Last updated:
3 January 1998
Background
In 1898, 1938, and 1958 surveys were undertaken by the Church Music Society to establish what music actually appears on the music lists of English cathedrals. In 1986, the Friends of Cathedral Music organised another, more comprehensive survey covering 75 establishments in the UK, and its findings were analysed and published in 1994 by John Patton.
His booklet, Eighty-eight years of Cathedral Music, 1898-1986, tabulates the statistics in great detail, and it is from his work that the following information is extracted (without permission - though I hope he will accept its use as a tribute and an advertisement!).
The booklet is still available from him at 199 Romsey Road, Winchester, Hampshire, SO22 5PG, England, telephone 44 1962 854183, and cost £5 (including UK postage) in 1994. It gives a fascinating insight into how usage has changed over the 88 years of the surveys.
If anyone has any specific queries about the use of any anthem or set of evening canticles, then please e-mail me.
In 1986, there were 833 settings in use, of
which 153 were morning and 680 evening canticles.
Of the 153 morning services, 134 were used in fewer than 10 places.
Of the 680 evening services, 541 were used in fewer than 10 places: 313 in 1 place, 89 in 2 places, 50 in 3 places, 35 in 4 places.
Popular anthems
"Popularity" is measured by the number of establishments which sang the item in 1986 out of the 75 included in the survey.
- IRELAND: Greater love hath no man (68, 91%)
- S S WESLEY: Blessed be the God and Father (66, 88%)
- TALLIS: If ye love me (62, 83%)
- STANFORD: Beati quorum via (62, 83%)
- MOZART: Ave verum corpus (62, 83%)
- HOWELLS: Like as the hart (59, 79%)
- ECCARD: When to the temple (59, 79%)
- S S WESLEY: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace (57, 76%)
- GIBBONS: This is the record of John (57, 76%)
- BYRD: Ave verum corpus (57, 76%)
- BALFOUR-GARDINER: Evening Hymn (56, 75%)
- BAIRSTOW: Let all mortal flesh (56, 75%)
- ANON: Rejoice in the Lord alway (54, 72%)
- WOOD: O Thou the central orb (53, 71%)
- TALLIS: O nata lux de lumine (53, 71%)
- BRUCKNER: Locus iste (52, 69%)
- BAIRSTOW: Save us O Lord waking (52, 69%)
- BAINTON: And I saw a new Heaven (52, 69%)
What has happened to favourites like
- Parry's I was glad (46, 61%)
- Bairstow's Blessed City, Heavenly Salem (42, 56%)
- Mendelssohn's When Jesus our Lord (41, 44%) and Hear my prayer (34, 45%)
- Harwood's O how glorious is the Kingdom (37, 49%), and
- Boyce's "O where shall wisdom be found" (26, 35%)?
Popular evening canticles
"Popularity" is measured by the number of establishments which sang the item in 1986 out of the 75 included in the survey.
- Stanford in C (71, 95%)
- Noble in B minor (69, 92%)
- Stanford in B flat (65, 87%)
- Murrill in E (65, 87%)
- Howells Collegium Regale (63, 84%)
- Gibbons Short Service (63, 84%)
- Walmisley in D minor (62, 83%)
- Stanford in G (60, 80%)
- Wood in D (57, 76%)
- Harwood in A flat (55, 73%)
- Purcell in G minor (54, 72%)
- Byrd Second Service (54, 72%)
- Dyson in F (53, 71%)
- Wise in E flat or F (51, 68%)
- Stanford in A (51, 68%)
Personally, I find this an astonishing list, omitting many of my favourites such as
- Dyson in D (46, 61%)
- Blair in B minor (43, 57%)
- Wood in F Coll Reg (36, 48%), and
- Howells Gloucester Service (31, 41% - my top choice).
How's this for controversy - perhaps these are too difficult to include in the repertoire of most choral institutions?!
Popular Morning Canticles
"Popularity" is measured by the number of establishments which sang the item in 1986 out of the 75 included in the survey.
- Stanford in B flat (45, 60%)
- Vaughan Williams in G (39, 52%)
- Ireland in F (38, 51%)
- Britten in C (38, 51%)
- Stanford in C (35, 47%)
- Howells Collegium Regale (33, 44%)
- Sumsion in G (29, 39%)
- Sumsion in B flat (25, 33%)
- Boyce in C (23, 31%)
- Britten in E (23, 31%)
- Gibbons Short Service (20, 27%)
- Noble in B minor (16, 21%)
- Purcell in B flat (15, 20%)
- Jackson in G (15, 20%)
- Ireland in C (15, 20%)
- Harwood in A flat (15, 20%)
Sadly, in 1986 (when this survey was conducted), only St Paul's Cathedral, London, had a regular weekday Mattins (Saturdays, men's voices). There were only another 53 weekday choral Matins services in 1986 across all 75 establishments.
Anyone who yearns to hear these works should consider obtaining Priory Records' 
excellent 3 CDs of morning canticles.
Popular Eucharist Settings
"Popularity" is measured by the number of establishments which sang the item in 1986 out of the 75 included in the survey.
- Darke in F (66, 88%)
- Darke in E (Collegium Regale) (45, 60%)
- Byrd Mass for 4 Voices (44, 59%)
- Byrd Mass for 3 Voices (men) (43, 57%)
- Sumsion in F (41, 55%)
- Ireland in C (40, 53%)
- Palestrina Missa Aeterna Christi Munera (38, 51%)
- Schubert in G (36, 48%)
- Jackson in G (36, 48%)
- Wood in the Phrygian Mode (32, 43%)
- Howells Collegium Regale (32, 43%)
- Victoria Missa O Quam Gloriosum (31, 41%)
- Stanford in C (31, 41%)
- Palestrina Missa Brevis (31, 41%)
