the occasion of its composition, are already clouded with
fables."
It has been justly remarked by J. P. Malcolm, in the Gentleman 's Magazine for
1796, that the sentiments of the words are rather those of a scholar looking
forward with an early expectation of enjoying the delights of the home joys he
describes, than of a boy who died of sorrow, chained to a post.
Dr. Hayes, and other authorities, attribute the composition of the music to
John Eeading, who was organist of Winchester College and of Winchester
Cathedral, — of the College from 1681 to 1689, a and probably till 1695, in which
year he is said to have died. Reading composed the music to the three Latin
Graces, which are sung at the annual college elections, — the Ante cibum, Post
cibum, and the Oratio, " Agimus tibi gratias, omnipotens Deus, pro fundatore
nostro, Gulielmo de Wykeham," &c.
The printed copies of Dulce Domum also ascribe the music to " Johannes
Reading," and " the poetry " to " Turner." b Such of these as I have seen are
of comparatively late date — perhaps no one older than the latter part of the last
century — but they were most probably reprints from earlier editions.
Dulce Domum is still sung at Winchester on the eve of the break-up-day.
The collegians sing it first in the school-room, and have a band to play it.
Afterwards they repeat it at intervals throughout the evening, before the
assembled visitors, in the College mead or play-ground; and continue to sing
a The rolls of Winchester College give the date of first time at the Portuguese Ambassador's chapel, in South
Reading's appointment. These rolls are lists of the offi- Street, Park Lane, and he, supposing it to be peculiar to
cers, prepared yearly. Those between 1680 and 1697 are the service in Portugal, introduced it at the Ancient
missing, but in the latter year Bishop was organist. This Concerts, giving it that title.
John Reading has sometimes been confounded with a b No scholar of the name of Turner is to be found on
later writer of the same name, who was organist of the Registers of the College in Reading's time, and but
St. John's, Hackney. Both composed anthems, but the one who had been a scholar was his cotemporary. This
Biographical Dictionary of Musicians is incorrect, as to was Francis Turner, admitted in 1650, superannuated in
date, when it states that the latter "published a collection 1655; who then proceeded to St. John's College, Cam-
of anthems of his own composition towards the end of bridge, became Prebendary of St. Paul's and Bishop of
the seventeenth century." The second John Reading's- Ely,— one of the seven bishops who were brought to trial
"first essays" were A Book of New Songs, which must before the Court of King's Bench by James II. The
have been printed after 1708, because he describes him- Registers contain the names of all the scholars from the
self, on the title page, as having been " educated in the very first. Before Francis Turner there were Edward
Chapel Royal, under the late Dr. John Blow," and Turner, in 1477, John Turner, in 1530, Edward Turner, in
Dr. Blow died in that year. Reading composed the well- 1551, and Edward Turner, in 1620; also, two Turnnrs, in
known "Adeste, fideles," commonly called " The Por- 1522 and 1529. The remoteness of these dates (the
tuguese Hymn." The accident by which it acquired the nearest being sixty years before Reading's appointment)
latter name is thus related in Novello's Home Music : leads to the inference that Francis Turner, afterwards
The Duke of Leeds, who was a director of the Ancient Bishop of Ely, was the author.
Conceits about 17S5, heard the hymn performed for the