MUSIC

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XIX, Issue X, 28 August 1897, Page 300

MUSIC

THE Presbyterians of Plcton gave a musical evening last Wednesday. The first part was a musically illustrated service by Talbot Erie, called * Christie’s Old Organ.’ The Rev. Mr Allswortb read the story, and the choir rendered the choruses, Miss Allsworth presiding at the organ. After an interval for refreshments the following programme was rendered by friends :—Pianoforte solo, ’King of the Forest,’ Miss Edith Lloyd; song, ’The Old Brigade,* Mr Bathgate; song, ’The Last Muster,’ Miss M. Lloyd; song, ‘Ora Pro Nobis,* Mr Wilmot ; song, ’Polasky’s Banner,’ Miss Sarah McCormick; song, ’The Pilot,* Mr Bathgate; song, ‘ The Golden Shore,’ Mr Wilmot. Mr Wilmot was enthusiastically encored for both hie songs, and responded in his usual good-natnred manner. HARMONY’S EFFECT ON THE HEART. Mme. Binet and J. Courtier give an account, translated for the London Lancet, of experiments made by themselves and others on human beings and animals of the effects of music on the heart and respiration. M. Patrizi, an Italian physiologist, had a patient with a wound in the skull which laid bare the brain. He was thus enabled to observe the actual effect of music on the cerebral circulation. Music occasioned an increase in the size of the brain itself. The effect on the cerebral circulation was variable, the vessels being sometimes constricted and sometimes dilated. At other times no effect was produced. Mme. Binet and Courtier experimented on a musician. Isolated notes, chords in unison nd discords were first tried. Both major chords struck in a lively manner and discords quickened the respiration, the latter more especially. Minor chords tended to retard respiration. When melodies were tried it was found that all, whether grave or gay, produced quickened respiration and increased action of the heart. The lively tunes produced the greatest acceleration. The subject also sometimes unconsciously endeavoured to synchronise his respirations with those of the singer. In rallentando and diminuendo passages the respiration was retarded. Where the sound was wholly uncomplicated by emotional ideas, the heart’s action was accelerated, bnt not in so marked a degree as when a melody either grave or gay was played. During operatic pieces of those well known to the subject the acceleration attained its maximum. The subject had a strongly-marked capillary pulse. The influence of music on the capillary circula lation was tested by a plethysmograph attached to the right hand. The capillary tracing usually was occasioned by the sound of single notes, chords, or discords. In sad melodies, especially minor ones, there was almost no diminution, while in lively airs the diminution was marked.

John Howard Payne, author of ‘ Home, Sweet Home,’ was a warm personal friend of John Ross, who will be remembered as the celebrated chief of the Cherokees. At the time the Cherokees were removed from their homes in Georgia to their present possessions, west of the Mississippi River, Payne was spending a few weeks with Ross who was occupying a miserable cabin, having been forcibly ejected from his former home. A number

of the prominent Cherokees were in prison, and that portion of Georgia where the tribe was located was secured by armed squads of militia, who had orders to arrest all who refused to leave the country. While Ross and Payne were seated before the fire in the hut, one day, the door was suddenly burst open, and six or eight militiamen sprang into the room. The soldiers lost no time in taking their prisoners away. Ross was permitted to ride his own horse while Payne was mounted on one led by a soldier. As the little party left the hove) rain began falling, and continued till every man was drenched thoroughly. The journey lasted allnight. Toward midnight Payne’s escort, in order to keep himself awake, began humming * Home, Home, Sweet, Sweet Home,’ when Payne remarked : ‘ Little did I expect to hear that song under such circumstances, and at such a time! Do you know the author ?’ ‘ No, said the soldier. ‘Do you ?’ ‘ Yes,’ answered Payne. • I composed it.’ ‘ You did!’ was the reply. ’You can tell that to some fellows, but not to me. Look here—you made that song, you say. If you did—and I know you didn’t—you can say it all without stopping. It has something in it about pleasures and palaces. Now pitch in and reel it off, and if you can’t I’ll bounce you from that horse and lead you instead of it. Payne immediately repeated the song in a slow, subdued tone, then sang it, making the old woods ring with tender melody. It touched the heart of the rough soldier, who was not only captivated, but convinced ; he ordered that the composer of such a song should never go to prison if he could help it; and when the party reached Milledgeville they were, after a preliminary examination, discharged, much to their surprise. Payne insisted that it was because the leader of the squad had been under the magnetic influence of Ross’s conversation, and Ross insisted that they bad been saved from insult and imprisonment by the power of ‘ Home, Sweet Home,’ sung as only those who feel can sing it. The friendship existing between Ross and Payne endured until the grave closed over the mortal remains of the latter.

Mr Ashcroft Noall gave one of his enjoyable concerts in the Theatre Royal, Napier, last Thursday, when the nrogramme included the ‘Cradle Song’ (Kjerulf) and ‘ Il Tremolo ’ (Gottschalk), which were played with great artistic perception and much technical proficiency. As his solo pieces Mr Noall also played a ‘ Nocturne ’ (Chopin), ‘ Minuetto di Boccherini ’ (Ketter), ‘ Hungarian Dance ’ (Brahms), ‘ Grand Polonaise ’ (Chopin), ‘ Caprice ’ (Pabst), and ■ Etude ’ (Heller). The vocalists of the evening were Mrs Owen and Miss Jago, the former of whom sang ‘ Help Me to Pray ’ (Tosti) and ‘ Hush Thee, My Baby ’ (Pease), the latter giving the song, ‘My Dearest Heart.’ Messrs Noall, Humphries, and Dickin performed the Reissiger trio for violin, ’cello, and piano with conspicuous success. Mr T. R. Cooke was enthusiastically encored for his violin solo, ‘ Scene de Ballet ’ (De Beriot). ‘The Courier’ (Armstrong), a banjo solo, which was one of the favourite items at the Banjo Club’s concert, was repeated by Mr Macfarlane. All the accompaniments were played by Mr Noall. The Roman Catholics of Hastings gave an enjoyable concert and social in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Hastings, on Wednesday night. The programme consisted of a solo, • When the Heart is Young,’ by Mrs Bolan, which was enthusiastically encored. Miss Donovan was greatly applauded for her clever and humorous recitations, ‘At the Bar,’ and ' The Squire,’ which greatly entertained her audience. Miss Boyle and Miss Lee also contributed songs, and the former also assisted in a duet in conjunction with Miss Pickett. A trio by the Misses Adair, Boyle, and A. Boyle was sung with power and pathos. Mr Fernley sang ‘ My Sweetheart When a Boy,’ and was encored. Mr J. F. Shanly sang ‘ Ever of Thee,’ and was also encored. Messrs James and Cosgrove gave songs in character, and Mr J. Miller danced the hornpipe. Miss Leeplayed the accompaniments with considerable execution.

Duse’s opinion of her own profession is not high. She consented to do the other day for Le Fijaro of Paris what she has never done for an American newspaper—be interviewed. This is part of what she said : * The life of the theatre is the least intellectual in the world. Once the part is learned the brain need work no more. The nerves, the sensibilities, the struggles for emotion, they are what colour and what occupy the actor. It is for this reason in general there are so many stupid actors and actresses ; and who says “ stupid ” often says “gross and immoral.” I have never, up to the present time, found a true friend in the theatre. It would be as well to put aside the narrow envies, the little rivalries—in a word, to become like other people.’ Duse says that with her costume she takes off all remembrance of her performance, and that as soon as possible after a performance she gets far away from the theatre. Her popular authors, to judge by the books seen in her room, were Maeterlinck, Carlyle, -Eschylus, Sophocles and Petrarch.