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<< -- 6 -- Gordon Rumson SURGING UP AGAIN?
There are a few humorous moments, such as when the choir sings in unison through simple triads 'Sing Together! Sing Together!' or the title of one of the many anthems which is given as 'Blow up the Trumpet.' I hope Simper had a good laugh. Our choir did.
Interestingly, when I handed out the vocal parts, one choir member discovered a bulletin from the 1950s when the piece was performed at our church.
Even if the bulk of Caleb Simper's music is the worst possible trash, his evident success in his lifetime requires comment from dictionary and encyclopedia sources. If his music was trash and loved by the people, then this is a very important commentary upon music and musical tastes that must be known and documented. To write him out of history is to distort history.
From consideration of this one work, I would say Simper did not write trash. I will not claim that Caleb Simper represents a long lost soul mate to J S Bach, but I will claim that anyone who wrote music of such evident quality deserves more than oblivion.
Sung throughout the civilized world - Famous Compositions by Caleb Simper
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Who knows, perhaps the tidal wave of Simperiana will surge up again, begun at a church far from England and centres of culture ...
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