Charles Verney could hardly keep his eyes open. Night shifts at the mill were bad enough but doing the work of Organist and Choirmaster at Hartley Parish Church as well would be the end of him. He sat alone in the choir vestry and looked across at the harmonium where TAB would play the notes for the singers. First there would be the vocal exercises, then the hymns and chants and finally the fully choral music that would be sung the following week. Burchill was always writing some new piece or other, and he would expect the Parish Church Choir to be able to sight read the notes and perform them to the required level of perfection within days of the new composition being penned. After the ‘initial outings’ (as Burchill would call them), during which the composer would make final amendments to the score...

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