ABSTRACT
The music performed at Durham Cathedral was firmly rooted in the past. If John Brown was disapproving of the employment of lay singers in Cathedral choirs in England, he was equally condemnatory of the music performed in the services. The two most musically competent minor canons in mid-century were the brothers Abraham and Edward Gregory; Abraham was precentor of the Cathedral and Edward, a fine bass, was considered excellent as a soloist in anthems and oratorios. Towards the end of the century, the outside employment undertaken by the singing men more frequently took the form of other musical activities. Non-attendance may have been owing in part – particularly where weekday services were concerned – to the fact that singing men, despite their high salaries, were only part-time musicians. Throughout the century, they were expected to supplement their income from the Cathedral by taking on outside jobs.
