Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

EEADING REBEC 31
series of letters upon Cremona fiddles in the
JPail Mall Gazette, in whicli he propounded the
theory that the ' Lost Cremona Varnish ' was
a spirit varnish laid over an oil varnish.
Coming as it did from so noted a connoisseur,
there were many who accepted the theoi-y as
the solution of the question. These letters
were privately reprinted by G. H. M. Muntz,
under the title A Lost Art Revived : Cremona
Fiolins and Varnish (Gloucester, 1873), and
again in the volume entitled Readiana (Ghatto
& Windus, 1882). In later life Charles Reade
abandoned fiddles and fiddle-trading, but we
find traces of his infatuation in his writings.
The adventurous career of John Frederick Lott,
the violin- maker, is told by him, somewhat
romantically, in his novel Jack of all Trades ;
whilst interesting matter concerning the violin
comes into Christie Johnstone, and his collection
of tales entitled Cream.—Reade (Charles L.,
and Rev. Compton), Charles Reade ; Coleman
(John), Charles Reade ; Sutherland - Edwards,
Personal Recollections ; Hart (G.), The Violin ;
Diet, of Nat. Biog. E. h-a.
READING, John. There were three musicians
of these names, all organists. The first
was appointed Junior Vicar Choral of Lincoln
Cathedral, Oct. 10, 1667, Poor Vicar, Nov. 28,
1667, and Master of the Choristers, June 7,
1670. He succeeded Randolph Jewett as
organist of Winchester Cathedral in 1675, and
retained the office until 1681, when he was
appointed organist of Winchester College. He
died in 1692. He was the composer of the
Latin Graces sung before and after meat at the
annual CoUegeelection times, and the well-known
Winchester School song, Dulce Domum ' '
; all
printed in Dr. Philip Hayes's Harmonia
'
Wiccamioa.' The second was organist of
Chichester Cathedral from 1674 to 1720.
Several songs included in collections published
between 1681 and 1688 are probably by one or
other of these two Readings. The third, born
1677, was a chorister of the Chapel Royal under
Dr. Blow. In 1696-98 he was organist of
Dulwich College [information from Dr. W. H.
Cummings]. He was appointed Junior Vicar
and Poor Clerk of Lincoln Cathedral, Nov. 21,
1702, Master of the Choristers, Got. 5, 1703,
and Instructor of the choristers in vocal music,
Sept. 28, 1704. He appears to have resigned
these posts in 1707, and to have returned to
London, where he became organist of St. John,
Hackney (in 1708), St. Dunstan in the West,
St. Mary Woolchurchhaw, Lombard Street, and
St. Mary Woolnoth. He published A Book
'
of New Songs (after the Italian manner) with
Symphonies and a Thorough Bass fitted to the
Harpsichord, etc.,' and (about 1709) 'A Book
of New Anthems.' One of the Readings was
also the reputed composer of the tune to Adeste
'
fideles.' He died Sept. 2, 1764.
There was another person named Reading,
who was a singer at Drury Lane in the latter
part of the l7th century. In June 1695 he and
Pate, another singer at the theatre, were removed
from their places and fined 20 marks each for
being engaged in a riot at the Dog Tavern, Drury
Lane, but were soon after reinstated.
A Rev. John Reading, D.D., Prebendary of
Canterbury Cathedral, preached there a sermon
in defence of church music, alnd published it in
1663. w. H. H.
See Fugue.
REAL FUGUE.
REAY, Samuel, born at Hexham, March 17,
1822, was noted for his fine voice and careful
singing as a chorister at Durham Cathedral ; and
under Henshaw the organist, and Penson the
precentor there, became acquainted with much
music outside the regular Cathedral services.
After leaving the choir he had organ lessons
from Mr. Stimpson of Birmingham, and then
became successively organist at St. Andrew's,
Newcastle (1845) ; St. Peter's, Tiverton (1847);-
St. John's Parish Church, Hampstead (1854) ;
St. Saviour's, Warwick Road (1856) ; St.
Stephen's, Paddington ; Eadley College (1859,
succeeding Dr. E. G. Monk) ; Bury, Lancashire
(1861); and in 1864 was appointed 'Songschoolmaster
and organist ' of the parish Church
Newark, retiring from the latter post in 1901,
but retaining that of Song schoolmaster on the
Magnus foundation until his death, which took
place at Newark, July 22, 1905. In 1871
Reay graduated at Oxford as Mus.B. In 1879
he distinguished himself by producing at the
Bow and Bromley Institute, London, two comic
cantatas of J. S. Bach's ('Caffee-cantate' and
' Bauern-cantate '), which were performed there
— certainly for the first time in England—on
Oct. 27, under his direction, to English words
of his own adaptation. Mr. Reay was noted as
a fine accompanist and extempore player on the
organ. He published a Morning and Evening
Service in F, several anthems, and two madrigals
(all Novello) ; but is best known as a writer of
part-songs, some of which ( ' The clouds that
wrap, ' ' The dawn of day, ' written for the Tiverton
Vocal Society) are deservedly popular. G.
REBEC (Ital. Ribeca, Ribeba ; Span. Rabd,
Rabel). The French name (said to be of Arabic
origin) of that primitive stringed instrument
which was in use throughout western Europe in
the Middle Ages, and was the parent of the viol
and violin, and is identical with the German
' geige and the English ' ' fiddle ' ; in outline
something like the mandoline, of which it was
probably the parent. It was shaped like the
half of a pear, and was everywhere solid except
at the two extremities, the upper of which Was
formed into a peg-box identical with that still
in use, and surmounted by a carved human
head. The lower half was considerably cut
thus leaving the upper solid part
down in level,
of the instrument to form a natural finger-board.
The portion thus cut down was scooped out,