Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 4.djvu/226

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The 'Italian copy,' which was first Handel's and then Dr. Howard's, if not that in the Royal College of Music (which is certainly in an Italian hand), has vanished for the present.

The Te Deum has been published by Dr. Chrysander (from what original the writer does not know), as No. 5 of his 'Denkmäler' of Handel (Bergedorf, 1871). It has been examined chiefly in its connexion with the Dettingen Te Deum by Mr. E. Prout, in the Monthly Musical Record for Nov. 1871, and we recommend every student to read the very interesting analysis there given. [ G. ]

URQUHART,, an early London violin-maker, who worked in the reign of Charles II. The dates on his violins are chiefly in the seventies and eighties. The model superficially resembles Gaspar di Salo; it is high, straight, and flat in the middle of the belly, and has a rigid and antique appearance. The corners have but little prominence. The soundholes are 'set straight,' and terminate boldly in circles, the inner members being so far carried on and introverted that the straight cut in each is parallel to the axis of the fiddle. This is Urquhart's distinctive characteristic. The purfling is narrow, coarse, and placed very near the edge. The violins are found of two sizes; those of the larger size would be very useful chamber instruments but for the height of the model, which renders them somewhat unmanageable. The varnish, of excellent quality ('equal to that on many Italian instruments,' says Mr. Hart), is sometimes yellowish brown, sometimes red. [ E. J. P. ]

USE. A term traditionally applied to the usage of particular Dioceses, with regard to variations of detail in certain Plain Chaunt Melodies sung in the Service of the Roman Catholic Church, more especially in those of the Psalm-Tones. 'Heretofore,' says the Preface to the Book of Common Prayer, 'there hath been great diversity in saying and singing in Churches within this Realm, some following Salisbury Use, some Hereford Use, and some the Use of Bangor, some of York, some of Lincoln.'

The Roman Use is the only one which has received the sanction of direct ecclesiastical authority. In France, the most important varieties of Use are those observed in the Dioceses of Paris, Rouen, Reims, and Dijon; all of which exhibit peculiarities, which, more or less directly traceable to the prevalence of [vol. ii. p. 186b] in the Middle Ages, can only be regarded as fascinating forms of corruption. The chief Use, in Flanders, is that of Mechlin; in Germany, that of Aachen. In England, notwithstanding the number of those already mentioned, the only Use of any great historical importance is that of Salisbury, or as it is usually styled, Sarum, which exhibits some remarkable points of coincidence with the Dominican Use, as practised in the present day; as, for instance, in the splendid Mixolydian Melody to the Hymn 'Sanctorum meritis'—printed in the Rev. T. Helmore's 'Hymnal Noted'—which differs from the Dominican version of the Hymn for Matins on the feast of Corpus Christi only just enough to render the collation of the two readings extremely interesting. The Sarum Use is, on the whole, an exceptionally pure one: but, unhappily, it excludes many very fine Melodies well-known on the Continent, notably the beautiful Hypomixolydian Tune to 'Iste Confessor.' [ W. S. R. ]

UTRECHT. The Collegium Musicum Ultrajectinum, or Stads-Concert, is the second oldest musical society in the Netherlands, if not in Europe. It was founded on Jan. 1, 1631, forty years after the St. Caecilia Concert of Arnheim, a society which is still in existence. The Utrecht Collegium originally consisted of eleven amateurs belonging to the best families of the town, who met together every Saturday evening for the practice of vocal and instrumental music. In course of time professional musicians were engaged to perform, and in 1721 friends of the members and pupils of the professionals were admitted. In 1766 the society first gave public concerts; since 1830 these have been under the leadership of a conductor paid by the town. At the present day the orchestra consists of over forty members, mostly musicians resident in Utrecht, but including a few artists from Amsterdam and amateurs. Ten concerts are given by the society every winter, each programme being repeated at two performances, to the first of which only gentlemen are admitted: the corresponding 'Dames-Concert' takes place a week