December 14, 1918 MUSICAL AMERICA 5
H'OW IF AY fOSTER WROTE &~THE AMJERR Story of One of the Most Popu~ m- lar Songs of the Day-Miss the Foster "Didn't Intend to Write ties a War Song"-lts Faith and [ose yet Pride in Our Men Is the Note ~nd ing That Touched the Public list ~rd Heart, She .Believes ' HIS is the story of a song-an Amer i~~ T ican song, by an American girl, with f~d American soldiers as the theine. lg "Oh," you say, "a war song!" think la- ing dismally of the hundreds that have flooded your desk and piano in the last two years. Well, yes, a war song. But if you are one of the singers who have thrilled at watching whole audiences rise to their feet as you sang the last notes of "The Americans Come!" or if from the audi ence you have been swept to France on the wings of imager:y that the song sup le e plies, you will understand that this war ,o song is "different." s It is different for several reasons. In t the first place, Fay Foster, the com ·t poser, had definitely decided that she would not write a war song. Miss Fos ter has very clearly defined ideas on the subject of war-profiteering, and she felt that many of the so-called war songs ~-, on the market came under this highly J undesirable heading. And the com poser of "One Golden Day" resolved that under no conditions would she add an other song to ~he list of those that had the war as their theme. Then, one day last January, she chanced to read a On the Upper Left John Mc poem in Munsey's. It was by Elizabeth Cormack May Be Seen Sing A. Wilbur, a name unknown in the list ing "The Americans Come" of lyric writers. It told simply and brief to a Group of Wounded ly the story of a blinded French soldier, Heroes f r o m C h a t e a u Thierry; on the· Upper Right, Fay Foster, Gifted American Com who stands in his cottage window while "The Americans Come!" stood out poser;_ Below, Climax of the Song That All America Is Singing his grandson describes the arrival of from the mass of war songs and won instant recognition. American troops and the passing of the "Perhaps it was because I did not out figures on their oftener. And it is such joy to realiz~ American colors. And . the picture intend to write a war song," was the song successes, but that the boys have taken the song to gripped Miss Foster's imagination. The answer. "I know it sounds banal to say it is a significant fact that one press their hearts and continually ask for it that the song 'wrote itself,' but that is alone could not put out enough copies when cpncert singers visit the camps." poem stood on her piano for days, while of "The Americans Come!" ·to satisfy And the letters that come to her-let the thought of khaki-clad men march really what happened. I believe that the· public demand, and two presses run ters of thankfulness from soldiers here ing through French village streets to one of the factors in its success has been constantly in order to keep the supply and abroad and from mothers of soldiers the strains of ' "Over There" returned its great simplicity. You cannot write in complicated form .of the American going. -are not the least among the treasures and returned each time she looked at it. that Miss Foster cherishes. Finally she sat down at the piano one soldier and the great task to which he Yvonne de T.reville's presentation of morning and in an hour's time "The was consecrated. The moment that a the song shortly after it had been pub "Then you think that it is worth while Americans Come!" was written. song of the war became complicated that lished was a dramatic incident, for on for the composer of serious music to And then the misgivings of the cre moment it lost touch with the subject. the day that she was to sing it for the write a song that may be called 'popu ative mind returned in full force. It "The war brought us back to funda first time Mme. de Treville received a lar'?" was the natural query. had been apparently so easy. Was it mentals-and fundamentals do not rec letter saying that the German invaders "Yes," was the prompt reply; "the worth while? Did it, after all, give the ognize class distinction or intellectual had commandeered her home in Brus great masterpieces of literature, of message the composer hoped to convey? gradations. And, apparently, the song sels. Was it any wonder that she sang painting, of statuary, have been inspired Did it picture the cheer and inspiration, struck a chord that brought a response with such intensity of feeling that the by the simple things of life that we all the renewal of courage, that came into from all kinds of people. When I read audience rose to their feet, cheering and share in common. The song composer French hear ts when they saw those the poem first it thrilled me to the depths applauding? who finds a text that has in it a message ranks of lean, young, brown-clad figures? of my being; I was unable to read it "The greatest pleasure that the song of cheer, of hope, of courage or inspira For five months the manuscript lay in without weeping, and in giving it a has given me," said Miss Foster, "has tion and who can illuminate that text Miss Foster's desk. Then she decided musical form I hope that I wove in some been the joy of presenting it in concerts so that its message goes home to the to show it to her publishers. And J. thing of the emotion that stirred me. for the soldiers. Ever since early last hearts of all of us-that man or woman Fi scher & Brothers looked at the song The song doesn't preach-how I dislike summer I have appeared in the camps may well be . proud to have written a and then rushed it to the printer. those things that attempt to tell the men three or four times a week, sometimes 'popular' song." MAY STANLEY. That was last June. The rest of the about duty and consecration-and it has story is one with which most of you none of the spirit of boastfulness. But are familiar. For "The Americans it does hold the pride and faith in our Paul Althouse Foregoes Dessert to Sing lastly, all the old inspirational flashes of Come!" published six months ago, has men which, as Americans, we have all . · "Butterfly" emotional color which places the orches been sung all over America. It has ap shared, and I beiieve that is the note tra on such a high plane. Mr. Rabaud peared on the program at penitentiary to which everyone has responded on It was the "end of a perfect dinner" has, in a few weeks, ripped his forces concerts and in church services; it was hearing it." at the menage Althouse that the tele into marvelous shape. He was given an the great rallying song of the last Lib phone bell rang violently, and the tenor, enthusiastic welcome by the large audi erty Loan drive; it is being sung over No Time to Rest on Laurels just in the act of putting the "finishing" ence which filled the opera house of the touches to an apple pudding, . was in eight vaudeville circuits and by prac Perhaps you think that the writer of Academy. His program featured a Bee tically every concert singer of note. formed by an excited voice from the thoven Symphony in A major, a Chopin a song success has an easy time of it sacred Metropolitan Opera House that When John McCormack entertained the that she rests on her laurels. Well, Concerto in E mino, ___ _-;: the Saint-Saens heroes of the Chateau-Thierry fight it Martinelli was taken suddenly ill and "La Jeunesse d'Hercule." No less a Miss Foster has gained laurels aplenty, that the performance of "Madame But was "The Americans Come!" that he it is true, but not the time to rest on pianist than Josef Hofmann played with sang at their request. The list of grand terfly" had to begin in half an hour. the orchestra in the Chopin nuniber. them. She has been busy ever since Quite neglected remained his favorite opera singers who have placed it on the "The Americans Come!" first ap Mr. Hofmann's playing needs no word their programs includes Paul Althouse, peared in writing arrangements of it. dessert as Paul Althouse made a dash of criticism. He is primarily the artist, David Bispham, Eleanore de Cisneros, It was first published in four keys. Now to the opera house, and scarcely thirty and his execution and interpretation Marcella Craft, Vernon D' Arnal!e, minutes later was singing the impas brought forth gasps of wonder and vo it has been arranged for male voices, sioned lo,ve music of Pinkerton to the Rafaelo Diaz, Florence Easton, Mme. for women's voices and for mixed cho ciferous applause on the part of his Schumann-Heink, Mary Jordan, Mar dainty Butterfly of Geraldine Farrar. audience. A. T. S. ruses. Incidentally, three great New Another example of "preparedness." garet Keyes, John McCormack, Arthur York choruses, the Rubinstein, the Men Middleton, Lucien Muratore, Marie Rap delssohn and the Apollo Club of Brook pold, Vernon Stiles, Marie Sundelius, lyn; are singing it in concerts on the On nee. 12, Anna Case, the soprano, will Yvonne de Treville, Reinald Werrenrath, same evening this week, and one of Miss Boston Orchestra in Brooklyn Concert sing for the Friday Afternoon Musical Club Morgan Kingston, Dora Gibson, Francis Foster's greatest perplexities on the day To the minds of the large Brooklyn of Paterson, N . J ., and on nee. 16 for the Ingram, Lila Robeson and Margaret that I talked with her was the attempt to audience who gathered at the Academy Silver Cross Circle of Plainfield, N. J. She Romaine. devise some plan whereby she might hear of Music on Friday evening, Dec. 6, the has the distinction of having sung in more It has been said that no one may them all. Orchestras and military bands Boston Symphony Orchestra has again New Jersey towns than any other artist, her analyze, classify or understand the rea are playing it; it has been arranged as found itself under the conductorship of list including Atlantic City, Newark, Oc-ean sons that make the public take one song a musical recitation, and both French Henri Rabaud. All the old finish was Grove, Trenton, New Brunswick, Montclair. to its heart and reject another. I asked and Italian translations have been made. there, all the old brilliance of execution Summerville (where she was born). E li7. ~- Miss Foster if she could tell me why Publishers are reluetiUlt about givin~~t and sureness of attack and releasP. ....nn