Pearsall's Letters Author(s): W. Barclay Squire and Robert Lucas Pearsall Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 61, No. 932 (Oct. 1, 1920), pp. 662-665 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/908133 Accessed: 20-11-2015 16:03 UTC

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3. Folk-songs: (a) ' Gently Johnny, my Jingalo'...... Somerset PEARSALL'S LETTERS (arr. by C. K. S.) (b) 'Bully in our alley' (sea chanty) BY W. BARCLAY SQUIRE arr. by Balfour Gardiner 4. Pianoforte Solos by Bach, Lully. Dandrieu, and Scarlatti Robert Lucas Pearsall needs no introductionto (Miss Harriet Cohen.) readersof the Musical Times. the 5. Ayre ...... ' Disdain me still' ... J... John Dowland Though greater 6. Three Rounds from 'Pammelia' (16o9) part of his life was spent on the Continent; 7. Ballet ...... ' Sing we and chaunt it' ... ThomasrMorley and he was little known to his English contem- 8. Part-songs : - his connectionsand friendsat (a) ' Owls' ...... Elgar poraries-excepting (b) 'On Craig Dhu' ...... Delius Bristol-since his death in 1856 the steadygrowth 9. Three ' Pan' songs for Female Voices and Pianoforte GeoffreyShaw- in popular appreciationof his madrigals and part- Io. An Irish Tone-poem for Two Pianofortes ... has made his name a household word (Miss Harriet Cohen and Mr. Arnold Bax.) songs 11. FoIk-songs: among choral societies which preserve the best (a) 'The song of the blacksmith ' traditions of But (b) 'I love my love'... Arr. by English part-singing. though (c) ' Swansea Town'...... I his music is familiar, the man himself,with his From the 'Oriana' we went on to talk of the wide interestsin art, music, and archaeology,is known. for PhilharmonicChoir which Mr. Scott organizedlast hardly Fortunately posterity,he was a season. Discussing some of the criticisms,he said voluminous correspondent,and at least two that people who compared the Choir with the best series of his letters have been preserved. The in the northof England overlooked the fact that earlierwere addressed to his friend,the Rev. H. T. of in the Philharmonicsingers were got together(at an Ellacombe, vicar Bitton, the parish which unsettledand difficulttime) and preparedfor their Pearsall's old home, WillsbridgeHouse, is situated. firstperformance of some exceptionallydifficult The larger part of this series, which begins at new modern music, in the short period of a few Carlsruhe in I133, has been published by me in months. Criticswho, havingheard old-established the New York Musical Quarterly for I919 Northern choirs singingfar more familiarmusic, and 1920. The second series of ,letters is of shook their heads over the Philharmonic,should addressed to Johann Oehler, Chancellor the of the of in have realised that there was really very little Diocese St. Gall, capital the Canton ground on whichcomparisons could be based. which is situated the Castle of Wartensee, which in 'It is ridiculous,'he went on, 'always to assert Pearsall bought I843, and whiWrethe last years of life were Oehler was the superiorityof the Northern choirs. My ex- his spent. evidently a man own heart he perience does not bear it out, though it seems a afterPearsall's ; studiedmusic perfectide'fixe withmany of our London ciitics. withhim, and from I846 the two friendskept up a In his I am convinced that we have as good materialin livelycorrespondence. later years Oehler in a new for London as anywhere,and I simplywill not agree was engaged preparing hymn-book withsome of the criticismthat has been levelledat St. Gall, in which he was largely assisted by Pearsall. The book did not until the PhilharmonicChoir. I don't mind admitting appear I863, but in the the editor a tribute that it made us rathersore. This is not to imply preface pays touching that we are in any way satisfied with our achieve- to Pearsall, who had harmonized about half the several ments,but I do thinkthat relativelythey deserved entire collection, besides contributing far more sympathetic consideration than they originalcompositions. received. Whether circumstanceswill allow the Oehler seems to have preservedevery scrap of Pearsall's besides of Choir to continue I do not know. There are many writing, making copies he difficulties,but I feel sure that, these difficultiesall his master's music that could obtain. I so as recover overcome, it can be shown convincinglythat a Some years ago was fortunate to London choir can be as good as any other. More- in Switzerlandall these manuscripts. The musical is now housed in the British over, I want the best choir to be in London, for portion safely Museum, I'm not above local patriotism! If we cannot but I hope to print a sellection of the letters, have the best, we can console ourselves with togetherwith a few others, in the pages of the some very appropriate lines of Meredith-those MfusicaTimes. The Oehler correspondencebegins beginning,"So that I draw the breath."' in I846 ; the earlierletters of thatyear have already Previous to We quote the passage, recommendingit to all appeared in the Musical Quarterly. who are unsuccessfulin competitivefestivals: these is the following, which has kindly been So that I draw the breath of finerair, communicatedto me by Mr. Hubert Hunt. It Station is naught, nor footways laurel strewn, is addressed to the Secretary .of the Bristol Nor rivals tightly belted for the race. Madrigal Society, of which Pearsall was the first Good speed to them My place is here or there; referred My pride is that among them I have place, honorary member. The composition to And thus I keep this instrumentin tune. wherein the words "Danderly Dan" occur' is 'Who shall win fair?' It was fittingthat we should be reminded of my lady these lines by one who throwshimself into his I. work so disinterestedly. Charles Kennedy Scott To WILLIAM HARWOOD, Esq., Jr. has alreadymade a highlyindividual mark in our Wartensee, April Io, I845. musical world. With his broad and democratic M DEAR SrIR,-On my return hither yesterday I found your polite letter informingme that I had been outlook, fine taste,and abounding enthusiasm,he chosen and enrolled an honorary member of the Bristol should go far in the near future. Madrigal Society.

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Let me.thereforebeg you to offermy warmest thanks The manuscriptalluded to in the above letter to themfor the welcome honour have done very they is an Antiphonerand Gradual, now considered to me, and to accept yourselfmy best acknowledgments forthe flatteringmanner in which you have conveyed be probablyof the 9th century,with additions of to me a communicationso gratifying. the I2th and I3th centuries,with two 4th century It naturallyaffords me pleasure to learn that the ivory plaques on one of the covers. It was public are indulgentlydisposed towards my humble said to have been at Rome at and at a future traditionally copied attempts madrigal-writing, perhaps between A.D. timeit will be an encouragementto me to resumethem; from St. Gregory's Antiphoner 772 but ill-healthhas so troubledme duringthe last two and A.D. 795 by Romanus, and to have been brought years that I have not been able to produce anything by him to St. Gall, where it is still preserved. It worthpreservaticn. was exhibitedfor a short time at the Music and By a letterwhich I receivedfrom Bristol some short timeago, I learntthat a compositionof mine wherein Inventions Exhibition at South Kensington in the words ' Danderly Dan' occur had been favourably I885. received. I rememberthat I wrote this by way of experiment,and thatthe firsttime it was sung it failed III. so completelythat I set it down as an unsuccessful To the same. and had it when the letterin attempt, quite forgotten Wartensee,January 14, 1847. question reached me. Now, however,that I findit has been on a furthertrial well received,I will beg you MY DEAR SIR AND FRIEND,-YOU have made to have the goodnessto note it in the music-booksas me your debtor in a way which imposes on me an Ante Madrigal, for it is in fact an imitationof a a double obligation, for I owe my thanks not style of song currentin England about the time of only to you but to the Sisters of Magdenau for the HenryVII., and thereforeestablished long beforethe box of cakes which arrived here the day before If it is with such that the fair introductionof madrigalswith us: The class of song yesterday. artillery which I wishedto imitateis very curiousfrom being nuns make their conquests, everyone will naturally compoundedof popularmelody and theold ecclesiastical desireto be besiegedby enemies who employsuch an neuma,or vocalisationon the last syllable of particular agreeable means of bombardment. But I am much phrases. perplexedto know how I shall returntheir fire. They In repeatingmy thanks to you forthe veryagreeable have directedtheir shot at my mouth,and thereforeI letterwhich you have writtento me, let me beg you to will directmine at theirears, and withthis resolution I presentmy best remembrancesto all the Gentlemenof have put two pieces intobattery. They are neitherof the Madrigal Society whom I have the pleasure to themcanons, but neverthelessI hope thatthey will go know, and to assure them that theirremembrance of offvery well and hit the mark at which I have aimed me will be alwaysdwelt on withreal gratificationby them. One of themis a Salve Reginafor three soprano Yours veryfaithfully, voices [and] chorus. The otheris a Pange lingua fora R. L. PEARSALL. soprano voice with a short chorus for four soprano voices. The latterof these I will enclosein thepresent II. letter,and I will beg you to get it copied forme at To ChancellorOEHLER. St. Gall on music-paperwhere the spaces betweenthe [At end :] Wartensee, stavesare wide enoughto admitthe text of thedifferent December 20, 1846. verseswhich compose the Hymn. There is one of the MY DEAR SIR AND FRIEND,-Try whether you nunswho could sing this with a good effect,and the cannot arrange matters so as to remain here over- chorusis so shortand easy thatall the restmight learn night on Wednesday. In the evening we shall it. With regardto the Salve Regina, I will bringit have a better and a more convenient opportunity withme to St. Gall whennext I go there (which will of conversingat our ease on subjects connected be in a fewdays), forthere is a passage in it which I with counterpointthan we can have in the morning. wishto alter. As I wishto speak with you, not only The Eilwragenstarts from Rorschach to St. Gall on on thissubject but on others,I will beg you to tell me Thursdaymorning at 8 o'clock, so that you may be by returnof the post whetheryou will be at your thereby half-past9 on Thursday. chamberson Tuesday eveningnext or on Wednesday, In the meantimeI will ask you to do me a slight foreither on one or the other of these days I propose favour,viz., to go to the MSS. roomof the old convent going thither. You misunderstoodme about the libraryand examinethe ancientAntiphonary there, so Neumnaschrift.All that I wished you to do was to as to be enabled to give me, when you come here, a note down any observationwhich mightoccur to you general idea of its contents. Ten minutesemployed in casuallyinspecting it, forit is oftenthe case that a in its inspectionwill enable you to do this. I wish to thoughtwhich arises in the mind is erased by another know whetherthere are any Hymns in it, such as if it is not noted down at the moment. I am glad to 'Aeterne reurnumconditor,' or 'O lux beata Trinitas' say that I have foundmy extracts: theywere in the (writtenby St. Ambrosius),or ' Te lucis anteterminum' pocket of my mantle. I have also studiedthem, and (writtenby St. Gregory). In a word,whether there is have convinced myselfthat the charactersare not anypositive reason for believing it to be eitheran entire positive signs of particulartones, but that they are or a mutilatedcopy of the Antiphonarycompiled by signs of movementand of intervalsrelative to some St. Gregory,such as he is said to have sent by the particularantecedent, and thatthey arise out of, or are hands of the singerRomanus to Charlemagne. I have at least influencedby, the old system of musical seen it myself,but I had neithertime nor opportunity proportion. They are referablealso to a time when to examine it with attention; but the writing, and the what we call the Gamut was not known. I find them ivory-carvings on the exterior of it, seemed to me to distinguished by Greek names in a MS. cited by be of the 8th century. There is also something Abbot Gerbert. From what I have seen in a Treatise remarkable about the musical characters in it, for they by Hucbald preserved by the same author, I am very seem to be much more artificial than those of the same much disposed to believe that Ildefons d'Arx is wrong species which one meets with in books known or about the significationof the small letters placed above reputed to have been written in Northern Europe, the Neumnasckriftin the Antiphonarium. You will .do inasmuch as there are certain marks, which seem to be very right to set to the Antiphons. But auxiliary to the notation, and indicate, perhaps, the in setting these for two voices the rule which requires value of the notes or the sharpening or flattening of that the penultimate interval should be either a third or them. a sixth cannot be always observed. Work nevertheless Ever yours faithfully, at your exercises, and let me not forget to recommend P. DEW. you to select such Antiphons as are the most simple,

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because of those which in the TUTTI. many appear printed SoP. T. books have certainlydeparted fromtheir primitive form. It has just occurredto me that perhapsyou might engage Mademoiselle Falk to sing the Pange lin:,ua to you, so that you may hear the effectof it. um. Fruc-tus ven- tris en r- I thinkthe melodyhas some claim to originality,and the cadencesat the seventhbar and at the last bar of the chorusare I new. (at least hope and believe so) Fruc- tus ven - tris gen - er - Neverthelessthis is sayinga greatdeal and sounds like SOP. 3. vanity. Since I wrotewhat stands above I have made the alterationswhich I wished in the Salve Reg na, and I thereforewill encloseit withthe Pange lingua. Fruc- tus ven - tris gen - er - ALTO. Veryfaithfully yours, R. L. P. Magdenau, the nuns of which sent Pearsall a Fruc-tus ven - tris . gen - er- box of cakes, was a Cistercianconvent on the road from St. Gall to Wattwyl. The 'Pange lingua,' which the composer wrote in return for the present, is below-it is believed for the printed Ilk, firsttime. Copies of the 'Salve Regina' and of the 'O Salutaris' mentionedin the next letter ,I are among the Pearsall MSS. in the British Museum. The latter part *of the above letter refersto the St. Gall Antiphoner. Ildefons d'Arx - o - si Rexef - fu - ditgenti um. (1755-1833) was a priest who wrote a historyof . the Cantori of St. Gall in the early part of the 19th century:

SOPRANO SOLO. R. L. PEARSALL.

- 0 - si Rexef - fu - dit gen-ti- um. Pan- ge lin - gua glo - ri - o - si Cor -por -

i RF" I .C'I i - xe -f -i-un e s Rexef- fu ditgen-ti- u.

". - is mys-ter- i - um, San.guin-is - que pre- ti - 19.-"-

do-

IV. To the same.

- o - si,Quemin mun - di pre- ti um Fru-ctus [At end:] Wartensee, January 23, 1847. - MY DEAR SIR AND FRIEND,-An idea has occurredto me (I mean a musical idea) which I have set to the hymn 'O Salutaris Hostia,' and I thinkthat the Nuns of Magdenauwill not findmuch difficultyin singingit. The solo-partsare not very difficult,and the chorus is extremelyeasy. There is . . . one partof the organaccompaniment which is written 4~-. with red ink. This I would willinglyomit in the per- formancewhenever three voices can be foundto sing withsuch confidenceas mayrender the supportof the for I think that the voices would ven - o - si Rex ef - fu dit - organ unnecessary, trissgen-er gen-ti sound betterwithout any accompanimentat all, and the introductionof the organat thechorus would have a bettereffect. I pointout thispart of the composition Md to your notice as a specimenof counterpointof the AvD~ 44T A second species, i.e., two notes against one, in which thereare one or twofeatures worthy of remarkwhich I will point out to you when we next meet. In the meantimeI will beg you to do me the favourof getting

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the compositioncopied fairly,for I have writtenthe THE WORCESTER FESTIVAL originalin great haste, having much businesson my hands. Excuse me thereforeif I writebut a short By SAMUEL LANGFORD letter,and do not on account of its abruptconclusion The ThreeChoir's Festival, favoured by beautiful thinkthat I am the less weather,made eventhe musicianrecognise that such Faithfullyyours, events have far more than a merelymusical charm, P. DE W. and that the music itself is enhanced by many V. otherimpressions from the golden days of autumn, To the same. whose light slants downwards through the [At end:] Wartensee,Jan. 27, 1847. solemnities of Gothic architecturein softening MY DEAR SIR AND FRIEND,-In the present rays as we sit and listen. The Festival was well letteryou will findthe song which I have composed attended, and on the whole so completely for Mademoiselle Falk to the words which you successful that it may be said once more to have gave me. They are however such as are better established the Three Choirs Festivals' on a suited for Recitative than Melody, and the only part of them which I could employ as such was the pre-war footing. The listener familiar with the single phrase 'Der du hinweg nimstdie Stindender musical world will miss here most of all the Welt, erbarmedich unser,'and for this reason I have aggressive masteryof the conductor'sart whichin been obligedto dwell ratherlong on it, but I hope not dominatesthe modernworld of music. Its tediouslyso. I believe that the wordsare all rightly general accentuated: I will beg youhowever to look it through, absence is the more felt as the vastness of the and ifyou findany errorin this respect,to note it in Cathedral dims the sharperoutlines of music,and order that I may correctit when I have next the only the most masterfulhandling of music could pleasure of seeing you. In the meantineigive my make itselffelt or The of best to Mademoiselle and expressa appreciated. personnel compliments Falk the London Orchestra hope, on mypart, that Wvhat I have writtenmay not be Symphony showed a most unworthyof her finevoice. I regretthat I have been admirable loyaltyto Mr. Ivor Atkinsin combating obliged to devote so much of the compositionto this special difficulty,and the playingnever during Recitative, because it is almost impossible,in that the week lost the refinement of execution or style of writing,to invent anythingnew. I think neverthelessthat in the accompanimentto the word expressionfor whichthe Orchestrais famous. 'Thriinenzerflossen,'I have founda new progression Elgar and Elgar's music have done a greatdeal -or at least a rare one. . . . The introduction of forthe Festivalsin recentyears. Not onlydoes the the Song of the Angels ('Der du hinweg niinst') as conductorof his own works should be declaimed, as well as the little passage, composer's presence quasi Recit., near the end of the words 'Erbarme dich do muchtowards keeping the performancesabreast unser.' I have writtenthe word ritardandoover the withthe times,but it makes music understoodas concludingnotes of the song. I wish themto die away a creativeart more properlyin theWestern counties an of devotional I so in exhaustion feeling(if may than in any other of the country. There were express myself),the more particularlyas the word part unser,or ratherthe last and unaccentuatedsyllable of special circumstancesin the reorganizationof the it, occurs,and one cannotprevent it, on theaccentuated choir thatjustified the inclusionof well-known part of the measure. I will not fatigueyou withany works; but it may be noted forthe encouragement furtherobservations on a I am afraidis productionwhich of the musical pilgrimwho finds 'Elijah' and veryunworthy of yourfriend's charming talent. I hope howeverthat she will do me the favourto sing it when '' at any and every musical Festival, I nextcome to St. Gall. Till thenadieu, and Believe that such worksno longer hold pride of place at me to be these West countryFestivals, and the routined Veryfaithfullyyours, adhesion to them has therefore at least some R. L. P, distantprospect of being broken down. N.B.-I have opened this letteragain to say that, The Festivalhas boasted a finerset of vocal just as I had sealed it, a betterintroductory symphony rarely occurredto me. I have noted it down on a separate principals,and if,as was said, they considered in piece of paper so thatwhen the song is copied it may theirfees the precariousnature of the undertaking, be substitutedfor that which now standsthere. In the and the historic claims of the Festival on their new symphonyI have endeavouredto conveyin a very were at least rewarded one of the shortform the impressionof a man awaking out of a loyalty,they by dream which bewilderedhim in the firstmoments of most pleasant functions they can ever have returningconsciousness, but which immediatelyafter- experienced. A virtue might even be made of wards gave rise to religiousmeditation. Whetheryou some necessityfor economy in futureFestivals by will understandmy attemptat musicalpainting, I do the inclusionof more a music. The one not know,for those things are neverso clear to anyone cappella as theirauthor. But as the new introductionis much unaccompanied Motet by , 'There betterthan the other,I will beg you to let it replacethe is an Old Belief,' illustratedhow much the very latterif you accompanyMademoiselle F. in her first walls of the cathedrals cry out for this type trialof the song. of music, and probably no musicians are so The song to which the above letter refers is well able as the cathedralorganists to interpretit 'Ich stand' im All.' It has never been published, for us. If the space of a complete day duringthe but there are MS. copies in the BritishMuseum Festival were devoted to this field of music, the and the . pilgrimwould then have somethingto take away whichhe would be littlelikely to find equalled in At the CrystalPalace on OctoberI6 the London Sunday the busier eentresof the art. School Choirholds its annual Festival. There will be choral The of lacked and a performanceof selections from opening performance 'Elijah' competitions large-scale ' ' Elijah,' ' The Woman of Samaria,' Caractacus,' and mainly a dominating figure in the title-part. Spohr's ' Crucifixion.' Captain Heyner sang in many ways finelyenough, B

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