By Diane Walker
The latest newsletter of the Friends of Exeter Cathedral contains fascinating details about a group of four manuscripts in the Cathedral’s collections. Recently, whilst working on a different project, I came across a newspaper report about the donation of these manuscripts to the Dean and Chapter in 1934. Written, signed and dated by Sabine Baring-Gould, they are the words of four of his hymns including his most famous, Onward Christian Soldiers. This is one of two transcriptions dedicated to Miss Evelyn Healey on her birthday, 12 February 1921.
I’ve now located records of letters from Sabine Baring-Gould to Evelyn Hulme Healey which enclosed these four manuscripts on various dates in 1918 (Now the Day is Over), 1919 (On the Resurrection Morning) and 1921 (Onward Christian Soldiers, and Through the Night of Doubt and Sorrow).
The manuscripts were bought at Sotheby’s in 1934, the centenary of Baring-Gould’s birth, and were beautifully mounted before being donated to the Cathedral by Sir R Leicester Harmsworth and his son Harold Cecil Harmsworth, proprietors of The Western Morning News. In the centenary year of Sabine Baring-Gould’s death, the full story of the provenance of these manuscripts is now revealed, together with additional details from his correspondence with Evelyn about his experiences at Exeter Cathedral on St Peter’s Day in 1922, including his amusing indiscretion upon meeting the Dean’s wife.
Also in the current Friends’ Newsletter is an article by Mike Bosworth about the life of Sabine Baring-Gould. In October, Mike entertained members of the Friends with tales about Baring-Gould’s work collecting Devon folk songs, and illustrated his talk with some sung examples to which Friends were encouraged to contribute.
As well as supporting the work of the Friends, members of the Friends of Exeter Cathedral receive a newsletter and an annual report each year, packed with interesting articles about many varied topics related to Exeter Cathedral. Meetings and the annual Friends’ Day provide opportunities for members to gather and learn more about a range of related topics. The Friends is a charitable organisation founded in 1929 to co-operate with the Dean and Chapter in helping to preserve and improve the fabric and furnishings of the Cathedral, and to support its ministry and music. It plays an invaluable part in ensuring the long tradition of worship and praise at Exeter Cathedral continues well into the future. The major support of the Friends for the recent building work in the cloisters has been recognised by naming the new cloister walk The Friends’ Cloister Gallery.