There's a story about the 'standard' harmonisation of Once in Royal. The original was by Gauntlett, but not as it appears in, for instance CC book 1. When a King's Carol service was looming in the early 1920s, 'Daddy' Mann couldn't find the original. So a choral scholar (actually I think he was a young lay clerk which they had in those days) hummed what he thought was the bass line...starting with B, the now familiar 1st inversion of a G major chord. Daddy Mann duly scribbled out his version of the harmony which became the King's standard and ended up in CC1. This story was told to me by the the bass singer himself, a Mr Derek Hetley, a fine musician and friend of mine who died a while ago now.
This same man continued to sing bass in his local Parish Church choir almost until his death. Latterly he had both legs amputated, but lived very independently (always a bachelor) managing his daily routine with a stair-lift and a wheelchair. On Sunday mornings, two of the boy choristers would bring him to church already cassocked in his wheelchair, rather dangerously as it was downhill. Four choristers were on a rota to wheel him uphill back home. The lads loved the job, and it is one of my best memories seeing Derek hurtling to and from church, cassock flapping. He kept his fine bass voice until the very end...and what a repository of memories went with.
This same man continued to sing bass in his local Parish Church choir almost until his death. Latterly he had both legs amputated, but lived very independently (always a bachelor) managing his daily routine with a stair-lift and a wheelchair. On Sunday mornings, two of the boy choristers would bring him to church already cassocked in his wheelchair, rather dangerously as it was downhill. Four choristers were on a rota to wheel him uphill back home. The lads loved the job, and it is one of my best memories seeing Derek hurtling to and from church, cassock flapping. He kept his fine bass voice until the very end...and what a repository of memories went with.
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