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Leader (1850-1860), 23rd August 1851, Edition Country of 2, Page 18

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      Books On Our Table. London And The Exhib...

      Whatever faculty the author may possess , these tales exhibit none for fiction . The style is involved and cumbrous . What wight not be expected in the way of style from a ¦ writer whose opening paragraph contains this sentence— " than the scenery about tchich you will find in the pleasant province of Liege , few parts more charming or picturesque" ?

      806 Stfk %T&Y*T T* . [Saturday , I — ———...

      806 StfK % t & y * t t * . [ Saturday , i — ———^ - ¦ - ¦ + ¦ - ¦ ¦ ¦ i ¦ ¦ ¦ . «¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ i ¦ - —¦ . -... * .

      New Music. A Collection Of Chants For Th...

      NEW MUSIC . A Collection of Chants for the Use of the United Churches of England and Ireland . Compiled by John Bishop . It . Cocka and Co . It would seem that , while in secular music we are fast progressing , in Ecclesiastical music we retrograde . The musical service of the Church is frequently profane rather than sacred , more worthy of wild savages than an enlightened and civilized nation . The clergy are for the most part ignorant of music , and the congregation appears careless what service is offered . Seeing how hypercritical the people have become in secular music , so much so that they must have foreign singers and foreign talent will

      operas , and that only the very first satisfy them , what are we to believe on entering places of worship but that they are not in earnest in their devotions , or that they offer a mocking and hypocritical sacrifice ? They will incur any expenditure for the gratification of an enlightened taste during the week , and they will have cheap music on Sunday , though it be little better than the howl of a savage . As a writer on the musical service of the Church has lately observed—" Now-a-days the word ' sing' in the Psalms has no reference to musical expression . It may mean ' mutter , ' ' mumble / ' grumble /—anything you please except melody and modulation , harmony , time , or tune . "

      It is not always to carelessness , however , that we must attribute the present state of church music . It frequently arises from some puritanical asceticism on the part of the clergy or their " followers . " There are some people whose religion , if it be true , must be excessively disagreeable even to themselves , and certainly it is so to those who are unfortunate enougn to dwell within the circle of their malign influence . Such would have us believe that Heaven is better pleased with discordant wails than with harmonious music : though why it should be considered more devotional to yell like cats in the night than to " sing praises with understanding " we are at a loss to determine . Others consider that

      singing should be altogether omitted as belonging to the profane . We cannot understand Low they reconcile this proposition with the " singing" the " hymn" on the Mount of Olives , or why the divine gift of harmony should be handed over to the hands of J 3 eelzebub . Archbishop Laud was not of their opinion . He xery quaintly observes : — " The difference between singing and reading a psalm will easily be understood if you consider the difference between reading and singing a common song that you like .

      Whilst you only read it you only like it ; but as soon -as you sing it , then you enjoy it—you feel the delight of it—it has got hold of you—your passion keeps pace with it ; you feel the same . spirit within you that seems to be in the words . If you were to tell a person who has such a song that he need not sing it , that it was sufficient to peruse it , he would wonder what you meant , and would think you as absurd as if you were to tell him that he should only took at his food , but need not eat it ; for a song of praise not sung is very like any other good thing not made use of . "

      Mr . Bishop , whose arrangements of several of the best Oratorios are well known , has here given a collection of single chants , with tables applying them suitably to the several psalms . The collection includes all the best single chants by old composers , and several original modern compositions . As a book of single chants it is probably the best extant . We do not understand , however , why double chants should have been omitted . Mr . Bishop talks in his preface about " bis dislike to double chants for a variety of reasons . " But the only reason lie adduces is that many of them " abound

      with puerilities in the shape of jejune attempts at double counterpoint , imitation per recto et retro , ike , all which are duly pointed out ho that such astounding proofs of skill cannot possibly pass unnoticed . " lie then cites an instance of thin absurdity which , if it were a bona fide specimen of double chants , would certainly render his argument unanswerable . But we Jo not consider Mr . Bishop ' s position tenable nor his citation fair . It is a most grotesque exaggeration ; and we think the compiler would have done better in ( selecting some of the more orthodox double chants , which are

      exceedingly beautiful , and are not distinguished by the folly which Mr . Bishop justly condemns . Trio for Pianoforte , Violin , and Violoncello Composed and dedicated to Spohr , by Charles Edward Ste P ^ c - hott and Co _ A classical trio in print by an English composer is a good sign . A short time since the publication of such a work would have argued insanity ; but now it is probable this pleasing trio will find such favour where the necessary combination of instruments is to be met with , as to offer a temptation for others to write in the same style , and for Mr .

      Stephens to bring out Op . 2 , without delay . As the composer has made the pianoforte his cniet study , it is not a matter of surprise that that part ^ is predominant . In his next work of the kind , Mr . Stephens will , probably , be a little more courteous , to the violin especially . The triplets m the first movement are objectionable , especially as there is a cantabile style about the whole of it , which they disturb too abruptly . Their reduction

      to half notes would not have made the movement appear monotonous . Triplets are only grateful in a lengthened passage . In this movement they last at the utmost six bars , producing a scrambly effect without producing the relief which , probably , the author intended . Lovers of the classical will derive much pleasure from this trio , and it is especially welcome , as the musical world is certainly not overrun with such compositions .

      Handel ' s Oratorio " Solomon . " The Musical Times . J- A . Novello . Mr . Novello ' s cheap oratorios for the people progress well . They are beautifully printed , and while they are so inexpensive as to be within the means of all amateurs , from their portable size they afford an excellent handbook to Exeter-hall and the musical festivals . The Musical Times contains Morley ' s madrigal , " Now is the month of Maying / ' an anthem by Dr . Crotch , " Methinks I hear the full celestial choir / ' and an " Analytical and Thematic Index to Mozart ' s Pianoforte Works , " excellently edited by

      Edward Holmes . School Songs , for two or three voicet . Composed by John Hullah . Book II . J- W . Parker and Son . Mr ; Hullah ' 8 part songs are well known as excellent works for the young student . These School Songs are well suited fc > the young idea , the words being full of sentiment and the songs nicely though simply harmonized . >>

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      We Should Do Our Utmost To Encourage The...

      We should do our utmost to encourage the Beautiful , for the Useful encourages itself . —Gokthk .

      The Dog-Cart. Where Are The Royal Beagle...

      THE DOG-CART . Where are the royal beagles , so high fed ? The grated cart shakes them from side to side , Protruding with stretcht neck the sweating tongue ; Open it ; take them by the scuff , and toss The creatures into kennel : let them bark And stand upright ngainst the bolted door All day , and howl all night . O Politics ! Cun no man touch ye but his hand must stink His whole life through r Must sound become unsound In your enclosure ? O , ye busy mites Thut live within our cheese , and fatten there , And seem its substance ! must ye feel the keen And searching air , and thus be a wept away ? The scullery and wink receive ye , sent ltace after rr . ee ; and yet ye will outlaat Sehoatris and Osiris girded round Uy guards of obulittks and pyramids ; Your generations numberless ; your food Man ' s corrupt nature , iduii ' k corroded heart , Mini ' s liquefied nnd unsubstantial brain . Yea , while the world rolls on unfelt to roll , There will be Greys and KumhcIIh round ita core . Divested of their marrow and their nerve , ( iigantic forms lie underneath our feet Without our knowing it : we p ; iH » , repaBH , And only Ktop ( and then ntop liHtle ^ sly Or idly curious ) when Home aeient hand Unearths and holds huge bonen before our oyo « , And Hayu " Ye trampled on them , silly clowns , Now they may teach yon somewhat ; try to learn . " Meanwhile the meadow huinn with insect hoiiihIm , And gilded backw and wings o ' ertop the grans : These are nought lifter , these are prized , and caged la secret cubist by regaJhundH . _ Feb . 21 . Waltku Savaok LandoIi .

      Cljt Sit To. ^

      Cljt Sit to . ^

      Country Cousins At The Theatres. Cherry ...

      COUNTRY COUSINS AT THE THEATRES . Cherry cheeks and wondering eyes , pretty faces and fabulous toilettes , fatigue the lounger ' s eye and perpetually haunt him with a sense of Country Cousinship ! London is crammed with Country Cousins . We jostle them everywhere . We breathe them in the air . If I am out , and escape the visit —( I had nearly said the avalanche )—of cousins from Bungay , lam sure to stumble up against yours from Birmingham ; they besiege me for " orders , " and with cruel politeness insist upon my dining with them at their hotel , promising to " give me an account of all they have seen "!

      Being of a mild and yielding disposition , I suffer myself to be led into a vortex of vulgar sightseeing , and—as if I had not enough of it officially —I am dragged to the theatre , with the additional permission of investing loose capital in cab hire I This is not , perhaps , the routine of existence I should purchase if put up to public auction j but having the thing to do , like a true philosopher I try to turn it to account , and contemplate the conduct of my Cousins at the play . I assure you it is

      a subject worth studying . Their toilettes alone betray them . You see them with bare necks and flowers in their hair , as if they were going to an evening party ; and they look as happy as if the plays were the finest , and the acting the most exquisite in the world . How happy they are ! how thoroughly they enjoy it ! How they laugh at feeble repartees , and hug the old Joe Millers like their dearest friends ! I observe that "Pooh-pooh !" has all the effect of a brilliant sally ; while a poke

      in the ribs , or a stamping exit , sets the house in a roar . " Everything is dear in Exhibition time . They charge fourpence for a threepenny 'Bus I " This joke—in Apartments—nightly throws the audience into ecstasies . I do not consider it immensely humorous . Generally , I observe that the " hits " in Prince Charming , which told on a London audience , fall flat upon the Country Cousins ; but . en revanche , a multitude of unsuspected jokes

      are detected and relished unmifgivingly . These happy , honest , uncritical audiences fill the theatres , please the actors , and amuse themselves . Is not that a pleasant thought ? They enjoy the theatre ; do we ? Alas , no ! and that is half the reason why we have no theatre to enjoy . I must tell you something I overheard on Monday night during the performance of Angelo . In the

      box next to me sat some Country Cousins , lney enjoyed the acting greatly . They were duly " worked up" by the horrors of the play ; and when the Podesta gives orders to the monks respecting the body of his wife whom he is about to murder , my neighbour turned to her sister , o ' friend , and said , " Those are the Roman Catholics , you know ! " Whereupon they both followed tn

      scene with augmented interest . Apropos of this Angelo : I pr omised last wcek criticize it , though in truth I was bo little ple ^ that I should be glad to pass over it altoget i ^ > but a critic for whose opinion I have respec so lauded it in the Post , that I feel bound to l x . *»„ . _ o * : 1 : » ., ; il ruin her rO |' in t Stirling will rum ntr w

      _ a cavea . Mrs . ^ turn if she persist in thus sweeping ol J J ^ domestic path . Her performance of ha ilb ' ^ . evidence to my mind of her extremely luI 11 ^ or pacify . The impassioned passages were *^ sscn . viragoish , the natural passages were of » in ^ ^ tially common nature : the grace , the war ^ J vcr 0 impassioned exaltation of a Venetian courtcsM ^ ^ never touched by her , even in mm " l ' ith—the fulness was the playfulness of M > ™ > «* a <« rrapassion was the passion of Miss funit » ^ vated" by the faithless Hrown . 1 in «« t « P Ui the becauHo there is a dangerous fallacy lurKi .

      ^ ^ notion of " being natural . " As I aai < l one ^ the cjueslion is " natural according to ! £ „— 1 »»* ture i'" Mrs . Stirling-and of late Mrs . ^ ^ ^ ^ fallen into the nainc painful error sce , f ( , r n » - take coljoquiulism for airnp licity , * yf *"* id' <> * ture , the grief of a cook maid for t » o B

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 23, 1851, page 18, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_23081851/page/18/