Richard Runciman Terry
Encyclopedia
Sir Richard Runciman Terry (3 January 1865 - 18 April 1938) was an English organist, choir director and musicologist. He is noted for his pioneering revival of Tudor liturgical music. He is often credited as R. R. Terry or simply R. T.
, Antigua
, in 1892. In 1896 he was appointed organist and director of music at the Roman Catholic Benedictine
Downside School
in Somerset
. It was here where he began the massively important work of reviving the Latin music of Tudor English composers such as William Byrd
and Thomas Tallis
. He was greatly inspired by the revival of Gregorian chant
by Dom Prosper Gueranger at Solesmes Abbey in France, which was to be an important part of the Downside musical repertoire.
Terry was the first Director of Music at the newly built Westminster Cathedral
, a post which he held from 1901 to 1924, when he resigned after coming under significant criticism for his choice of music. Nonetheless, during this time he was able to establish a choral tradition of great merit at the Cathedral, developing a repertoire of both Gregorian chant and polyphonic music. The choir's particular focus on renaissance polyphony
is believed to have had an impact on the emerging school of 20th century English composers and on the performance of church music in England. Following his resignation from Westminster Cathedral he went on to work as a musical editor, journalist and academic. He was the initial editor of the Oxford University Press series Tudor Church Music, although by the time this series was completed he had been ousted from the editorship.
He was awarded a knighthood
in the 1922 Dissolution Honours List.
credits Terry with the revival of much English church music, including Peter Philips
' Cantiones sacrae, Byrd's three and five part masses and Gradualia and Cantiones sacrae, Tallis' mass and lamentation, William Mundy's Mass Upon the Square and many motets by Thomas Morley
, Christopher Tye
and others. Much of this work resulted in his editing and publishing performing editions of this music including 24 motets in Novello's series of Tudor motets. He also published the first modern editions of Calvin
's first psalter of 1539 and the Scottish Psalter of 1635. In 1912 he edited the Westminster Hymnal
.
Terry was also a composer of church music, most notably of hymn tune
s, several of which are in use today, such as the popular Christmas carol
Myn Lyking
.
Musical career
His first appointments were to Elstow School in 1890 and as organist and choirmaster of St John's CathedralSt. John's, Antigua and Barbuda
St John's is the capital and largest city of Antigua and Barbuda, a country located in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. St John's is located at...
, Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
, in 1892. In 1896 he was appointed organist and director of music at the Roman Catholic Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
Downside School
Downside School
Downside School is a co-educational Catholic independent school for children aged 11 to 18, located in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, between Norton Radstock and Shepton Mallet in Somerset, south west England. It is attached to Downside Abbey...
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. It was here where he began the massively important work of reviving the Latin music of Tudor English composers such as William Byrd
William Byrd
William Byrd was an English composer of the Renaissance. He wrote in many of the forms current in England at the time, including various types of sacred and secular polyphony, keyboard and consort music.-Provenance:Knowledge of Byrd's biography expanded in the late 20th century, thanks largely...
and Thomas Tallis
Thomas Tallis
Thomas Tallis was an English composer. Tallis flourished as a church musician in 16th century Tudor England. He occupies a primary place in anthologies of English church music, and is considered among the best of England's early composers. He is honoured for his original voice in English...
. He was greatly inspired by the revival of Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...
by Dom Prosper Gueranger at Solesmes Abbey in France, which was to be an important part of the Downside musical repertoire.
Terry was the first Director of Music at the newly built Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral in London is the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral of the Archbishop of Westminster...
, a post which he held from 1901 to 1924, when he resigned after coming under significant criticism for his choice of music. Nonetheless, during this time he was able to establish a choral tradition of great merit at the Cathedral, developing a repertoire of both Gregorian chant and polyphonic music. The choir's particular focus on renaissance polyphony
Renaissance music
Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance. Defining the beginning of the musical era is difficult, given that its defining characteristics were adopted only gradually; musicologists have placed its beginnings from as early as 1300 to as late as the 1470s.Literally meaning...
is believed to have had an impact on the emerging school of 20th century English composers and on the performance of church music in England. Following his resignation from Westminster Cathedral he went on to work as a musical editor, journalist and academic. He was the initial editor of the Oxford University Press series Tudor Church Music, although by the time this series was completed he had been ousted from the editorship.
He was awarded a knighthood
British honours system
The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals' personal bravery, achievement, or service to the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories...
in the 1922 Dissolution Honours List.
Contribution to church music
The Grove Dictionary of Music and MusiciansGrove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, it is the largest single reference work on Western music. The dictionary has gone through several editions since the 19th century...
credits Terry with the revival of much English church music, including Peter Philips
Peter Philips
Peter Philips was an eminent English composer, organist, and Catholic priest exiled to Flanders...
' Cantiones sacrae, Byrd's three and five part masses and Gradualia and Cantiones sacrae, Tallis' mass and lamentation, William Mundy's Mass Upon the Square and many motets by Thomas Morley
Thomas Morley
Thomas Morley was an English composer, theorist, editor and organist of the Renaissance, and the foremost member of the English Madrigal School. He was the most famous composer of secular music in Elizabethan England and an organist at St Paul's Cathedral...
, Christopher Tye
Christopher Tye
Christopher Tye was an English composer and organist, who studied at Cambridge University and in 1545 became a Doctor of Music both there and at Oxford.He was choirmaster of Ely Cathedral from about 1543 and also organist there from 1559...
and others. Much of this work resulted in his editing and publishing performing editions of this music including 24 motets in Novello's series of Tudor motets. He also published the first modern editions of Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
's first psalter of 1539 and the Scottish Psalter of 1635. In 1912 he edited the Westminster Hymnal
Westminster Hymnal
The Westminster Hymnal was published in 1912, the only collection of hymns then authorised by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church of England and Wales...
.
Terry was also a composer of church music, most notably of hymn tune
Hymn tune
A hymn tune is the melody of a musical composition to which a hymn text is sung. Musically speaking, a hymn is generally understood to have four-part harmony, a fast harmonic rhythm , and no refrain or chorus....
s, several of which are in use today, such as the popular Christmas carol
Christmas carol
A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...
Myn Lyking
Lullay, mine liking
"Lullay, mine liking" is a Middle English lyric poem or carol of the 15th century which frames a narrative describing an encounter of the Nativity with a song sung by the Virgin Mary to the infant Christ...
.
Select bibliography
- Catholic Church Music, 1907 (enlarged in 1931 as The Music of the Roman Rite)
- Still More Old Rhymes with New Tunes, Longmans, Green & Co, 1912 (illustrated by Gabriel PippetGabriel PippetGabriel Pippet was an English artist.Pippet was born in Solihull in 1880. As well as being was an artist, he was known as an illustrator and a wood carver. Pippet's work was influenced by Pre-Raphaelites, the Arts and Crafts Movement, and medieval manuscript design...
) - On Music's Borders, 1927
External links
- Terry, Richard Runciman. .