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TOC
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are only used, as in our parish churches,
on Sundays, and at great festivals. It ap-
pears plainly to me that our old chants
and responses were not new compositions
by Tallis, at the time of the reformation,
but only adjusted to English words; the
little melody they contain being very
nearly the same as in all catholic churches
abroad. It is only on Sundays and festi-
vals that parts are added to the canto fermo
or plain chant here. All sing at other
times in unison; and all the books out of
which the priests chant, are written upon
vellum in the Gregorian note, that is, in
the old black lozenge, or square character,
upon four lines and spaces only.
But in order to inform myself still fur-
ther on the subject, I found it necessary to
make myself acquainted with M. Devil-
lers, an agreeable and intelligent man in
his profession, and organist of the principal
church here, that of St. Peter. With
him I had a long conversation relative to
the use of plain chant. He says the boys
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