Vestry and levied a local tax on produce known as a tithe. The decline of the feudal system and, following the Reformation in the 16th century, the power of the Church, led to a new form of township or parish meeting, which dealt with both civil and ecclesiastical affairs. This new meeting was supervised by the parish priest, probably the best educated of the inhabitants, and it evolved to become the vestry meeting. As the complexity of rural society increased, the vestry meetings pragmatically acquired greater responsibilities, and were given the power to grant or deny payments from parish funds. Although
A Sort of Homecoming (song) A Sort of Homecoming (song) "A Sort of Homecoming" is the first song of U2's 1984 album, "The Unforgettable Fire". A live version of the track is found on 1985's four-track EP, "Wide Awake in America". It is also the only song with lyrics inside the sleeve for the album. As the opening track on "The Unforgettable Fire", "A Sort of Homecoming" epitomises the new direction U2 had taken. A far more atmospheric album than the previous overt-rock of "War", the album has a rich and orchestrated sound. Like much of the album, the song replaces the hard-hitting martial drum