ENGLISH SONGS OF THE DAY.
AS a Scotchman, it is impossible not to feel thankful that the manufacture of 'English' song is not carried on to any extent worth speaking of north of the Tweed. Yet these sonars find a ready enough sale in all our large towns, and this is not so satisfactory.
It is the writer's privilege, or fate, to be obliged yearly to wade through scores of such ditties, and anything more insipid than the words, and more worthless than their musical setting, it would be difficult to conceive. Rarely does one come across a song not hopelessly commonplace, words inane and full of false sentimentality, the music utterly colourless, showing no depth of feeling, and some- times a very superficial acquaintance with the ele- mentaiy rules of musical grammar. Most of the songs come under one of the follow- ing categories — Sentimental, Narrative, or Nautical. The greatest number belong to the first category, and when not wholly unintelligible — at least to ordinary minds — are masterpieces of insipidity. Take the following lines as a sample : — 'You love me not, or else while I am yearning, You could not stand, with folded hands, apart, With cold, calm eyes, that once with tears were burning, Tears of wildXove against my beating heart.' Everything in these sentimental songs becomes ' icilcl.^ We have wild love, wild j)nssion, icild remorse. In fact there are very few true love-songs written nowadays, and the attempt is made to make up for lack of feeling by vehemence of diction. It would be easy to give samples ad infinitum of this style of writing, but it is familiar to us all. These ditties are sung a great deal in London society. They are sung by languishing gentlemen to languishing ladies, or ince versa, the scene being anything but calcu- lated to give the casual visitor a favourable impres- sion of the influence for good exercised by ' Society,' on music. The narrative songs are as a rule all of one pattern. They chiefly deal with poor friendless orphans. The poor creatures are usually carried up to heaven by an angel sent down for that purpose. The coming of the angel, in nine cases out of ten, is announced by triplets in the accompaniment. This figure is kept up to the bitter, or rather to the sweet end, as we are usually — rather unnecessarily — informed that the orplians are nozo at rest. Of the nautical songs we should prefer not to speak. Seeing we ' rule the waves,' and are proud of our ships and seamen, it might be expected that good sea- songs would always be fortlicoming. Truly it is a wonder that tl;e ghost of Dibdin arises not to reproach the gentlemen responsible for flooding the market with stuff that gives no real picture of sea life, and that enters not into true sympathy with the hardships and struggles of our brave, tars. In setting songs coming under this category to music, the cliief aim of the composer seems to be to pro- vide a popular chorus, as like the last popular chorus as possible. Now the question arises : can nothing be done to put an end to a state of matters alike pernicious to our national life and national art ? The following suggestions have occurred to the writer : — Let our conductors cease to concentrate all their attention on the orchestral and instrumental music, and let them strive to make the vocal music more worthy of the rest of the programme. What can be more absurd and out of place than to hear a symphony or movement from a symphony, by one of the great masteis, followed by a worthless, silly ditty ? By all means let the song be pleasing and bright, so as to give pleasure to many who do not appreciate too much classical music ; but surely this could be accomplished without permitting vocalists to sing songs which are an insult to the musical intelligence of the audience. It would also be advisable for those who desire good vocal music to applaud in an extra hearty fashion those singers who seek to introduce high-class sonss. Teachers also might, as far as is practicable, refuse to teach rubbishy songs, and they should lose no opportunity of interesting their pupils in high-class vocal music.
Could not singers exercise more judgment in buying songs.? Let them remember that they ought to feel some responsibility in making a selection. By buying trash, no matter how flashy, we give a direct support to music of a low order. If it did not pay them, publishers would cease publishing songs of this class, and composers would find it to their interest to make better use of their talents. Every year the circle of earnest music lovers is widening. Every opportunity is given to the public to become acquainted with the finest orchestral and instrumental works of the great composers. Should we not now endeavour to introduce their loveliest songs, at present seldom heard, and seemingly little known ? S. W.
