—An Early Start.—

Otago Witness, Issue 2801, 20 November 1907, Page 82

—An Early Start.—

''At six I began composing little waltzes and simple pieces, which my father had privately published. I was too small at that lime to sit down to the piano, and I used to stand up to compose, while a friend, Mr Lowe, used to write down the music for me, for I was not able to do so m3 - self. I have a distinct recollection of my first composition. It was late on a. winter's afternoon. I went ; nto the second sitting room wo had, and, Ftandintr up at the piano, I composed a waltz — if ono can call it composing. Later on I must have played it over to Mr Lowe, who wroteout the melody and accompaniment. Tho great friend of my childhood at that time was Henry Russell, and I have a vivid recollection of my early days with him. He was a self-made musician, but though most of his song« are now out of date, he wrote many popular ones, - like 'Cheer, boys, cheer,' and 'A life on the ocean wave.' which still live. He had travelled a good deal, and had a wonderful store of anecdotes of all kinds. I used to sit v>n his knee while he would tell me the most btaod-curdling stories, which affected mo so much that I did not want to go to bed, or, if I was put to bed, I couldn't zo to sleep. A present he gave me is, and always has been, one of my most cherished possessions. It is a silver cup, wit?: tho inscription. 'Master H. Frederic Cowen, a souvenir of the performance of his clever opera. "Garibaldi," from hu affectionate friend, Henry Russell. February 4, 1860.' — First Appearance. — "Garibaldi was the hero of the hour, and he was made the hero of a libretto written by a cousin of mine, a girl of about 18, and I was not yet eight when I set it to music. I" need hardly say it was done quite simply, and" consisted merely of airs, duets, and choruses. Still, it was privately performed on two occasions. My eldest sister took the part of Garibaldi ; my younger sister, Henrietta, now well Jen own. as an actress, was in the chorus, whilo the other parts were distributed amongyoung friends of the family who had voices, and I was the orchestra ! The production of that operetta got to the ears of the late Lord Dudley. to whom my father was private secretary, and led to his taking me up as his protege and rivingme opportunities for studying which my i father could not afford. He therefore put | me to study the piano under: Sir Julius | Benedict and harmony under Mr '.afterj wards Sir) John Goss. Beendict was very j stern and very strict, and I was very i frightened of him. Ho had a habit of falling off to sleep in the most unexpected 1 way. Often during a lesson ho would rioeo j for five minutes, and I would go on play- ; ing quietly. Suddenly, however, he- wouldI wake up and cry. 'A sharp, not A flat,* j as I played the wrong note. I hatad my j lessons with him, yet, in his w»v he paemed to be proud of me, for some mep, if people called to sco him, ho wou'J ask them to hear me play. It was ho who advised me to give my first recital, which I did at tho age of 11. Although the papers spoke well of mo, my success was not sufficiently startling to make them go into raptures or to enaWe me to speak of 't in this place as my first success. Gos-? was quite a different tvr>c of man to Benedict. I loved my lessons with him, for he did everything in his power to make a very dry subject, like counterpoint, attractive t< a child. —The Turning- Point— "When I was 17 my father -.-avo *n, orchestral concert at St. James's Hall at his own expense to intrxh.ee my first svinphony (in C minor), whi^h T con'lr.ftod. This work was the turning- point in tnv career, and, therefore, ray first sikvcss. It came at a time -when rery litt'p ■scr;ou» orchestral music was produced in this country, and though it was manifestly a juvenile work, yet the public received °t with favour, and the critic 3 were <»ood enough to see in it evidence of a good deal of promise. It not only gave mo an incentive to go off composing, but was directly the means of bringing mo into contact with • Messrs .ooosey. who immediately gave m© i a contract for three years to write ex1 clusivelv for them. An incident in conneo tion with its second performance has always remained impre«?cd in my memory. One well-known bandmaster, who was stationed at Brighton, where <he symphony wa3 played for the second time, came into the artistes' room at the end of the conI cert, and after congratulating me, a3ked imelF 1 HAD INSTUUMEXTKn IT lITBELF ! I was rather surprised, and inquired what he meant, for I could not imagine anyone else but the composer doing it. " 'Well, you know,' ho renlied, 'what wb generally do i* to jot down a few notes for the clarionet and a few for the basroon, and get someone cl 1 * to fill in the rest' On February 10, a week after I had finished ! the new movement, I beptan my cantata, • 'The Rose Maiden,' which was produced the following: December, both Madame . Titiens and Madame Paiev taking part in. / it. ami, if I may be allowed to say sol myself, it has remained one of the most' popular choral works ever since. ! —Songs.— "I wrote my first song when I wa9 soven ; it was called 'A mother's love,* and was privately printed, but the first song of mine which was really taken by a publisher was called 'My beautiful, my own.' which I composed when I was between 11 and 12, and which was sung by Santley. Mv first success as a songwriter dates from after the production or th-> symphony, when I made my contract with Messrs Boosey, and composed 'It vas a • dream.' It was, however, 'The better land' in 1877 which gave mo my real position as a popular song-writer. Now. however, I cannot say I attach much, weight to those ballade, for as time ha» gone on I have written many other sonps for my own pleasure and satisfaction which I Lope and believe will long outlast the -more popular ones. Altogether I harei composed nearly 300 sons, so that in ono way and another I have been a iairly prolific writer."

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