The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-04-04 00:00:00

THE CONDUCTOR'S BATON.

The first to introduce into this country the modern
practice of keeping time with a wand (or baton) ap-
pears to have been Pelham Humphrey, who brought
the fashion from the Ccntinent, when, about 1667,
he returned to England, as Pepys says, "full of
form and confidence and vanity, and disparaging
everything and everybody's skill but his own.' That
it was a custom flourishing to some extent abroad as
early at least as the middle of the seventeenth cen-
tury we may see (says the Leisure Hour) from the
ornamentation of a beautiful harpsichord, once the
property of Handel, and now in South Kensington
Museum. The instrument was made in 1651, and on
the sound-board is painted a concert of monkeys, one
of whom stands as conductor in the midst of his
companions and beats time with a regular baton.
The example of Humphrey does not seem to have
gone for much, and we do not find the conductor's
stick taking root in England as readily as in foreign
parts. For many a long day the conductor sat at
the harpsichord, directing the general style of play-
ing, and when harpsichords grew antiquated he was
found at the pianoforte. "It does not appear that
he beat time continuously," says Sir George Grove,
"or in any way influenced the band, or did more
than put in a few chords now and then when the
orchestra was going astray, which, when heard, must
have had a very bad effect." More important func-
tions were discharged by the chief of the first violins,
who got the name of leader—the concertmeister of the
Germans; he indicated the length of the pauses and
any alterations of movement by signs with his bow,
and gave an occasional hint to unsteady players by
tapping on his desk or stamping with his feet. It is
impossible to say exdctly when the custom of con-
ducting from the piano came to an end and the reign
of the baton began. Likely enough the two systems
were carried on for a long time simultaneously.
Spohr did something towards the abolition of the old
method during his first visit to England in 1820.
The conductor's baton had never been used at a
concert of the Philharmonic Society till in that year,
after having overcome the opposition of some of the
directors, Spohr introduced it at a performance of his
Symphony in D Minor. "Henceforth," he says in
his autobiography, "no one was ever again seen seated
at the piano during the performance of symphonies
and overtures." But old ways die hard. As late as
1835 we find a writer in the "Musical Library,"
speaking with evident disapprobation of " the intro-
duction of the foreign system of conducting by some
one with a baton, superseding the leader in his im-
portant duty.' Composers might be expected to
Blaine as conductors, but there are many examples to
the contrary.

A ntan was killed by a circular_ saw, and in.his

obituary notice it was stated that he "was a good
citizen, an upright Christian, an ardent patrfot, but
, of limited information with regard to circular saws."
TIIE QUEEN SIZE WAS MOST FAMILIAR WITIL—A
Brooklyn lawyer's little daughter goes to Sabbath
School, and is in a class with other little girls. The
teacher last Sabbath was going over the good old
story of King Solomon and his wisdom. "Now,
dears, who was the great Queen who travelled so
many miles and Miles to see this King?" Silence
prevailed. The name had been forgotten by the
class. In order to help them, the kind, but misguided
teacher, began to offer a little assistance. "You do
know, I am sure. The name begins with 5,' and
she was a very great Queen." Just then up shot a
little land, and out spoke the triumphant voice of the
little girl. She transfixed the listening schoolroom
with the following brief statement in a clear, busi-
ness-like voice, 'I know, teacher; it was the Queen
of Spades'