Musical Times Publications Ltd
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
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 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/ info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Musical Times Publications Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Musical Times. http://www.jstor.org 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-- Gloucester, 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 GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL. 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.