Old Songs and their Makers.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, 24 December 1907, Page 13

Old Songs and their Makers.

(By

George Fortis.)

He was a wise man who said “Let me make the ballads of a nation, and I care not who makes the laws,” for the singing of a song has made a president, honoured kings, caused a country to rim rivers of blood, turned a populace into a howling, maddened mob, reduced a mob to a passion of tears, aided in starting revolutions, cheered armies to victory, and marked to laughter the most serious. And, after all, what can touch the chords of the human emotion like a song? There were times when that famous hymn “La Marseillaise” transformed the people of Paris into a frenzied mob, and again to hysteria of tears and imbecile cheerfulness. When this terribly beautiful air floated across La Belle France it left a trail of blood and ruin in its wake, and it nearly proved the death-dirge of its composer, De Lisle, the young French officer. “God Save the King,” the British national anthem, has honoured the sovereigns of England for years, and the armies of both the North and South were spurred to battle during the Americnn Civil War by the stirring marching-songs, among which was Julia Ward Howe’s “Battle Hymn of the Republic ” that were written at the time. The American national song, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” was composed in 1814, while the famous air, “Hail Columbia,,’ was sung more than a century ago. “The Old Oaken Bucket” was written in 1817, in New York, by Samuel Woodworth. One hot day Woodworth, who was employed in a printing establishment in Duane-street, returned to his house from the shop, and pouring a glass of water from a pitcher, drained it eagerly. “That is refreshing,” he said; “but how much more refreshing had it been taken from the old oaken bucket that hung in father’s well!” Woodworth’s wife, who was present, suggested that the remark offered possibilities for a poem. Seizing his pen and a piece of paper, the printer began to write, and, as the scenes of his childhood arose before him, he dashed off the lines of the song that since have been familiar in every household. It was put to music by Kiallmark some time later. Who has not lent his voice to swell the chorus of “My Old Kentucky Home,” “Old Dog Tray,” “Massa’s in the Cold, Cold Ground,” “Carry Me ’Long Boys,” “Old Uncle Ned,’ and that hallowed melody of the South, “Swannee Ribber?” They are songs of the South, yet they were all written by a man from Pennsylvania. “Sweet Alice Ben Bolt” is another song with which most persons are familiar. This was written in 1842, by Dr. Thomas Dunn English. It met with almost instant favour, and a large number of copies were sold in a few weeks. The music was composed by Nelson Kneass. “Home, Sweet Home” was written by John Howard Payne, who was a New Yorker by birth, and for many years a European by residence. It was first sung in 1832, in an opera by Payne, entitled “Clari; The Maid of Milan.” The song was a decided success, and one hundred thousand copies were sold within a year. Payne died abroad but in 1853 his body was brought to America and buried in Washington. “A Life on the Ocean Wave” was written by Epes Sargent, of Gloucester, Massachusetts. He says that he originally wrote the song for Henry Russell. The subject was suggested by the sight of the cluster of vessels moored in the bay, while he was walking on the Battery, in New York. He wrote out the words and then went to the office of “The Mirror,” where he showed his production to George P. Morris, the editor. Morris offered to publish the verses, but said they could not be put to music. Shortly afterward, Sargent met Russell, who asked him if he had written the song he had promised him. “Yes.’ replied Sargent, “I have tried; but fear I have failed.” Russell wanted to see the lines. Sargent produced them, and the musician sat down to the piano, let his fingers wander over the keys, and then dashed off the music. “Black-Eyed Susan” was written by John Gray in 1725. Gray was also the author of the words of the song called “ ’Twas When the Seas Were Roaring,” and Handel, the famous composer, put it to music. The old song, “I’ll Hang My Harp on a Willow Tree,” is anonymous. Many unsuccessful attempts have been made to trace the authorship of this

melody. The music was arranged by Wellington Guernsey. “Annie Laurie” was written by William Douglas, of Scotland. Nor was the Annie Laurie of the song merely one of those fanciful creatures of a poet’s mind. She was the daughter of Robert Laurie, Baronet of Maxwellton. The story goes that Douglas was deeply in love with the young woman, and that she returned his affection, but that rather than marry against her father’s wishes she gave up her romantic lover and became the wife of a man named Ferguson. The music for this exquisite piece was composed by Lady John Scott. There has been a curious dispute connected with that favourite song of children, “Coming Through the Rye.” The word “rye” in the melody had always been supposed to refer to a field of grain, and even the covers of songbooks containing the selection have borne illustrations of an encounter in a rye-field. It is said by some, however, that Burns touched up an old Scottish song referring to fording the small river Rye, and that the popular conception of the song is shown to be erroneous by the old custom, in Scotland, of exacting a toll of kisses from lasses that were met crossing a stream on the stepping-stones. The author of the song “Old King Cole” is unknown. Probably this ballad came from a tradition concerning a king named Cole, who existed in Britain in the third century. There was also a famous cloth manufacturer of Reading, England, called “Old Cole,” whose nickname became proverbial through a popular story-book of the sixteenth century, and “Old Cole” was a nickname current with the dramatists of the Elizabethan age. “John Brown’s Body,” that sonorous refrain which became the march-ing-song of the American nation during the Cviil War, was written, with the exception of the first stanza by Charles Hall of Charlestown, Massachusetts, about 1860. The composer of the music is unknown. Henry H. Brownell, of Hartford, Connecticut, also wrote a set of words to this air, which are sometimes sung.

The finest battle-song of the Confederates during the Civil War was “Maryland, My Maryland,” which was written in April, 1861, by Jas. Ryder Randall, of Baltimore. Though this song was written in New Orleans, it was first published in Baltimore, and was set to the German “Burschenlied,” which begins, “Oh, Tannenbaum Oh, Tannenbaum.” The words and music to the song “Tenting on the Old Camp Ground,” which the Northern soldiers sang around their bivouac fires in 1863, were writen by Walter Kittridge, in 1862.

Kittridge had just finished writing a book of patriotic songs, when he was drafted into the army. While he was preparing to go to the front he was suddenly moved to write a great song. He seized a piece of paper and a pencil, and in a few minutes had completed the words and music to “Tenting on the Old Camp Ground.” At first the piece was refused publication; but it came into popular favour from the author singing it himself, and in a short time a firm in Boston got out a song with a similar title. Then the original was printed, and met with an immence sale.

“Hail, Columbia,” was written by Joseph Hopkinson in the summer of 1798, when war with France seemed inevitable. The author intended the song for a young singer who was about to appear in a performance which he feared would fail to draw an audience. The words were set to the music of the old piece called “The President’s Song.” Popular feeling was running high, and when it was announced the patriotic air attracted much attention. The performance came off; the house was filled to overflowing; the song was sung, and the crowd went mad with enthusiasm. Night after night the performance was repeated, and the audiences joined in the chorus of the song till it seemed as . though the volume of sound would raise the roof. The song spread like wildfire. The Southern melody “Dixie” has several versions. The original was written by a Northerner General Albert Pike, of Boston.