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    ^iirifolhu

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    Untitled Article

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

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    NEW MUSIC . A Collection of Chants for the Use of the United Churches of England and Ireland . Compiled by John Bishop . It . Cocks 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 hecome in secular music , so much bo that they must have foreign singers and foreign operas , and that only the very first talent will satisfy them , what are we to helieve 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 he 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 p lease 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 helieve 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 . AVe cannot understand how they reconcile this proposition with the " singing" of the " hymn" on the Mount of Olives , or why the divine gift of harmony should be handed over to the hands of Jieclzebub . Archbishop Laud was not of their opinion . lie very 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 ordy like it ; but as soon as you siny 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 , be would wonder what you meant , and would think you as absurd as if you were to tell him that he should only look at bis 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 , (• bants , 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 . " his dislike to double chants for a variety of reasons . " lint the ordy reason he adduces in that many of them " abound with puerilities in the shape of jejune attempts at double counterpoint , imitation per reete et ; retro , & < :., all which are . duly pointed out so that such astounding proofs of skill cannot possibly pass unnoticed . " lit : then cites an instance of this absurdity

    which , if it were , a bona fide specimen of double chants ' , would certainly render bis argument unanswerable . Hut vvc do not consider Mr . Bishop's position tenable nor bis citation fair . It is a most grotesque exaggeration ; and we think the compiler would have done better in selecting nome ol the more orthodox double chants , which arc

    exceedingly beautiful , and are not distinguished by the folly which Mr . Bishop justly condemns . Trio for Pianoforte , Violin , ami Violoncello Composed and dedicated to Spohr , by Cbark-s Edward ^ P 1101 ^ , ^ ,. 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 ol 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 p ianoforte his chief study , it is not a matter of surprise that that partis 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 obje ctionable , especially as there is a cantabile style about the whole ot it , which th disturb too abruptly . Their reduction

    ey 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 . Iso-vello . Mr . Novello ' s cheap oratorios for the people progress well . They are beautifully printed , and while they are so i nexpensive 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 ' Pianoforte Works , " excellently edited by

    Edward Holmes . School Songs , for hoo or three voices . Composed by Jolni Iliiilah . Book II . J- W- Parker and Son . Mr . Hullah ' s part songs are well known as excellent works for the young student . These School Songs are well suited to the young idea , the words being full of sentiment and the songs nicely though simply harmonized .

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    TIIK DOG-CART . Where arc the royal beadles , so hi » h fed ? The grated cart . shakes t lit in from hide to side , Protruding with stretc ; ht neck the sweating tongue ; Open it ; take them by the scuff , mid toss Tho civaturc-s into kenn < 1 : let . them baik And stand upright ngainst the bolted door All day , and bowl all night . () Politics ! ( Jan no man touch y

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    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 , I am 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 ! This is not , perhaps , the routine of existence I should purchase if put up to public auction ; 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 !" 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 unmisgivingly . 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 Angela . In the box next to ino sat some Country Cousins . I hey enjoyed the acting greatly . They were duly " worked up" by the horrors of the play ; a when the Podestfi gives orders to the monks respecting the body of his wife whom he is about to murder , my neighbour turned to her sister , or friend , and said , " Those arc . the Roman Catholics , you know / " Whereupon they both followed the

    scene with augmented interest . Apropos of this Angela . I promised hist week to criticize it , though in truth I was so little p lcaM . t that I should he glad to puss over it ; alt () ^ ' j || j buf ; a critic for whose opinion I have respect " ^ so lauded it in the Post , that ; L feel bound to \* in a caveat . Mrs . Stirling will ruin her r (! ' '"^~ tion if she persist , in thus sweeping out of ^ domestic path . Her performance of La lts <>< ' limitei

    evidence to my mind of her extremely < ^ pacily . The impassioned passages were ^^ viragoi . sh , the natural passages were , of «•» ( S' ^ tially common nature : the grace , the warintu , impassioned exaltation of a Venetian < - »« , jfj ); l > r . never touched by her , even in moments . » I ^ fulness wa . s Mus playfulness of Mish Jm "' ' - " passion was . the passion of Miss hinil h . ^ valed" by the failhle . sH Brown . I insist ii |><» f | jC because , there ! hi a dangerous fallacy linkup notion of "beintf natural . " Ah 1 nau \ (» n < - ' ; ^ the question 1 m " natural according t , o '" ! " ' . hllH t ,, « i "' Mrs , Stirling and of late Mrs . ! " ¦ . »« ^ fallen into the same , painful error- Hecniin ^ take , colloquialism for simplicity , vulgarity ^ tun-, thouricf of a cook maid for tlio g » " .

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    806 «!> * 3 lia&et % [ Saturday ,

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    Wo jj' -mnM flo our utmost to cucourar ^ o Lbc Beautiful , for the Useful en . cour ; i ;; cs itself . — Goktuk .

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 23, 1851, page 806, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1897/page/18/