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 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 138.73.1.36 on Fri, 20 Nov 2015 16:03:22 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 662 THE MUSICAL TIMES-OCTOBER I 1920 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 ... Arnold Bax 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 Gustav Holst 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, communicated to 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. This content downloaded from 138.73.1.36 on Fri, 20 Nov 2015 16:03:22 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL TIMES-OCTOBER I 1920 663 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.