As a hobby, auxiliary to his readings in Divinity, he developed his
slight skill in church-music and thorough-bass, till he could join in
part-singing from notation with some accuracy. A mile or two from
Melchester there was a restored village church, to which Jude had
originally gone to fix the new columns and capitals. By this means
he had become acquainted with the organist, and the ultimate result
was that he joined the choir as a bass voice.
He walked out to this parish twice every Sunday, and sometimes in the
week. One evening about Easter the choir met for practice, and a new
hymn which Jude had heard of as being by a Wessex composer was to be
tried and prepared for the following week. It turned out to be a
strangely emotional composition. As they all sang it over and over
again its harmonies grew upon Jude, and moved him exceedingly.
When they had finished he went round to the organist to make
inquiries. The score was in manuscript, the name of the composer
being at the head, together with the title of the hymn: "The Foot
of the Cross."
"Yes," said the organist. "He is a local man. He is a professional
musician at Kennetbridge--between here and Christminster. The
vicar knows him. He was brought up and educated in Christminster
traditions, which accounts for the quality of the piece. I think he
plays in the large church there, and has a surpliced choir. He comes
to Melchester sometimes, and once tried to get the cathedral organ
when the post was vacant. The hymn is getting about everywhere this
Easter."
As he walked humming the air on his way home, Jude fell to musing
on its composer, and the reasons why he composed it. What a man of
sympathies he must be! Perplexed and harassed as he himself was
about Sue and Arabella, and troubled as was his conscience by the
complication of his position, how he would like to know that man!
"He of all men would understand my difficulties," said the impulsive
Jude. If there were any person in the world to choose as a
confidant, this composer would be the one, for he must have suffered,
and throbbed, and yearned.
In brief, ill as he could afford the time and money for the journey,
Fawley resolved, like the child that he was, to go to Kennetbridge
the very next Sunday. He duly started, early in the morning, for it
was only by a series of crooked railways that he could get to the
town. About mid-day he reached it, and crossing the bridge into the
quaint old borough he inquired for the house of the composer.