TALES OF SOME YOUNG ENGLISH MUSICIANS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XI, Issue 34, 26 August 1893, Page 133

TALES OF SOME YOUNG ENGLISH MUSICIANS.

BY A. LESLIE. Precocity is by no means an infallible sign of healthy genius. So far from causing that delight and encouragement which it too often meets with, it should rather be regarded with suspicion by parents and teachers ; and, if anything, checked, in order to yield to more natural mental development. But while these remarks hold good in all pursuits and sciences which demand much exercise of the reasoning faculties, they cannot be said to apply in the case of music. Imaginative faculties, the ear and taste for music and for poetry, do often, and indeed usually, develop early in life ; nor is this development attended with those evil results which so often blast the promise of precocity in other branches. This is true to such an extent that to give a complete record of the precocity manifested in this art of music, would be to exhaust the annals of musical biography. Tnere is surely no branch of biographical literature more interesting than this ; and our pleasure is enhanced by recollecting the glorious harvests which so much of this early promise bore. It is not a history of blighted genius and disappointed hope, but of splendid prospects and splendid fulfilments. The difficulty, however, is in making a selection of instances to present to the reader. Instead of repeating old and well-known tales of Mozart, Mendelssohn, Handel, or Liszt, an effort is made in the present article to give instances which may not be eo familiar to the general reader, and more especially relating to our own British musicians. We may well be proud, as a nation, of some of the following specimens of marvellous precocity. No more remaikable instance can be given than that of the famous organist and composer, Samuel Wesley, son of Charles, and nephew of John Wesley. He was born at Bristol, on the 24th February, 1766 11 is father tells us that, when five years old, he had all the airs, recitatives, and choruses of * Samson ’ and the ‘ Messiah ’ by heart, words and music : and that before he could write he composed much music himself. ‘ His custom,’ says the father, * was to lay the words of an oratorio before him, and sing them all over. Thus he set “Ruth,” “Gideon,” “ Manesses,’ and the “ Death of Abel.” We observed when he repeated the same words it was always to the same tune. The airs of “ Ruth ” in particular he made before he was six years old, laid them up in his memory till he was eight, and then wrote them down.' 1 The oratorio of * Ruth,’ thus composed, was shown to the celebrated Dr. Boyce, who said: ‘These airs are some of the prettiest I have seen ; this boy writes by nature as true a bass as I can by rule and study.’ Dr. Boyce also

styled the young musician of eight years as his ‘ very ingenious brother composer.* His |>erformances on the harpsichord were wonderful ; he could read most difficult music at sight; and his judgment in matters of theory was depended on by so skilled a musician as Lord Morniugton. This early promise of excellence was nobly fulfilled in the musician’s maturer years, as also was a case with William Crotch, already spoken of as contemporary with Wesley. The marvellous abilities of this child were such that they attracted the notice of Dr. Burney, who published an account of them before the boy was tour years old. It is said that his love for music existed long before he could speak, so that he would leave his playthings, and even his food, to listen to it. Besides this, his ear was so acute that he would touch the keynote of any tune he wished to hear; aud before he was two years of age he screamed and struggled to be placed at the organ, when lie struck down the notes vigorously with his tiny baby fists. The fame of his achievements soon spread so widely, that large crowds came to witness them ; and this so inconvenienced the parents, and wearied the child, that his father found it necessary to name certain days only on which the public could witness his infant’s performances. John Davy, now best known as the composer of the ‘ Bay of Biscay,’ was another wonderful child. Having first cried with terror at the sound of a violoncello, he soon became so enamoured of the instrument that he sought every opportunity of renewing its acquaintance. Before he was six years old, his great propensity for music caused him to commit a singular theft of twenty or thirty horse-shoes, from a smithy. Eight of these he selected as forming a complete octave, and he thus made a species of carillon, by striking which he skilfully imitated the Crediton chimes. Whether the blacksmith appreciated the novel use to which his shoes were placed, is not lelated. Charles Dibdin, another writer of kindled genius to Davy, was a mere boy when he sold his first compositions, six little ballads, to a publisher for three guineas. These were published, and sold at three halfpence each. The famous Balfe was equally juvenile at the time of his first publication. Before be was six years of age he had written a Polacca for military band ; and when little more than nine he composed his ballad * Young Jenny,’ which he disposed of to a publisher for twenty printed copies. The bargain proved a good one for the publisher, the song becoming such a favourite that Haynes Bayly wrote new words for it, and Madame Vestris sang it in the comedy of • Paul Pry. ’ Similarly youthful as a composer was the celebrated living musician, Mr F. H. Cowen. This gentleman was in his sixth year when his • Minna Waltz ’ was published ; and at eight he had published a two-act operetta.