A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Round, Catch, and Canon Club
ROUND, CATCH, AND CANON CLUB. A society founded in 1843, by the late Enoch Hawkins, for the purpose of singing the new compositions of the professional members and others written in the form of Round, Catch, and Canon; hence the title of the Club. Among the original members were Messrs. Enoch Hawkins, Hobbs, Bradbury, Handel Gear, Henry Phillips, Addison, D'Almaine, and F. W. Collard. The meetings were originally held at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, whence the Club removed to Freemasons' Tavern, thence to the Thatched House, again to Freemasons' Tavern, and lastly to St. James's Hall, where it still assembles every fortnight from the first Saturday in November until the end of March, ten meetings being held in each season. In the earlier years of its existence the number both of professional and non-professional members at each dinner rarely exceeded eighteen, but now from sixty to seventy dine together. The management of the Club devolves upon the professional members, each of whom in turn takes the chair, and is alone responsible for the entertainment. The musical programmes now consist mainly of glees, although an occasional catch is introduced.
The professional members at the present time are Messrs. Winn, Baxter, Fred. Walker, Coates, and Hilton. The officers are—Mr. Winn, 'Clerk of the Records'; Mr. Baxter, 'Librarian'; and Mr. Coates, 'Chancellor of the Exchequer.' Mr. William Winn, vicar-choral of St. Paul's Cathedral, in 1876 succeeded to the post of 'Clerk' on the resignation of Mr. Francis after twenty-eight years of valuable service to the Club. The chairman of the evening is addressed as 'Mr. Speaker.' The Club has from time to time offered prizes for the composition of glees: in 1869 the first prize as won by Mr. Winn, and the second by Mr. Coates; in 1870 the competition had the same result; and in 1880 the first prize was awarded to Mr. Coates, and the second to Mr. Winn. For the non-professional members, who must be nominated and seconded by two members, there is an entrance fee of three guineas, and an annual subscription, for the ten meetings and dinners, of five guineas.