FAMOUS SONGS

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 89, 9 January 1926, Page 21

FAMOUS SONGS

STRANGE SOURCES OF INSPIRATION

Strange how far-reaching are the results of a simple phrase! When that phrase, of course, is a "catchy” one it makes all the difference in the world, as the joint authors of "Show Me the Way to Go Home” will doubtless corroborate (writes J. H. Young in the "livening Dispatch"). The young Londoners, Mr. Jimmy Campbell and Mr. Reg. Connelly, who have made such a popular hit, and a fortune as well, with their famous song, have recently ' been telling us how a few words gave them the inspiration for the ditty which is heard everywhere. One dreary night in January last—and even London can be very dismal at times—was the source of inspiration. "Fed up,” Campbel! said to Connelly. and Connelly to Campbell, "Boy, I’m that tired—show me the wav tc go heme.” That was all, but it was enough, and the popular song was the result, Remarkable, indeed, has been the origin of some of our favourite melodies. Take that hauntinely bc.mtiful song, “Two Eyes of Grey,” of which the author, Miss Daisy McGcoch, tells the following strange store. "One day.” she says, “when I was fishing alone “omc distance from the shore of Arran, I suddenly heard a melodv, verv sweet and sad. Where it came from 1 do not know. All I know is that T felt compelled to write it down ; and, hurrving to my hotel, I discovered that the air that bad come so strangelv to me exactly fitted some words I had written the cay before, which ended with the tine ‘it breaks my heart to see your dear grey eyes so sad,’*” Equally strange and romantic were the conditions under which that wide-Iv-ponular sone. “The Heart of a Rose,” were written. It was a cold, moonlight night, in war time, and Mr. Horatio Nicholls, the composer, was standing by his anti-aircraft gun. listening for the drone of Gothas. It was at this moment, tense with possible tragedy, that, he says, “There came to me a vision of country roads flooded with sunshine, of flowers in fair fields, and of roses. The last vision brought to my memory a Ivric about a rose which my friend, Morton David, bad sent me that morning to set to music; -"-nil with this memory came the melody as the shells began to crash. The moment the drone of the last Gotha had died away, and our last shell had keen fired, I drew out my notebook, and hastily jotted down the bars of the refrain that was ringing through my head. It was the right melody, 1 knew; ami 1 also realised that it was a good one." Songs that have been sung the world over have been written under the oddest conditions imaginable. Mr. limmett Adams, the composer of many song successes, says that he jotted down the air for his “Bells of St. Mary’s” as it came to him through the torrent of traffic, while riding in a bus from Baker Street to Oxford Street. Another melody, scarcely less popular, he wrote at his dressing table, the music keeping time to the rhythmic strokes of his razor; while what he regards as his best song, “God Send Von Back to Me,” came to him during that most uninspiring quarter ot an hour that precedes dinner. “The dinner was delayed,” he says, "and, growing impatient, I said to my friend, Douglas Farber, who was to share the meal with me. ‘Here, this is a bit too slow! Let’s do something to pass the time away.’ So we sat down; Douglas scribbled down the words of the song; I put them to music as he produced them; and by the time the dinner was ready, the whole thing was finished.” Rapid and unconventional methods characterise the work of M. Troterc, the composer of such renowned songs ■•is "In Old Madrid,” “The Deathless Army,” “Asthorc,” “Go to Sea,” and “My Old Shako.” ''Asthote” was composed and written in forty minutes in

Blanchard's restaurant, while Mr. Clifton Bingham waited for his luncheon. The melody of “In Old Madrid” came , to him while be was returning home from the Aqiiarium, and was pencilled in a few minutes on. a biscuit-bag provided for the purpose by the proprietor of a public-house, into which lie rushed to beg for a sheet of paper. > Another lightning melody was “ The Brow of the Hill,” which Trotere composed, wrote a letter, and ran 100 yards to catch the post, all inside twenty minutes! Inspiration appears to be such an elusive jade that the composer or writer who is unable to capture it when first it flashes upon his inward being, may lose it for ever. So that the man who jots down the air or words of a song on his shirt cuff, a scrap of paper—anything—anywhere—scores every time! Thus, like so many of his compeers, we have Signor Mattei, the conmoscr of many fine songs, telling us that he composes every where—while travelling by rail, on the top of a Ims, or walking along the street—anywhere except in the neighbourhood of anyone whistling! His song, “Hear the Wild Winds Blow,” was writen in the hall by the sea at Margate where the composer was having an ovstcr strpner; while “Bianca” was composed with his score book on bis knee, what time his train was rushing southwards from Hull through a snow-covered landscape. An interesting storv is told of how Signor Mattei came to write the music of “Dear Heart.” When calling on his publisher one dav. Mattei was handed a poem with the request. “Can you make anything of these prettv verses?" ’l'hc compose! walked over to a piano and plavcd four lines of an air. Tn less than one hour the song was complete 1 It would be more than passing strange if the world's most famous song-writer. Mr. F. E. Wetherly, had not. something peculiarly interesting to say concerning some of the celebrated songs that have made his name a household word. He has written hundreds of songs, many of which have attained world-wide, popularise, such as his “Hole Citv,” “Nancy Lee.” “Angus Macdonald,” “The Midshipmite.” “Friend o’ Mine.” . "Douglas Gordon.” “To-morrow will lie Frida'.” “Roses in Picardy." and “Dannv Bov,” set to the famous “Londonderry Air." The origin of "The Midshipmilc” dates back to a day in 1A55. when, onlv a little bov. he and his mother 1 ••.orc sitting on Battery Point at Portishead, a small town' on the Bristol i Channel. There was n great warship r lying in King Road, and his mother told him it was bringing home for ,■ burial the body of Lord Raglan, Cont--1 mander-in-Chief of the Crimean Expedition. She also told him of Alma 1 and Inkerman, and the Charge of ! Balaclava and the story of the midshipmitc who went ashore and spiked the Russian guns. ? Young Wcatherlv was onlv seven, 2 and not at all precocious. <o he did ' not write “The Midshinmitc” then. 1 But the memory of the storv remained ; J with him. and eventually lie could not i I help writing the song which Stephen Adams set to music. , Mr. Wcatherlv is a barrister bv pro- • fession, and like all other him- men, > lie has written his songs at all kinds ; of moments. “Nancv Lee” was w-.it-I ten one morning at Oxford whilst he t was waiting for an absent punil. He > was teaching at Oxford for jome years - before being called to the Bar. Ideas for “To-morrow will be Fri- : . dav” and “London Bridge” came from a drive with Mollov in a hansom cab. > "Derby and Joan” was a joint effort , of these two. Molloy sitting at the ; I piano composing the ntelodv. while ; Wcatherlv sat in the same room scribI bling the words. "Deathless Army” - was written for a gathering of Crimean i veterans in 1901.