About Some Popular Song Writers.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 250, 21 October 1893, Page 2 (Supplement)

About Some Popular Song Writers.

English people everywhere are always ready bo show their appreciation of a really good song, and when a song once becomes popular ib makes things, financially speaking, extremely comfortable for the composer. By way of example, it is no secret that Sir Arthur Sullivan has received about £10,000 as his share of the profits attending the sales of his beautiful composition, ' The Lost Chord,' while several celebrated song-composers of the present day are able to command from £300 to £400 for the copyright of each new song they produce. Mr W. J. Devers, the writer and composer of the extremely popular song, ' Our Jack's Come Home Today,' is an engineer by profession, and has never relied wholly upon his musical abilities for an income. Song writing was for a long period a favourite pastime wibh him, bub the abovenamed melody, which firsb broughb him into prominence, was hit off very rapidly during a railway journey between Newry and Belfast, about twelve years ago. Professor F. Nicholls Crouch, the gifbed composer of 'Kathleen Mavourneen ' and many other justly-celebrated songs, is now a grand old man of eighty-four. He resides in comparative comforb ab Baltimore, and is the proud sire of thirty-three children. He skill rebains his passionate fondness for vocal music, and nobhing delighbs him more than to hear his grandchildren play and sing to him the old melodies that were popular during his youth. Mr Charles A. White, late of Bo?ton, U.S., wrobe and composed 'Marguerite' and ' Lay Me in My Little Bed ' about twenty-eight years ago. More than a million copies of the former have been sold in the States alone. Mr Whito was originally a farm labourer, but he taught himself the rudiments of music, published his own compositions, won his way to honourable prominence by pure personal merit, and ultimately became tho head of a large publishing firm in Boston. The late Mr C. H. R. Marriott possessed a natural gift for song writing. He used to say that his best songs came to him like inspirations, and were produced almost without effort. He was a ploasant, companionable man, bub, bhough fond of society, he would insist upon perfect seclusion while complebing the harmony of his melodies. The song, 'Thy Face is Ever Dear bo Me ' was, perhaps, bhe mosb popular one he ever composed. The profibs arising from ibs sale broughb him upwards of £2,000. The admired composer, M. Paolo Tosti, was born at Rome. He began song-writing ab bhe age of ten, while Btudying the violin ab the Naples Conservatoire. His parents and friends discouraged this early display of talent, bub bhis did nob in any way deber him from continuing ib. His firsb published song was refused by several publishers. His earlier efforbs broughb him aboub £2 each. He is now able bo command £400 for them. His finesb ono,'For Ever, and for Ever,' has had an immense sale in England and America. His best songs are rapidly composed, though he always carriee a memorandum book with him in which to record any stray theme thab may suggesb itself while he is oub and aboub.

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