'Five Harpsichord Lessons,' 1758; 'Three Easy Harpsichord Lessons'; 'A Treatise on Singing'; 'Il Principio, or, A regular Introduction to playing on the Harpsichord or Organ' (the first set of progressive lessons published on a systematic plan); 'The Royal Pastoral,' a dramatic ode; 'Collection of Catches, Canons, and Glees'; 'Six Organ Fugues'; 'Second Treatise on Singing, with a Set of English Duets'; and 'Twenty Anthems,' 1778. 'A Morning and Evening Service and Six Anthems' were published in 1788, with a portrait of him, ætat. 65, engraved by Ward after Engleheart, prefixed. His Service in F and three anthems are included in Arnold's 'Cathedral Music,' an anthem in Page's 'Harmonia Sacra,' and two anthems in Stevens's 'Sacred Music.' Two canons, two glees, two rounds, and a catch by him are contained in Warren's collections. Nares was a poor composer, but some of his Church Music is still in use in our cathedrals.
[ W. H. H. ]
NATHAN, Isaac, born of Hebrew parents at Canterbury in 1792, being intended for the priesthood, was in 1805 sent to Cambridge to study Hebrew, but his natural bent being for music he was articled to Domenico Corri, and devoted his attention principally to singing and composition. He appeared at Covent Garden as Henry Bertram, in 'Guy Mannering.' After composing several songs, he produced in 1823 'Hebrew Melodies,' to Lord Byron's poetry, with much success. In 1823 he supplied part of the music for the comedy 'Sweethearts and Wives'—one song in which, 'Why are you wandering here I pray,' became very popular—and published 'An Essay on the History and Theory of Music,' and on the qualities, capabilities and management of the Human Voice.' In 1824 he brought out 'The Alcaid,' comic opera, and in 1827 'The Illustrious Stranger,' operatic farce. In 1836 he published 'The Life of Madame Malibran de Beriot, interspersed with original anecdotes and critical remarks on her musical powers.' He subsequently emigrated to Sydney, where he was accidentally killed, by being run over by a tramway car, Jan. 15, 1864. He was much esteemed as a singing master.
[ W. H. H. ]
NATIONAL CONCERTS. A series of concerts given in Her Majesty's Theatre, in October, November, and December, 1850, with Balfe and Charles d'Albert as conductors. The prospectuses contained a rarely-equalled list of performers, and promises of new works, most of them by English composers (probably the only origin of the name of the concerts), none of which however saw the light; while the performances consisted almost entirely of the ordinary ingredients of 'monster' concerts, with a very meagre number of features interesting enough to be recorded. During the season, however, the following works came to a hearing: Spohr's symphony, 'The Seasons'; Mendelssohn's 'Fingal's Cave' and 'Melusina' overtures, the latter so badly played that it had to be abandoned as impracticable; besides one or two symphonies, and a movement or two from a concerto by Beethoven. The following artists actually appeared: Halle, Molique, Sainton, Piatti, Arabella Goddard (her first appearance), Stockhausen, and Sims Reeves. The concerts were in the hands of Cramer, Beale & Co., and proved an unequivocal failure, chiefly because of the enormous expectations that were excited but not fulfilled. An attempt was made a year or so afterwards to start another series with the same title, but the scheme fell to the ground after a few concerts.
[ J. A. F. M. ]
NATIONAL TRAINING SCHOOL FOR MUSIC, THE. This institution, which had been projected and discussed since 1854, and the idea of which had emanated from the late Prince Consort, was not founded until 1873, when a plot of ground was granted, free of cost, by Her Majesty's Commissioners for the Exhibition of 1851, on their estate at South Kensington, and the present building was begun at the cost of C. J. Freake, Esq., who presented it to the country on its completion in 1875. In that year (June 15) the matter was fully discussed at a meeting convened by the Prince of Wales at Marlborough House, and the first scholarships were promised. The building, on the west side of the Albert Hall, was designed by Lieut. H. H. Cole, R.E., in the English style of the 17th century, with panels decorated with sgraffito. In 1876, fifty scholarships having been established, and upwards of twenty more promised, the School was opened for study. The ultimate number of scholarships is to be 300, of the value of £40 a year each, for five years.
The control of the school is placed in the hands of a small General Committee of Management, consisting of representatives of Her Majesty's Commissioners for the Exhibition of 1851, of the Council of the Corporation of the Albert Hall, of the Society of Arts, and of the founders of scholarships. Among the members of the committee are the Duke of Edinburgh (Chairman), Prince Christian, the Chairman of the Council of the Society of Arts, the Lord Mayor, Sir Henry Cole (who has always taken an active part in the scheme from the beginning), Mr. and Mrs. Freake, etc. The lay administration is under a Registrar (the Rev. John Richardson, M.A.), a Lady-Superintendent, etc. The professional work is under the direction of a Principal (Dr. Sullivan), and a board of professors, consisting of Mr. Ernst Pauer, Dr. Stainer, Mr. Alberti Visetti, and Mr. J. T. Carrodus. The instruction of the scholars is carried on by the members of the board, and an additional body of professors, among whom are Mr. John F. Barnett, Dr. Bridge, Mr. Ebenezer Prout, Mr. Franklin Taylor, etc. The lady-professors are Signora Mazzucato and Miss Edith Jerningham. [App. p.728 "Additions and corrections will be found under Training School, vol. iv. p. 158. The date of the incubation of the scheme is 1854, as in vol. ii.; not 1866, as in vol. iv."]
[ J. A. F. M. ]
NATURAL. A word formerly applied to the scale of C major, which was called 'the natural scale' because it has no accidentals. It thus became used for the sign (♮) which cancels a preceding sharp or flat, whether used as a chromatic accidental or occurring in the signature. In other words, when the use of a sharp or flat
