Two is not always better than one. Parishioners of the Dublin Church learned this in 1820, when two choirs decided to sing the same hymn – using two different tunes.
In those days, the choirmaster would set up a school of sacred music, to teach the singers how to perform hymns. The town would, from time to time, appropriate funds to pay the choir leader. In 1819, $50 was allocated for that purpose.
James Robbins of Templeton, Mass., was hired to teach to the choir, so to speak. Unfortunately, he was perhaps not a very effective teacher.
“A portion of the singers in town were dissatisfied,” reports the 1855 “History of Dublin, N.H.”
That portion set up their own singing school, and hired their own teacher. “The controversy was ostensibly about the style of singing,” the history tells us, “Mr. Robbins, it was alleged, teaching his pupils to sing with undue loudness, and without suitable expression.”
Thus began the tale of two choirs. Each choir, naturally, claimed as its own the seats designated for singers in the church. The controversy came to a head on the first Sunday in April, 1820. A candidate for the minister’s job began to preach, during which both choirs assembled in the church, “one occupying the seats designed for the singers, and the other the free seats in the side gallery,” the history states. When it came time for a hymn, each choirmaster named a different tune. “The pitch for each tune was given, and the hymn was sung by each choir, making, at times, no small discord,” continues the history book.
The poor minister was apparently at a loss for how to deal with the dueling choirs, but he apparently decided they would never pull the same stunt twice, so he announced another hymn. Again, the choir leaders called for different tunes, and again, two versions of the song were sung at once. The opposing choirmaster, however, had a rather ingenious idea: He called for a very slow tune, so his choir got to sing the last stanza alone, since the other singers were already finished.
Fortunately, one member of the congregation was willing to put his foot down. “Before the minister proceeded in the service, Mr. Alexander Emes arose from a pew in the northwest corner of the gallery, and addressed both choirs, reproving them for suffering any circumstances to lead to such an exhibition in the house of God, reminding them of the encouragement which the town had given for their instruction in sacred music, and of the obligation that rested upon them of engaging in the performance of that part of divine worship in a decent and orderly manner,” the history reports.
That speech probably had some effect on the singers, but just to make sure, the minister wisely refrained from calling for any more hymns.
The town then called a meeting to decide who should lead the choir. In the meantime, the choirs agreed to work together under the direction of Henry Whitcomb. He did so until the town meeting was held. At the meeting, the town chose, by a ballot vote, several men to lead singing that year. “All those who may sing peaceably under them” were granted the right to sit in the front of the gallery.
So ended the Dublin battle of the choirs.
A Look Back originally appeared in the Monadnock Ledger.