b'Music in St Ediths, Bishop WiltonFrom notes prepared by David Lang, MA, MMus 1F rom the 18th century, the music in many of ourof four shillings was spent on the Pocklington Singers, town and village churches was provided by singersand later that year three shillings and sixpence on (often self-appointed) seated up in the west gallery,the same group. The next mention of singers in the or at floor level at the west end of the church. TheBishop Wilton Churchwardens Book is for 1780:singing of the psalms was often led by the parish clerk1780 Spent on0.6.0or some person who was able (however badly) to leadCarbay [Kirby?] the singing. As most members of the congregationSingerswere, during this time, illiterate, the parish clerk wouldSpent on0.5.0line-out the psalms, for which he would sing a line,Buckthorpe which was immediately taken up by the congregation.[Bugthorpe] The pace of psalm-singing was slow by modernSingersstandards, so the whole process of lining-out wasThe introduction of instruments and slow and arduous. instrumentalists, known as church bands did not Some churches had their own singers; othersbegin before c1780. St Ediths represents an early did not. For those without singers, the parish clerkexample of an instrument appearing to support the gave himself an appropriate note on a pitch-pipe.singers and congregation. This instrument, the cello, From time to time, a village church received visitswas called a bass viol (spelt in a variety of ways) and from singers from nearby churches to help out and towas a good instrument for keeping the pitch, and for provide an outing. St Ediths, Bishop Wilton, receivedkeeping the singers together. I give the entries as they a visit from the Wilberfoss Singers in 1772, for whichcontinue to appear in the Churchwardens Book:they received five shillings. The following year, the sum1787 For a Bais string 0.1.01788 Pd for bace strings 0.2.01789 Pd to Robert Wilkinson for 5 Bass Vile Strings 0.6.6Pd to Thos. Sanderson for glewing the Bass Vile. [Sanderson also0.5.0received payment for doing work on the bells, and May Sanderson was paid for winding up the clock which she did regularly throughout the year. Thomas Sanderson was paid 10 shillings for wood & work at the churchhe was probably a builder, but also the Parish Clerk]One Base String 0.1.01790 Pd William Layton for Strings to ye Baes Viol 0.2.6Pd Thomas Sanderson, Clark Sallary 1.6.111792 String for Bass Viol 0.1.0Set of Strings for Base Viol 0.4.0Mending Base Viol 0.3.0Robt Wilkinson for Musick Books at Church. [These could have been0.9.6collections of psalm books for the singers][Robert Wilkinson was paid 6 shillings in 1795 for whitewashing the church]1795 Bewley for Clarionet & Base Fiddle 2.15.6[It would seem that at this time a clarionet joined the Bass Viol to make up the church band. For how long this instrument was used before or after this date cannot be stated]1800-1 Thomas Sanderson for the Repairs of Violincello 0.11.0Strings for Violincello 0.2.61801-2 November 5th, Thirby [?Kirby Underdale] Singers 0.7.61David Lang contacted us with a query about the organ in St Ediths, and kindly offered us this article.BULLETIN 7 97'