Musical Times Publications Ltd.

Review: The 'Star-Spangled Banner': An Exhaustive Official Inquiry Author(s): Frank Kidson Review by: Frank Kidson Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 56, No. 865 (Mar. 1, 1915), pp. 148-150 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/909516 Accessed: 19-10-2015 23:24 UTC

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This content downloaded from 128.238.66.100 on Mon, 19 Oct 2015 23:24:48 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 148 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-MARCH I, 1915. on the cholera-stricken 'Lincolns.' Miss Lena with amazing popularity to the year 1915. But it is Ashwell pleaded forless abject materialism, and that so, and lately the 250th recital has been celebrated, the Arts-but music especially-might be given the and marked with due appreciation by the citizens of chance of helping at the fountain-head of all effort-- , who assembled in many thousands, the emotions. We all sing the 'man behind the gun,' headed by the Mayor and Corporation, Col. the Hon. but what is it that is behind the man? Other A. B. Bathurst, M.P., Col. Sandeman, and many speakers followed,and the wealth of Britishfolk-music officers and men of the differentBattalions now -old songs, old dances, old march-tunes-and the quartered at Gloucester, to listen forone shorthour to cryingneed of instrumentalmusic forthe new Armies the strains of Handel, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Bach, was amply demonstrated. Its quality, and its and Haydn, rendered by a large voluntary choir ot administration,however, were leftsomewhat in doubt. ladies and gentlemen and the Cathedral choristers. Have bands, and plenty of them, by all means,-if Organ solos by more modern composers, played by you can get them: a good band at the disposal of Dr. Brewer, were also listened to with great attention every depot commanding officer, for occasional by the huge gathering. The solo-singing of Mr. military duty, but chieflyto enliven the leisure hours John Coates came as a grateful surprise to the and affordsome compensation for the sacrifice of the congregation, who much appreciated the sacred songs volunteers' ordinary evening amusements. But the of Handel and Mendelssohn that Mr. Coates had firstand most urgent need is for cheering influences selected. The programmes of sacred music at these on the march during the months and months of recitals carry out Dr. Butler's advice in I886: ' Pray actual training, music which is simple and always include music by the Great Masters, give dates straightforward,that needs no strained effort to of birth and death of each, and reiterate, reiterate, grasp and assimilate,-plain 'melody and rhythm,'as reiterate,for the people we want here are those who Kipling put it. Music in fact, which is best expressed from various circumstances cannot often hear really through the time-honouredmedium of the drum and high-class music.' fife. It is pleasant to assure the Master of Trinity, if A drum and fife,and a bagpiper, at the disposal of these lines should meet his eye, that his advice has every company captain would work wonders. proved sound and practical, and is being loyally As to recruiting, it is to be questioned whether carried out by the present Dean, Dr. Spence-Jones, the bunkum of a more or less theatrical 'recruiting and his organist, Dr. Brewer. 'Recital-night' has march ' would attractintelligent men nearly so much as now for nearly thirty years become a well-loved seeing a platoon, like a happy family,swinging along institution in the old city of Gloucester. Certainly its daily task to the pulsating beat of the drum, the the authorities do this thing right well, for some merrychirrup of the fife-spontaneous, like the song three thousand programmes with the words of each of a lark-or the compelling and forcefulskirl of the vocal number enabled all present to follow and bagpipe. The very soul of true soldiering finds appreciate every sentiment that was sung by soloist expression therein; and if there is any man who has or choir. not yet come under its influence,let him try a march On the present occasion the very sad events of the amongst good comrades to the tune of 'Green War were brought home to each one present at the Sleeves,' ' Joan's Placket,' ' Rory O'More,' ' Rosin the solemn momentwhen all rose to listen to the strainsof Beau,' ' The Buff Coat,' 'Larry O'Gaff,' 'Johnnie 'The Last Post,' played by six young buglers placed Cope,' or an old English Hornpipe, or Irish Jig or in the far-away Lady Chapel. The almost painful Scots Reel in its own particular idiom, the fife or silence that followed told its own tale, and eyes grew bagpipe. Love of country, pride of race, historic dim and hearts beat quickly as the solemn strains glory and all things that make for Patriotism speak died slowly away, reverberating through clerestory under these circumstances more clearly than under the and cloister,-a finetribute to those lost to us on land influenceof the most inspired orator. There can be and sea. no doubt about it, for the case has been proved times Gloucester may well be proud of its grand old out of number during similar crises in the past. Cathedral, and of the many splendid services of Warfare is a primitivething. Its essentials are the sacred song that are privileged to take place there. same as ever, and the 'Kitcheners' of to-day are as C. L. W. the warriors who responded to the call in bygone ages : who drilled, and marched to the fifeand drum, and finallyassembled and encamped under the same THE 'STAR-SPANGLED BANNER': AN old oaks in the same old 'New Forest'; whose trampingfootsteps echoed under the same old Bar-gate EXHAUSTIVE OFFICIAL INQUIRY.* at on the to the who Southampton way wars; fought The writerwho essays the apparently innocent task and on the self-same at conquered battle-fields of writing the history of a national and and conscientiously Agincourt Cressy, Blenheim Waterloo; song or tune, generally findshimself in the position of whose spirit is with us, and whose souls 'still go an unfortunate soldier fast amid a barbed wire if we what is most worth marching on,' believe entanglementand subjected to a hail of bullets from believing. the enemy's firingline. G. M. This simile may have forced itself into the mind of Mr. O. G. Sonneck after the publication of his AT A SOLEMN MUSIC. original report, issued in 1909. This exhaustive was at the of the head . monograph compiled request librarian of the Library of Congress, with intent that What fitterplace for such a celebration than the all informationobtainable regarding America's chief splendid old Norman nave of Gloucester Cathedral? national songs should be given to the world under When Dr. Montagu Butler, then Dean of Gloucester, official auspices. 'The Star-spangled Banner,' now Master of Trinity,took counsel withhis Cathedral 'Yankee Doodle,' 'Hail, Columbia !' and 'America,' organist in October, 1886, as to the possibility of were therefore dealt with down to the most holding recitals of sacred music during the winter could have or C'"The Star-spangled Banner." Revised and enlarged from the months, they hardly contemplated Report on the above and other airs, issued in I9o9. By Oscar George foreseen that the movement would have extended Theodore Sonneck. Washington, 1914.'

This content downloaded from 128.238.66.100 on Mon, 19 Oct 2015 23:24:48 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL TIMES.-MARcH I, 1915. 149 insignificantdetail, the whole forminga monument This song was regularlysung at all meetingsof a of patient research; every wild statement is convivial harmonic club, called 'The Anacreontic traced to its source and duly knockedon the head. Society,'that held its meetingsat a tavernon Ludgate It is unfortunatefor the historianthat all popular Hill kept by one Rowley; later, the Society songs and melodies have been subjected to the transferreditself to the 'Crown and Anchor' in the writingsof irresponsible persons who, withoutgiving Strand. The firsthalf of Mr. Sonneck's Report is any authority,have rushed into printwith startlingto establishthe fact of the authorshipof the tune assertionsregarding them. which,according to his belief from the evidence These (generally)romantic stories are repeated available, was by John StaffordSmith, 1750-1836. over and over again, and it becomes the historian'sThe contentionis not new, for it had long been businessto tracethem to theirfountain head and to settledthus in most impartialminds that had gone disprovethem. Again,to give a homelyparallel, it into the matter. Nevertheless some attacks had is quite easy to assert, on the basis of infantilebeen made upon this conclusion,and it became tradition,that the moon is a huge green cheese, or Mr. Sonneck'stask to re-establishthe originalbelief. that it is inhabitedby a solitarySabbath breaker,We thinkhe has successfullydone this,and thathe guiltyof gatheringsticks on a Sunday; but it is a has facedall adversepoints that have been raised. complicatedand laborious task for even the skilled To reviewthe evidenceas putforth by Mr. Sonneck: astronomerscientifically to provethe untruthof these in orderto refutean Americanclaim forthe song, myths. a claim whichMr. Sonneckrefers to as 'one of the Such, however,has been Mr. Sonneck'stask. He mostgrotesquely absurd articles in musicalliterature,' has had to collectall the irresponsiblefables regarding it was pointedout by 'X' in the Musical Times of thetwo airs, 'Yankee Doodle' and 'The Star-spangledAugust, 1896, pp. 516-519, that the song 'To Banner,'and patientlyto siftthe few grainsof corn Anacreonin Heaven' firstappears in print(without froma greatquantity of chaff; also in thecase of the music) in a song book the Vocal Magazine, last-namedair and song, with which the present the editionof 1778,under the heading: Reportonly is concerned,to combatnew theories that 'AnacreonticSociety-written by RalphTomlinson, have sprungup since the firstReport of 19o9. Esq.' Put in thefewest words, the sum of Mr. Sonneck's In thisversion one line runs: contentionis that the wordsof 'The Star-spangled 'A figfor Parnassus, to Rowley'swe'll fly.' Banner' were writtenby , a Baltimore lawyer,on or about September 13 or 14, 1814, And anotherline : underthese circumstances : 'To thehill of old Lud willincontinent flee.' A medicalfriend of Key's had been arrestedupon These linesallude to thefact that the Society held certaincharges as an enemyduring 's war its at a tavern 'one as withAmerica. This gentleman,Dr. Beanes, had meetings kept by Rowley,' been to a then of the mentionedabove. Afterwardsit removedto larger conveyed ship formingpart at the 'Crown and Anchor' the Strand. British Fleet lying off the mouthof the Potomac. premises in Under a of Scott sailed out to the The earliest knowncopy of the song fittedto its flag truce, Key music on a music sheet issued English ships and made a successfulendeavour to appears by Longman obtainthe releaseof his friend. were and Broderip,at the assumed date 1780. In this They informed, and all other of the after however,that they wouldnot be allowedto returnto sheet, in copies song land forsome little as the Fleet was about to the Vocal Magazine, the lines relatingto 'Rowley' while, and the 'hill of old Lud' are omittedand classic bombardFort McHenry. From the deck of theirvessel Scott and his generalitiessubstituted. Key As to the of the the friendwatched the flag floating over the fort; but the composer glorious tune, darkness themfrom if the Musical Times article, with which Mr. Sonneck growing prevented seeing to Stafford who flag stillheld position,and theywaited anxiously for agrees,points John Smith, published a versionof the song in glee formin his 'FifthBook morning. of and Glees' it During the eveningKey had strungtogether part Canzonets,Catches, Canons, which, of his has since been ascertained,was enteredat Stationers' song: Hall in In this work it is called 'The ! can see the dawn's I799. ' O say you by earlylight AnacreontickSong, Harmonised by the Author.' What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's an last &c. On the title-page of the volume important gleaming?' statementis made as follows: 'By John Stafford The song was finishedduring their return, and was Smith,Gent of His Majesty's Chapels Royal,author printedon a broadsheet,and in theBaltimore Patriot of the FavoriteGlees-Blest pair of Syrens,Hark the of September20; also, nextday, in anotherBaltimore Hollow Woods, &c., the Anacreonticand other paper. popularsongs.' In thesewords, and in 'harmonised In broadsheetform and in thenewspapers the song by the author' attached to the glee form,lies the is headed-' Tune, " in Heaven."' The evidencefor claiming Stafford Smith as composerof metre of 'To Anacreon in Heaven' is peculiar to theair. itselfand to the manysongs which were written to the So far all would seem to be plain sailing. But air. The melodyhad long been popularin America, two gentlemenarise who dispute the Britishbirth and formedthe vehicle for several songs of a patrioticof both the words and melody of 'To Anacreon character. Therefore,in spite of an assertionthat in Heaven.' One is Mr. John Henry Blake, Scott Key did not know one tunefrom another, it is who is referredto as 'a wealthyIrish American,' quite obviousthat he knew,at least,the 'Anacreon' and the other Dr. Grattan Flood, who, it may song, as the metreof his verse distinctlyshows its be remembered, in his 'History of Irish Music' association. claimed'God save the King' as an 'adaptation of an In regardto the tune,about which English readers Irish Folk-song.' Dr. GrattanFlood havingsatisfied willbe interested,it belongs to a song of whichthe himself(even if this opinionis not concurredin by firsttwo lines run : otherswho have studiedthe question)that '" Yankee 'To Anacreonin Heaven,where he sat in fullglee, Doodle" is of Irish origin,' mentions in an article A fewsons of harmonysent a petition.' in Church Music, September, 1909, that '" The Star- &c. spangled Banner" had its provenance in England.'

This content downloaded from 128.238.66.100 on Mon, 19 Oct 2015 23:24:48 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 150 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-MARCH 1, 1915.

He goes on to say, in the same article, in allusion Mr. Sonneck characterizes this pamphlet as a to 'Anacreon in Heaven': 'As to the melody, composite affair,sections of the history being written it was composed by John Stafford Smith, a pupil of at differenttimes, and points out--'this disjointed Dr. Boyce, in 1771,' and 'there is no doubt as to the method makes it difficultto report the pamphlet fact that wrote the song in the briefly, or cope with the discoveries, theories, winter of 1770.' Further,that 'the words and music idiosyncrasies, and contradictions therein contained.' of "To Anacreon" were published by Longman Mr. Blake's real discovery is that StaffordSmith's and Broderip in 1779-80, and were reprinted by 'Fifth Book of Canzonets,' in which the song 'To Anne Lee, of Dublin (? 1780) in 1781.' The Anacreon in Heaven' was adapted as a glee, was above shows Dr. Flood as in full agreement with copyrightedin 1799: a fact of interest,but which has Mr. Sonneck. not the slightest bearing on the question at issue. But this certaintyas to detail, and much more which Mr. Blake lays much stress upon the fact that we have not space to quote, sounds rather strange Stafford Smith did not claim its composition before when we read Dr. Flood's later communication to 1799, or copyrightit on firstpublication. He appears another magazine, Ave Maria, July 6, 1912, under to be quite in ignorance of the little real value the title, 'The Irish origin of "The Star-spangled copyright in song and music had at that period, or Banner."' In this he demolishes all the conclusions that an enormous number of songs and music never he had arrived at in 19o09,and asserts that Tomlinson were entered forcopyright. did not write the song of 'To Anacreon in Heaven,' The accidental fact that the Lee family,who issued and that StaffordSmith did not compose the music, a Dublin copy of the song, also published a number but that the tune 'is Irish, and most probably the of French songs, sets Mr. Blake offon another tack- work of Turlough O'Carolan.' that the tune is perhaps French and of enormous Dr. Flood, in his first article, in Church Music, antiquity. He says : dwelt on the fact that 'internal evidence clearly points 'In our humble opinion the music has come down to the influenceof Boyce, under whom he [J. Stafford through the ages, probably throughthe Troubadours, Smith] was then studying.' Dr. Flood, however, in for it has always been a song formen, and no one but 1912, completelychanges his views, and says: 'Having an opera singer of the Jremier dtoile quality can thus eliminated the English claim to the tune, I have negotiate it. Even English or Irish voices of to-day no hesitation in ctaiming the tune as of Irish origin. cannot do it justice. It may have been composed by Furthermore, it has all the characteristics of a Richard Cceur de Lion, who as a Troubadour could composition by the famous O'Carolan, as can easily be compose a good song, and as a Crusader could swing tested by a comparison of "Anacreon" withO'Carolan's a mighty battle-axe in the cause of Christianity. "Bumpers Squire Jones."' Dr. Flood's conclusions Perhaps it was the very song that led to his did not pass unchallenged, for the Rev. Father release . . It requires voices produced only in H. T. Henry contested them in an article contributed that climate where the sunlit valleys of Southern to the 'Records of the American Catholic Historical France and the plains of Northern Italy meet to Society,' December, 1913. sing it withjustice and animation '-and so forth. will Mr. Sonneck in his Report says: This extract show the precise value of Mr. Blake's for with of 'Father to show-and if of qualifications dealing points Henry sought few, any, musical ; and as the rest of his his readers will his success-that antiquarianism deny (to quote has much of this sort of thing embodied in his : pamphlet words) it,we can appreciate Mr. Sonneck's task in combating 'I. The article in the Ave Maria is misleading Mr. Blake's rather nebulous views. both in its assertions and in its omissions ; We have not space to deal with the many absurd in the course of his Mr. ' 2. "Anacreon" has hardly any characteristic statements that, inquiry, had to search out and refute. As resemblance to " Bumper" ; Sonneck logically one closes the book one cannot but feel The words were most lively sympathy '3. probably composed by for the author of the Report, that his path towards Tomlinson, the tune by Smith ; the elucidation of the truth was strewn with such '4. Mr. Sonneck's singularly careful Report to thorns. Congress is completely misrepresented in The reproductions of early music sheets and Dr. Flood's article ; manuscript copies of words are of special value. a notice within the book it that the ' 5. There is no evidence, or even what purports to By appears is on sale the ' ot be such, that the tune is Irish in origin, or Report by Superintendent that the words "emanated from Ireland Documents, GovernmentPrinting Office, Washington, cents and fromthis we about the year 1765." In brief, there is no D.C., price 85 '; source, believe, real basis for Dr. Flood's claim.' the earlierReport dealing withthe air 'Yankee Doodle' may also be obtained, the price of this being marked In this summing-upof Father Henry's Mr. Sonneck the same. heartily agrees. FRANK KIDSON. The Report next deals with a pamphlet in folio issued by Mr. John Henry Blake, New York, 1912. Mr. Sonneck says of this: The Music Club will a concert at 'It is safe to that Mr. Grattan Flood would Independent give say on March at the in aid of never have written his article of without the 7.30 P.m. 2, KingswayHall, the 19I12 Fundfor Erecting Drying Shelters for Soldiers. Artistsfrom stimulating perusal of one of the most curious the Allied Nationsare assisting,and a selectionof Indian pamphlets that ever came to my notice during a musicwill be performed.Sir Owen Seaman will recite,and somewhat extensive association with books on music. the Band of the Duke of Cambridge'sHussars will assist. The bears the complete pamphlet title: On January30, Mr. Tobias Matthaylectured on 'The American National Anthem 'The Star-Spangled teachingof the fundamentalsof pianofortetechnique,' to the Banner,' made singable for the voices of the LiverpoolBranch of the Music Teachers'Association. people. History of the origin of the words and The Classical Concert Society announcean interesting music, written for the information and use of series of concertsto take place at 3-30 p.m. on March Io, the American people. 17, and 24.

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