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Clement Marot and the Huguenot Psalter (Continued) Source: The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular, Vol. 22, No. 464 (Oct. 1, 1881), pp. 505-508

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This content downloaded from 137.99.31.134 on Tue, 20 Oct 2015 15:23:33 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL TIMES.-OCTOBER I, 1881. 505

CLEMENT MAROT AND THE HUGUENOT will be found in the musical bibliographies of Becker and but from after the PSALTER. Eitner; 1562, immediately completion of the , he appears to have V. devoted himself to the propagation of that work, and (Continuedfrom page 453.) published those harmonized editions of it by which We must referour readers to M. Douen's work for his name became so intimately associated with its a detailed account of the harmonized editions of the melodies as to lead to the belief that their authorship Genevan With two or three the was due to him. In 1562 he published at psalter. exceptions Pseaumes de Dauid mis en a names of their authors are now little known, and a " musique quatre parties brief record will be sufficientfor our en formede par Claude Goudimel "'' Accord- present purpose. to Fetis the number of in this work was Pierre Certon, master of the children of the Sainte- ing psalms sixteen. The whole followed in under Chapelle at Paris, is said by Fetis to have published psalter 1564f the title " Les cent Pseaumes de in 1546 a collection of thirty-onepsalms in fourparts. cinquante Dauid, nouuellement mis en a The psalms appear to be those of Marot, but the musique quatre parties par music is The of C. Govdimel, Paris, Ballart, This edition wholly original. only point worthy has the tunes harmonized in double1564."I and notice in this collection is that Marot's psalms should counterpoint, have been at that time selected formusical treatment thus holds a middle place between the editions of and The is in the a member of the Sainte- 1562 i565. melody superius except by Chapelle. in where it is to the tenor. Jean Louis, probably a native of Flanders, published fifteen?psalms, assigned The firstverse alone of each is and the at Antwerp " Pseaulmes cinquante de Dauid . . psalm 1l quoted, . . . a The melodies psalms are not arranged in their numerical order. composez cinq parties. 1555." Where the same is the is are those of Geneva. Bovet erroneously assigns this melody repeated harmony work to Louis seems to have been after- varied. Bourgeois. In the there " Les Pseaumes wards chapelmaster to the emperors Ferdinand I. followingyear appeared and Maximilian II. mis en rime francoise par Clement Marot et Theodore Clement a convert to the de Beze, mis en musique a quatre parties par Claude Jannequin, probably Goudimel. Par les de reformeddoctrines, in "Octante-deux heritiers Fran9ois Jaqui, published 1559 i8mo. The four are i565."to de Dauid, traduitz . . . Clement Marot Small parts printed opposite pseaumes par one This is in all et autres . . . compos6s en a another.? psalter complete respects, musique quatre parties." the of Calvin and tables of Thomas Champion published at Paris " Premier containing prefaces Beza, liure contenante soixante de Dauid mis en the psalms, the Form of prayers, etc. It might pseaumes observes M. seem intended for musique par Thomas Champion, dit Mithou, organiste therefore, Douen, du chambre du public worship, but Goudimel expressly states that Roy,'* 1561." it was meant for The tunes are for Philibert a native of was, private use."* Jambe-de-Fer, , the most harmonized in says M. Douen, doubtless a member of the choir of part simple counterpoint, Ste. at Poitiers under the direction of the and the words of the psalms are given in full. No Radegonde of is mentioned on the chantre, Jean Poitevin, whom we have already men- place publication title-page, tioned as a translator of the to but the name of Jaqui shows that this volume was psalms supplement at Geneva. The is in the tenor those of Marot. After setting Poitevin's psalms to printed melody music in four in who had excepting in seventeen-[t psalms, where it is placed in parts 1549, Jambe-de-Fer, the joined the Reformers, published in 1562 " Les cent superius. In the same another edition-t of the same work cinquante Pseaumes Dauid . . . par Cl. Marot et year was at Paris entitled " Les CL Th. de Beze, a quatrede. et cinq parties." Two later published by Ballard, Pseaumes de mis en 'a editions in 1564. Dauid nouuellement musique appeared Claude in four The name of Goudimel demands a more particular quatre parties par Goudimel," oblong notice. This eminent musician was born at Besan- volumes. In the edition of 1565, as in that of 1564, a when is harmonized in a different about 15io. Before 1540 he settled in Rome, melody repeated 9,ont and thus the tune of to which the where he opened the first school of music as manner, psalm 24, public and iii are also in no distinguished fromthe " psallettes" of the cathedrals, psalms 62, 95, sung, appears and thus laid the foundationof Italian melodic music. less than seven differentforms in the two editions, the of 62 the same in both. From this school proceeded com- arrangement psalm being many distinguished Not content with the two harmonized posers, Animuccia, Nanini, and Palestrina.t producing including described Goudimel had undertaken We find Goudimel at Paris from1555 to 1562, and it psalters above, was between and that he the ranks another work of still greater extent, in which his 1558 1561 joined and invention findfull and in of the Reformers,possibly, M. Douen suggests, as the learning might scope, result of some intercourse with He sub- * Bourgeois. May not this be the firstdraft of the work published in eight books sequently retired to Lyons, then a stronghold of the in 1565-6 ? , and perished in the massacre of August t See Douen, II., 531. Before he With poetical Dedication to " Monseigneur Monsieur Roger de 29, 1572.? 1558 produced a large number Bellegarde, gentilhomme ordinaire de la chambre du roy." of masses, motets, and other works,l] lists of which ? 53, 62, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 78, 82, Ioo, Io8, and Ir6. 1IPsalm 18 excepted, where the second verse is also given, but with the SCharlesIX. harmony changed. T? A copy of this rare work is in the rich library of W. H. Cummings, t A city of Franche-Comt6 on the river Doubs. M. Douen quotes Esq., of Dulwich. some lines written on the occasion of Goudimel's death by his friend ** AUX LECTEVRS. Melissus which prove this to be his birthplace:-- " Nous auons adioust6 au chit des Pseaumes, en ce petit volume,trois " Sequana cum Ligeri flevit,flevitque Garumna, parties: non pas pour indaire A les chanter en l'Eglise, mais pour Precipue patrius flevit amara Dubis." s'esiouir en Dieu particulibrem&t6s maisons. Ce qui ne doit estre was a Goudimel therefore subject of the House of Austria. The state- trouu6 mauuais, d'autant que le chant duquel on vse en l'Eglise demeure ment that he was born at Vaison is due to a confusion between en son entier, comme s'il estoit seul." the county of Venaissin and Franche-Comt6, and between Vasionensis At the end of the preface, however, Goudimel points out that his (Vaison) and Vesontiensis (Besan9on). See Bovet, Hist. du Psautier, psalter may be used in public worship, when the part containing the p. 262. melody would alone be sung. M. Douen adds Roland de Lattre, better known as Orlando di Goudimel's harmonies seem to have long maintained their ground Lassus. It is quite possible that Lassus studied fora time in Goudimel's in the family. Rousseau, speaking of the peasants of Neuchitel, says: school, but we should like to have some evidence of the fact. '' One of their common amusements is to sing the psalms in four parts, ? The massacre at Lyons took place five days after that in Paris. with their wives and children, and one is astonished to hear the One in II of these, published 1555,bears his name on the title in con- vigorous and manly harmonies of Goudimel, so long forgottenby our junction with that of the printer, but, as M. Douen points out, this learned musicians, issuing fromthese country cottages." no commercial implies partnership between them, but merely that it 28, 30, 34, 35, 40, 43, 61, 66, 67, 81, 86, o9, 117, 127,129, 139, and 146. Goudimel retained a propertyin the plates. 4t Which of the two editions of 1565 appeared firstis uncertain.

This content downloaded from 137.99.31.134 on Tue, 20 Oct 2015 15:23:33 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE 506 MUSICAL TIMES.-OCTOBER I, 1881. 1565-66he published" Les Psalmesde Dauid compris psalteris so slightthat we contentourselves with the en huit livres,mis en musique A quatre parties en mere mentionof his name,and referthe reader to formede motetspar Claude Goudimel,Paris, Le Roy M. Douen's pages forfurther details respectinghim, et Ballard." The last threebooks of this work seem as also forparticulars of Alphonse Floras,Jean de alone to have survived. The melodiesare employed Maletty,and AndrePevernage. merelyas subjectsfor every kind of musical treatment; ClaudinLe Jeune,born at Valenciennesabout 1530, the voice parts of the several movementsnumber publishedin 1564ten of Marot's psalms arrangedas fromthree to eight,although four only are announced motetsin four parts, but the music was whollyoriginal. in the title; and some ofthe psalms are developedat In his Dodecacorde,1598, are twelveof the Genevan considerable length. The Io4th psalm, which M. tunestreated as motets. Le Jeunedied in 16oo,and Douen quotes as a specimen,contains no less than mostof his workswere publishedafterwards by his seven movements. The composerappears to have sisterC6cile. Amongthem are: " Les CL. Pseaumes regardedthis work as his crowningachievement. In de Dauid mis en musique A quatre parties,"Paris, the dedicatonof the sixthbook he describesit as 16oi0. Twelve of these psalms are forfive voices. Le plusfidelle tesmoignage The melodies are those of Geneva,and are forthe De tousmes labeursles plus beaux; most part harmonizednote againstnote, as in Gou- and in the dedicationof the eighthand last bookhe dimel'spsalter.* Le Jeune also leftin manuscript speaks of anotherarrangement of the psalms,the firstportion Le plus douxtrauail de ma vie of which was publishedby his sister in 1602. The Guidantmon esperance aux cieux. titleis" Premierliure, contenant of Goudimel's at cinquantepseaumes An edition psalms published de Dauid (Nos. I a L) mis en musique en trois parties. Genevain is a ofthat of Another, i580 reprint 1564. . . Paris." This book was reprinted in 1607. The printedat Charentonin 1607,reproduces, M. Douen second and thirdbooks in of which Another appeared 16o8, thinks,the simple counterpointof 1565. the latterwas reprintedin 16io. editionappeared at Delftin 16o8,and the workwas Otherharmonizers of the Genevantunes of whom again reprintedat Geneva in 1667and 1668,but with M. Douen notices are: Samuel and the omissionof the varied gives biographical a fewsimplifications Mareschal,born at Tournai about 1554,and organist harmonies. Later editionsprinted in Switzerland at Basel from to who a are all moreor less and need not be noticed 1576 1640, published psalter altered, in 1594; JanPieter Sweelinck, organist at Amsterdam, here. whose in three with about psalms appeared books,1612-14, RichardCrassot was probablyborn at Lyons a fourthand concludingbook in 1621; JohannSto- 1530, and published there in 1564 an edition of Marot baeus, at wherehe died in with the tunes in four chapelmaster Keenigsberg, and Beza's psalms arranged 1646; and JohannCrueger, cantor of the church of parts. St. Nicholas at Berlin from 1622 to 1662, whose "du Rosier" his Hugues Sureau, surnamed (from Psalmodia Sacra, Berlin,1658, contains, with many birthplace,Rosoy-sur-Serre), was a Huguenotpreacher of the Lutheran church,the entireof the he the Genevan hymns at Orl6ans,where in 1565 published Genevanpsalter in the Germanversion of Lobwasser. tunesin fourparts. This arrangementwas intended AmbrosiusLobwasser, a Saxon became, but does not lawyer, by Sureau foruse in public worship, duringa residencein ,so enamouredof the seem to have metwith success. melodiesthat he translated the whole of the him his true Paulus Huguenot Melissus, or, to give name, psalmsof Marotand Beza into his native language, Schede,was born in 1539,at Melrichstadt,in Fran- witha strictadherence to the originalmetres. His conia. He translatedfifty of the Frenchpsalms into work,finished in was in and and his name also be added to 1565, published 1573, Germanin 1572, may reprintedmany times in thetwo succeeding centuries. thelist of earlyharmonizers of the Genevan melodies, The harmoniesto the tunes are those of Goudimel. as, in a smallpamphlet published in thesame year,on Lobwasser's soon came into use in and psalter general occasion of the marriageof Philipp Sprenger theReformed Churches of Germany, and in the course Barbara Hugel, the tune of psalm 128 is found oftime Lobwasser himself was credited with four of whichthe bymany arrangedby himin parts, superius theauthorship of the melodies,just as Goudimelhad and tenorare in canon. Melissusdied in 1602. been beforehim. Jean Servin,a musician,wasborn at Orl6ansabout In Holland were to the and many psalters arranged 1530. He joined the Reformers, settledat Lyons Genevan tunes. Soon after the completionof the in 1572. In 1565 he published at Orl6ans an edition French the old Flemish collection in three The psalter, (the ofthe Genevanpsalms parts. followingSouter Liedekens), which had been in use since passage in the" Advertissementaux lectevrs" is inte- was abandonedin favourof a new translationmade1540o, thatall will be takenin resting:" I hope good partby expresslyto suit the Huguenot melodies. The first, mykind readers, as thereis no intentionto derogate Lucas de Heere, a who have containingthirty-six psalms by fromthe gloryof so manyworthy persons, Flemish painter,appeared in 1565; but,whatever its employedthemselves on this subject with honour, merits have it was in M. Claude who has may been, completelyeclipsed and among others Goudimel, thefollowing year by the complete psalter of Dathenus, arrangedthe musicof the psalms in manystyles."* which was almost immediatelyadopted forgeneral Servin also set the Latin psalms of Buchanan as use in the ReformedChurches of the Netherlands, motets in 1579. and passed throughnumerous editions. A longseries Pierre Santerre,of Poitiers,also set the psalmsin ofnew translationsof the commencedin in after psalms I630? fburparts. This workwas published 1567, with the psalter of Camphuysen;and Bovet quotes the composer'sdeath. the titlesof versions between Michel a nativeof in nearlythirty published Ferrier, Cahors,[ published thatyear and the end ofthe eighteenthcentury. 1568 Marot'sforty-nine psalms, the Song of Simeon, The same writerrefers also to the of the the accustomedtunes psalms Jan and Commandments,with Wtenhove(or Utenhove),the firstedition of which, arrangedin threeparts. containing thirty-eightpsalms, appeared without Roland de Lattre or OrlandoLassus. The connec- of or date. This was followedin tion this musicianwith the place publication of distinguished Huguenot 1559by twenty-sixadditional psalms, and, according to M. Bovet, the first editionwas printed * Goudimel'sarrangements of 1562and 1564 had alreadyappeared, complete and veryprobably his psalterof 1565 had beenjust published. t The birthplaceof Marot. * This workwas frequentlyreprinted.

This content downloaded from 137.99.31.134 on Tue, 20 Oct 2015 15:23:33 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL TIMES.-OCTOBER I, 1881. 507 in London by John Daye in 1566. Another edition of William or Guilielmo Damon was a completed edition Utenhove's psalms is the " Hondert Psalmen Davids," of the Anglo-Genevan. It is not in any way connected printedin London, also by John Daye, in 1561. Many either with that or the French psalter. The words of the melodies are fromthe Genevan psalter, and we are from the " Old Version," and the melodies are may thereforeconclude, with M. Bovet, that the ver- the ordinary church tunes then in use.* sions of the psalms to which they were attached were It is natural that the Scottish psalter should show written on the metres of Marot and Beza; but in the more traces of Genevan influence than the English. case of the other psalms, so far as we are enabled to For its historythe reader should consult the prefaces judge from a hasty comparison, the Flemish metres of Livingston's reprint,mentioned in our firstarticle. are differentfrom those employed in the French M. Douenf is quite correct in suspecting Bovet's version. accuracy in speaking of a Scottish psalter of 1528. The Genevan psalter became the basis of many The first edition appeared in 1564. But just as the others in various languages and dialects: B6arnese French-Genevan psalter had been preceded by that (the dialect of B6arn), Bohemian, Danish, Spanish, of Strasburg, so the Scottish psalter was preceded Gascon, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Latin, Malay, by the Anglo-Genevan. In 1556 a Form of Prayer Polish, Portuguese, Romanche, Sesut6, Zend, and was drawn up forthe use of an English congregation Tamul. Some of these were translated from the formed at Geneva in 1555, of which John Knox and French, some from the versions of Dathenus and Goodman were appointed co-pastors. It contains Lobwasser. The titles will be found in the biblio- fifty-onepsalms, of which thirty-sevenare by Stern- graphies of Douen and Bovet. To what extent the hold, seven by Hopkins, and seven Whittingham,4 " by English " Old Version is indebted to Marot and being the versions of the English psalter, but with Beza we cannot say without making a more minute many alterations. The tunes also,with one exception, comparison than our time at present permits, but are not Genevan.? it is probable that some of the psalms translated Bovet's bibliography[jquotes fromBrunet a psalter after the death of Sternhold in 1549 were based more with the following title: " One and fiftiePsalms of or less on those of Geneva; and several of the Genevan David in English metre . . with the formof prayers, tunes, though not always strictly in their original etc., used in the English congregation at Geneva, and form,were adopted in the English psalter. Of these 's catechism. Geneva, John Crespin, we may quote 3 (the Old I22nd), 36 (the Old II3th), 1551." This is a description of the first edition 50 (the Old 5oth), 107 (the Izoth in Daye's Psalter), of the Anglo-Genevan psalter, with the date given 124 (the Old I24th), 130 (the Old I3oth), 134 (the Old incorrectly. The true title is, "The formeof prayers iooth), the Ten Commandments Tune (the Old Ten and ministration of the Sacraments ec. vsed in the Commandments Tune, or Audi Israel). The follow- Englishe Congregation at Geneua, and approued ing are also found in various English hymnals: 38 by the famous and godly learned man, Iohn Caluyn. (S.P.C.K. "Church Hymns," No. 2), 42 (" Mercer's Imprinted at Geneua by Iohn Crespin. MDLVI." The Psalter," No. 51), 75 (" Mercer," No. 52), Ioi (the separate title of the psalms is, "One and Fiftie tune known as "St. Michael's"), 10o (S.P.C.K. Psalmes of David in Englishe metre. Wherof 37 " Psalms and Hymns," No. 40), 118 (" Mercer," No. were made by Thomas Sterneholde, id the rest by 449, and S.P.C.K. " Psalms and Hymns," No. 12o). others. C6ferred with the hebrewe, and in certeyn The following psalters in English are quoted by places corrected as the text and sens of the Prophete Douen and Bovet as being translated from or based required." A copy of this psalter is in the Advocate's upon the Genevan:- Library, Edinburgh. " Les c. Psaumes de Beze traduits en anglais par An enlarged edition, probably printed in London Ant. Gilbie. Londres, 1581 et 1590." I2mo. in contains sixty-fivepsalms,*" and in it a " 1560,? This is a mere description of the book. The title is: The Psalms few Genevan tunes appear. In 1561 the final edition truly opened by paraphrasis in prose, fromthe Latin of Beza, by Ant. was issued with new versions Gilbie. London, by Henry Denham, 1581." This work, therefore,has twenty-five by Kethe,tf no relation to the Genevan psalter. Another edition, with a somewhat making the total number of psalms eighty-seven, varied title, appeared in 1590. Anthony Gilbie was one of the English three of those added in 156o being congregation at Frankfurt, and was a member of the commission suppressed.-:" appointed in 1555 to draw up an Order of public worship. A copy of this edition is preserved in St. Paul's London. All the French Psalms tunes with words. Cathedral, It bears the following title: " English "The Forme of and Ministrations of the London, Thomisson, Hans, Prayers I592." I2mo. Sacraments as used in the English Church at Geneva, Is this title quoted quite correctly? and approved by the famous and godlie learned man " All the French Psalms tunes with English words. John Calvin. Whereunto are also added the prayers Being a collection of psalms accorded to the verses which thei use there in the French Church. Printed and tunes generally used in the Reformed Churches at Geneva, by Zacharie Durand, MDLXI." The title of France and Germany. Perused and approved by of the psalms is, " Foure Score and seven Psalmes of judicious Divines, both in English and French. Lon- David, in English metre,by Thomas Sterneholde and don, printed by Thomas Harper." S. a. i8mo. others, Conferred with the Hebrue, and in certeine Divers of David's " Psalmes, according to the places corrected, as the sense of the Prophet re- French form and metre, by John Vicars. London, quireth." Thos. Purfoot, for Henry Seile." a Calvinistic writer, was born in and died in John Vicars, 1582," 1652. His psalms, twenty in number, will be found in his England's Halli- * See Hawkins, Hist. of Music, ed. Novello. Vol. II., p. 555. lujah for God's Gratious Benediction," published in 1631. They do t Vol. I., p. 281. not seem to have been printed separately. In M. Douen's reference SS. I to " " 17, 19, 20, 21, 25, 28, 29, 32, 34, 41, 43, 44, 49, 63, 68, 73, 78, to Cotton's Editions of the Bible the date 1582 is of course a mis- 103, 120, 123, 128. print for 1852. H. 30, 33, 42, 52, 79, 82, 146. of David Middle- W. 23 ist version, 51, 114, 115, 13o0,133, 137. "Psalmes (in English metre), ? Mr. Livingston thinks that the greater number was probably con- burg. R. Schilders, 1598." tributed by English and Scottish composers. Printed for the use of the English church at The 1.Histoire du psautier, p. 303. Middleburgh. It has no but is bound with an of psalms are doubtless taken fromthe Scottish psalter. T imprint, English liturgy 156o. The only known copy is at Christ Church, Oxford. ** We have also to remark that Bovet is mistaken The additional psalms are 37, 50, 67, 71, 119, 121, 124, 127, and 129, in the by Whittingham; 148 and 149 by Pullain; 67 and 125 by Wisdom; and his conjecture* that psalter harmonized by 95 Anon. "t 27, 36, 47, 54, 58, 62, 70, 85, 88, 90, 91, 94,100, 1Io, 104, 107, III, 112, * 113, 122, 125, 126,134, 138, 142. Hist. du psautier,p. 304. !! 67, 125, and 95.

This content downloaded from 137.99.31.134 on Tue, 20 Oct 2015 15:23:33 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 508 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-OCTOBER I, I881.

Many more Genevan tunes were now added, and Lectures"; and because they became popular he the Anglo-Genevan psalter, which had been intro- followed them with " Mr. Caudle's Breakfast Talk." duced into Scotland three or four years previously, The fact is that when any work is the spontaneous became the basis of the Scottish psalter of 1564. All growth of the author's mind, we are glad to accept the Genevan tunes of the Anglo-Genevan were incor- it; but when it is the imitation of something which porated in the Scottish psalter, and some new ones has already obtained public favour, we do not want were added, making the total number thirty. They it. Haydn, Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Gounod, for are as follows: Scottish 27 (Genevan 42), 36 (132), example, have thrown off certain compositions of a 62 81 humorous character; and it was an excellent 47 (47), 50 (50), 58 (2o), (103), (33), 83 (io), 85 decidedly " (6), 88 (35), 91 (91), 100 (134), 102 (oz2), 104 (104), notion to collect these together at a Promenade 107 (107),110o (110o), III (19), 117 (117),118 (118), Concert " as a contrast to the more solid and im- 120 (107), 121 (121), 122 (3), 124 (124), 125 (21), 126 portant works; but when we find not only that this (90), 129 130 (130), 134 138 (16), 142 (43). idea is repeated ad nauseam, but that a " humorous (I29), (IOI), " To these may be added the Scottish I28th set to the night is organised at another establishment, where Genevan tune bearing the same number, and the a " Comic Overture" is written specially for the Scottish II3th set to the Genevan 36th. Mr. Living- occasion, and that other laughter-provoking com- ston classes both these tunes as German. The latter positions loom in the distance, we question whether certainly is so, being one of those to which Calvin we are not beginning to degrade our music, as we wrote his psalms in 1539. It became, however, have already degraded our drama, by turning the thenceforwardespecially identifiedwith the Genevan greatest artistic works into burlesque. Years ago psalter, and passed fromit directly into that of Scot- we recollect that an eminent literary man produced land. We will notice it more particularly in our a comic history of England, and even a comic next article. The Scottish i4oth also is partly taken grammar, and we perfectly remember how truly it from the Genevan 143rd, and the Genevan tune to was said that they were not instructive because they the Ten Commandments appears in the Scottish were meant to be funny,and that they were not funny psalter a few years later. because they were meant to be instructive. Let us (To be continued.) hope that we shall not have to pass a similar opinion upon a " Comic Symphony," which may still be in IF England should ever really become a recognised embryo. " musical nation," it certainly will be in spite of, and not in consequence of, the patronage accorded to THERE is always something amusing respecting native art by the Court. At a State Concert lately the Three Choir Festivals in the local newspapers; given not a single piece by a British composer was but it is seldom that the mere facts of the several performed; and that the fact has not escaped the performances are misstated. The notice of the notice of the press out of England is proved by a opening Service at the recent Worcester Festival, paragraph in the Courier of New York, which com- however, which appeared on the ioth ult. in the ments in no measured terms upon this neglect of the WorcestershireChronicle, is a curious instance of the claims of the artistic talent lying immediately around exception to this rule, for the writer,although loyally us. As if to show that such apathetic treatment of performinghis duty in relating what he heard in the those composers born on British soil is only another Cathedral, has more decisively blundered than if he specimen of the truth of the adage that no man can had remained outside and copied from the printed be a prophet in his own country, we find that not paper recording the order of the Service. " It was," only have some of our young artists been selected to he says, "about ten minutes past three when, the write sacred works for foreign countries, but that latest arrivals having been conducted to their seats, Mr. Villiers Stanford has produced an opera in Ger- the splendid band, led by M. Sainton, commenced the many which, in consequence of its decisive success, Festival by performing,without organ accompani- will now be translated into the composer's native ment, Costa's setting of the National Anthem, the language and given at an English theatre, at which whole of the congregation of course standing mean- establishment will also be produced, for the first while; and, without a break, Attwood's fine anthem time in this country, an opera by Balfe which was ' I was glad when they said unto me,' composed in performedin Trieste as far back as 1856. We may 1820 for the coronation of George IV., was proceeded also say that this recognition of English artists with." Now all acquainted with Attwood's anthem abroad is not confined to composers; for the follow- know that, being written for a coronation, the ing announcement, copied froma daily contemporary, National Anthem is introduced in the instrumental sufficientlyevidences that even in a country which opening, but not until after the harmony afterwards abounds with excellent voices a native of England accompanying the theme (which occupies fourteen can carry off the vocal prize: " The grand medal for bars) has been heard. No doubt the fact of Attwood's singing, and also the certificate of honour of the composition proceeding "without a break" would Conservatorio of Milan, has been conferredon Miss have somewhat perplexed a listener who at all mis- Nettie Mertens, a young English lady. This is the trusted his powers; but in proof that this critic was firsttime the prize has been conferredon a foreigner desirous of giving, rather than receiving, information, since the Conservatorio has been established." Grati- he tells us that it was "Costa's setting of the National fied as we must feel at this information,we cannot Anthem." We know that "a little knowledge is a but express a hope that students may not be com- dangerous thing "; but here is evidence that it is still pelled to travel from England to Milan in order to more dangerous where there is no knowledge at all. have their musical talents fairlygauged. WE have often taken occasion to call attention to IT is unquestionably true that " nothing succeeds the numerous reformsdemanded in most of our build- like success "; but it may also be confidentlyaffirmed ings devoted to the performanceof music; but lessees that this very success too often leads to failure. In are difficultpeople to move, even in theirown interest; literature we findthat not only will an inferiorauthor and it is to the public, therefore,that an appeal must imitate one who has acquired a sudden fame, but that be made before we can hope for any definite result. the original author will imitate himself, and almost In our "Foreign Notes" last month we read: invariably weaken the effecthe has made. Douglas "Several theatres have recently been destroyed by, Jerrold,for example, wrote " Mrs. Caudle's Curtain fire,viz., the theatre at Cadiz, in Spain, the Politeama

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