THE COMPASS OF STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4124, 1 February 1875, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE COMPASS OF STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.

; At the first meeting of the Alusieal Association which was held at the Beethoven . Kooms, Harley-street, Dr. Stone read the : first paper "On extending the Compass aud 1 increasingjthe tone of Stringed Instruments," illustrations being given on instruments ] filled with Dr. Stone's aud Air. Meeson's elliptical tension bars. Dr. Stone, iu commencing, congratulated the society, and especially Air. W. Spottiswoode, its earliest i promoter, on its successful establishment, i and on the brilliant names included iu the list of origiual members. He expressed a / decided opinion that music as an art had 1 been too much divided from music as a i science, and especially from acoustics, its ; natural basis, lie believed it to be to the i truest interest of all professional musicians i to encourage amateurs, for it should not be i forgotteu that they formed an intelligent < audience, competent to distinguish real from c false art. In return, the scientific amateur f could t'ive much to the artist, as might be j seen from the works of Sir G. B. Airy, the c Astrouomer-lioyal, of Air. Sedh-y Taylor,and c Professor Doukin. Turning to the sub- i ject of his paper. Air. Stone said that he had \ been, as some of his audience might be aware, f endeavouring for several years to extend the t coinpass <>f orchestral instruments down- i wards. In the wind department, lie stated 1 that he had succeeded by introducing an old s instrument, the contra-fagotto, remodelled, i aud he hoped improved. Ho had exhibited I a double bass, strung down to the same j pitch, CCC on the organ, in the exhibition : of 1672. This note was fiequently used by 1 Beethoven, Onslow, and other great writers, 1 while Gounod used even the B llat below. 1 Dr. Stone said his object had been to obtain j the low notes of the ltift. octavo without in- s creasing the size of the instrument. There t were three ways iu which a string might be i made to give these slow vibrations—lirst, by i increased length ; secondly, by increased 1 t thickness ; thirdly, by increased weight; the I last of which had been too much overlooked. : It was this third plan which lie had adopted. 1 The gut string was covered with heavy eop- s per wire, like the bass strings of a pianoforte, ] and this proved to be fairly successful, 1 though probably gold or pl .tinuni would 1 answer still better. The double-bass shown ; at South Kensington was rather lacking in tone, and this had led to Ris consulting Air. i Aleesou as to the possibility of reinforcing c the vibrations by means of longitudinal ' struts or bars. It was evident the belly of ( the instrument required to be made more 1 homogeneous to vibration and stiller, with- - out increasing its weight or bulk. Air. Aleesou had carried out this idea most in- c geniously. Four strips of white deal, curved 1 to> an elliptical figure, pass parallel, from end i to end, on the inside of the belly. They t thus intercept the S-shaped sound-holes, and < remove a well-known cause of weakness and i a break iu the vibrating body. The result < was the removal of what the musicians term £ " wolf," or inequality and falseness of tone, j with a great increase of jKiwer throughout i the instrument. It had since appeared that ' the same process is equally applicable to the i smaller members of tlio violin family, and t Dr. Stone asserted that by its adoption a t common instrument can be made nearly 1 equal in tone to an old Italian fiddle, while s he also said that it strengthens the tone of I older instruments in whiah, from decay or ( i other causes, the power is small. The apr plication of the process in no way daniag 'S ! i an instrument, aud tho bars can be removed ! i at pleasure. As an example of what might ! i be ell'ected by the system he advocated, Dr. ; f Stone introduced to the society a young ( i violinist, who played upon an instrument to ; , which his process had been applied and the I 1 original cost of which was Is !M. The per- i formance called forth loud applause. Other < instruments were shown and tried, which were of considerable age and value. By way i of illustration of the practical results of thus ( extending the compass of the instruments of i the string band a quintett by Onslow was < played, which was written by the composer i down to CCC (the note now reached by Dr. i Stone's method), and which could not have 1 been played as written oji the instruments in ordinary use. A vote of thanks was accorded ; to Dr. Stone, whose invention was highly i eulogised by the chairman (Mr. Alacfarren) ; as likely to prove of the utmost value.—l'all ] Mnil Gazette. j A very disgraceful scene was witnessed on Nov. 15, at Zion Chapel, Nottingham. The appointment of Mr. Langford as minister is disputed by a section of the congregation, and at a meeting some days ago a scene of great disorder occurred. In the morning Air. Langford got into the pulpit, iu spite of a request that lie would not do so, and con- ( ducted the service, but in the evening the opposing body obtained possession, Air. Langford being stopped at the pulpit steps. He then gave out a hymn, in which part of the congregation joined, the opposition party at the same time starting another hymn, thus producing great discord. Air. Langford began to preach, and the minister appointed by the opposition party commenced reading a psalm. Air. Laugfofd preached iiis sermon while his opponents were singing, led by the harmonium. Some police ollicers were in attendance, but no violence occurred. One '.n ; . committee of management remarked «ha. ] ■>. Langford was opposed wider legal itlvif. #_nd to further tk„ cause of Christ.

The whole sceno was most extraordinary and i unseemly. • The editor of a respectable sporting paper L (says /ron) was lately asked the following i question :—" Are working colliers entitled to ( compete at a regatta, the races of which are advertised as open to gentlemen amateurs The editor returned an unfavourable answe.'. ; It would require, he considered, au extremely e'astie construction of the term "gentlemen i amateurs'' to include a working collier ; r.nd he thought the stories of attempts at social elevation by drinking champaguc and riding tirst-class might have intluenced the Iccal secretary who accepted their entry. lie added, " The spirit of the distinction between amateurs ami professionals is the matter of daily manual labour, which, either on the water or land, gives an undue advantage in muscles over these whose daily work is not so. The labourer and artisan would, therefore, be ineligible.The spirit of the distinction in question we should be inclined to look for rather in the special training and abundant practice of the professional. Another querist complains that au amateur crew won a race open to "gentlemen amateurs," and was held to be disqualified oil the ground that it was composed of "artisans.' - There would perhaps have been no objection ill either case, had the amateurs been shopmen or clerks, many of whom are physically more active and powerful than certain classes of artisans, and really in the same social grade—servants of the trader or manufacturer. There is no torm in the language more abused than the "grand old name of gentleman." Originally and properly applicable only to men of family, it lias been extended as a legal description to all persons living iu a respectable way on their means, and socially to all living by occupations not of aircnial character, which of course excludes everybody engaged ill tr:..le, whether as principals or servants, while it has been decided by the Judge that the term is not a suliicient legal description for a Government clerk. It iiiiU: fair, liov.-cver, by the continuance of the process of level-ling-up, to include everybody by-and-by ; and we shall then become what George IV., looking at tlieni from a sartorial standpoint, declared the Seo.ch to be —a " u..tiou of gentlemen." The Loudon Oloh< has the following with reference to ladies" fashions for the winter of 1574-5 : —•" Coming events east their shadows before, and if fashions has any intlucnee upon Fahrenheit, we are likely to have a winter of very great severity. The Paris dress designers have already made their a"i .-angements for it, and the last novelties are revealed to an expectant public. For the last few years the milliner's idea has been to dress her eustouieu as like men as possible, [ to give them stand-up collars and leather belts, to arm them with umbrellas hanging I fro'n the waist as if they we.-e 3vords, to supply them with gentlemen's watch-pockets and gentlemen's watch-chains. Even in fashion the world i.u.st advance, and the move for the co-ning winter is decidedly a move forward. Fashionable ladies, who have been dressed like men, must now dress like wild animals. All the new tissues are to resemble furs, and as a few years ago young ladies were said to wear Dolly Vardeus, so now they will put on their 'camels.' That is the ; generic name by wiiieh the I'arisiau modiste* have called this year's fairies, though o" . course there is a variety allowed, ami a i young lady may appea. an a rei.ideer, as a bear, as a northern elk— in fact, as any I rough-skinned animal she may select. But i it is necessary that the skins should consist < of as few pieces as possible. The •camel,' and a collar, which will be known in the ] fashionable world as a dog's collar, will com- i p'etc the costume. But this new invention < of the French dressmakers lias -;o much ] originality after all. The idea is merely a » development of the Ulster great coat, ] which was borrowed a couple of years ago < from the Irish peasantry. This desire for i the roughest materials and the rudest . j make has produced already strange res.ills. ] In Switzerland Englishmen are dressed i so like guides that it is dillieult to ( distinguish them. Kvcn at Brighton, the : taste for walking-sticks has declared that a > perfectly plain bit of ash cut out of the wood ' and innocent of scraping and varnishing is i the most fashionable cane. A silver orna- ( ment is allowed near the handle as asirt of c trade mark, to shew that it belongs to a i gentleman. Kven if the winter of 1574 1 should be as inclement as that of !S7(), t there may yet be days when the ' camel' i would be too warm, and so less heavy gar- i ineuts have to lie prepared. Xti I, the rela- t tions with the animal world will be kept up. \ Ladies, when they cannot go out like blasts, t will go out like birds. All trimmings are to t be made of feathers—cocks' feathers, plica- c sants' feathers, peacocks' feathers. This ;i plumage is to cover the dresses, but a whole ( bird will be in the hat. A very fashionable i lady may, therefore, assume a parrot's head c and a peacock's tail." ] Ct rriNos kho.m "I'lni h."—Mr. I'. : "Go r it, Gladstone We didn't expect to lind you a cutting at that tree, you know.'' Mr. G. : t " All right, Mr. l'unih ! I choose my own trees and my own time !" "Mr. Gladstone I has been cutting down trees at Hawarden." ( —Murmmj Paper.—leames : "Mornin", Mr. c .Jarviee. What's the news ?" Mr. J. (the s old coachman): "Well, I've 'card the best i bit o' news this morning as I've 'card for t many a day, from our butler. He tell me ( the win' yards is 'a comin round,'and there's ' I every prospec* of our gettin'forne more good ! a madeiry !"—"The Court Guide '—The Lord ' i Chamberlain.- Fond Wife: John, dear, be I a sure and don't waste your money on lta.il way ' i Assurance tickets. ' Husband (acommercial j t man) : "Why, my love T Fond Wife :j 1 " Because you are never lucky enough to be t ill a collision ?"—A Luxurious Habit I'liilau- 1 thropist (to railway porter) : "Then what 1 I time do you gut to bed ?" Porter : " Well, I c I seldom what yer may call gets to be 1 my- i s self, 'cause o' the night trains. But my j brother, as used to work the p'inta further ' down the line, went to bed last Christmas i after the accident, and never ." [Train' rushes in, and the parties rush oIT.J —" Loi', i miss, 'ow lovely ! Why, you'll 'ave some one a runnin' away with yer .'" " Have no j fear on that score, Susan. The m;i:i who t aspires to win imj must be both a/urn and a i yriiiux—and such men, alas : are rare —The i bar sinister—Temple Bar.—A cold water ; cure—The Permissive Bill.—The boarding- ] out system—Dining at the club, 1 ] A curious mental or psychological cheno- 1 1 menon has been manifest. 1 in the case of an ! 1 Oakland gentleman, Air. O. 11. Buniham, i | who, the Si 111 FrancUco Jlulhtiii states, re : 1 cently met with an accident of a rather ' < serious character. Air. Buriiham visited j t Sail Francisco one morning, crossing over in i j the 9 a.m. train, and returning at noou. j 1 During the remainder of the day he was j actively engaged in business, and at G p.m., I during She prevalence of thunder, "ightning, !i and rain, he drove to the depot t3 meet ladies resident in the family who were ex- { peeted to arrive. As they did not come he ' returned to the station at half-past 0, at i which time his horse took fright, and he 'was , dashed against a tree and rendered senseless. Now comes the singular part of the story. On returning to consciousness it was found that not only was he unaware of the accident, but that he hail no recollection of anything which had transpired after 'J o'clock a.m. He rcmemberei starting for San Francisco and being on board the boat uothing more. He knew nothing of returning ; nothing of transacting business ill Oakland during the afternoon ; no-hing of going to meet the ladies ; and he had no knowledge whatever of the occurrence of the tremendous thunderstorm. Loss of consciousness apparently had antedated the accident about nine hours. The Garden remarks that the Thames Embankment is gradually becoming the handsomest boulevard iu Europe. When its treos, now doing so well, and gardens have had time to develop themselves the Embankment will be far liner than anything of the kind in Paris or elsewhere.