The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-12-25
Lectures on scottish Music.

Owing to the storm Of Monday night, the open
ing lecture of Mr.. Clrehugh on Scottish music
was postponed, in consequence of which, MIR.
Dempster last night led off in field of musical in
vestigation that cannot fail to prove highly inter-
esting. Mr.. Dempster has evidently spared no
pains in the preparation OF his lectures and the
novelty OF introducing his choicest and most popu-
lar songs in the lectures, renders them highly in
structive. Indeed, to many the songs will no
doubt form the most interesting feature of the en-
teranments
The lecturer beganby an appropriate tribute to
Scottish melody, and remarked that no people pos
sessed so many national songs as Scotland, and in
endeavoring to trace them back, their origin was
completely lost in their extreme antiquity. Like
the boy In chase of the rainbow, who, when he
arrived at the top of green knoll ,on which the
iaInuvw seeuleu ~ RESI-, IVunu tnat /.
far removed from him as ever-when we 60 back,
century by century, we find the traces of these
melodies becoming more and more scarce, until
they at last become lost in fable and tradition
among the Cells of the Highlands. This ancient
people exhibited an extraordinary taste for music
as well as poetry, but while the words OF the ma.
tional songs have frequently undergone great
changes in the lapse Of time, the music remains
the same. The peculiarly Of the ancient Scot
tlsh music consists in the formation of the scale,
which, unlike our diatOnic scale, contained no
semitones. and had therefore but six notes.-the
fourth and the sharp seventh being entirely want
ing Thus, there are no semilones IN any OF
the genuine old Scottish music. The lectu
rer here told anecdote Of the origin of the
well known Scottish air, /" We Banks and Braes
Of bonny Doom" Two gentlemen OF Edn-
burgh were one day dscoursing on Scottish music,
tuted the peculiarly Of is eonssructnn. one Of
them told the other that if he would sit down to
the harpsichord and play an air entirely on the
Scottish melody. He did so, and the Banks and
braes," was the result, The words were after.
wards adapted by Burns, from song which he had
previously written in different measure.
bagpipe, and of the two Scottish national anthems,
the pbroch and coronach. The frs, was used only
in war, and the latter to mourn the death or mis-
fortunes Of some distinguished individual
The bagplpe was always used by the ancient
Scotch in battle and the great Highland
pipe is the only strictly national instrument
Of music in Europe. All other instruments are
land pipe alone ameng the Scotch. After well
written and eloquent eulogy on the bagpipe, and
the influence it possessed upon the Scottish charac-
ter, especially the recollections it recalled to
resembling the famous Raus des Taches upon the
Swiss, the song Of "Lochaber No More" very
old song, Of Celtic origin, was sung in excellent
taste.
Many Of the Scottish songs were suggested by
passages in the national history, or by striking
events of personal nature. OF the latter class
the touching melody of "Waly, walyn which
was the mcurnfnl story Of deserted wife, suppos-
first variation from the old simple scale is obser-
vable, in the introduction of the fiat seventh
upon the harmony of the tonic; This song was
then sung, and well received by the audience. An
old humorous song entitled, "Tak yer auld cloak
about We" was then introduced, and gwen in good
style, followed by the sweet and plaintiff melody
its origin in the disastrous battle of Flodden Field;
there are two versions of it, both written by Scot
fish ladies Of distinction.
All The Scottish melodies originally consisted of
added to most of them. A number, however, re-
fused to adapt themselves to these additions, and
have been suffered to stand alone. The popular
song OF "John Anderson, my joe" had been
traced by some to the Reformation, and il was
commended that it originally formed one Of the Co.
lebrated " Gregorian chaunts,' composed by
Pope Gregory himself II was also believed
by some that many other Scottish songs had
adapted to profane words, for the purpose of
bringing the priests into contempt. This, how.
ever, was denied, and seemed to be an error-be.
cause, IT they really did owe their origin to the
church, they would be no longer Scottish songs,
as the music OF the church was every where the
same. There had been number of songs sung to
the music OF "John Anderson, my Joe,'' some CO.
mic and others sentimental. As soon, however,
as the genius Of Burns had hung upon il his beau.
tiful picture OF Scotch life, the others had been
forgotten. This song was then sung in most Ell.
fective manner, and closed the first part Of the
lecture.
The remainder Of the evening was devoted to
American poetry, and songs Of Mr.. Dempster's
own composition-"Th Blind Boy" by Mrs.
walleth," by Epes Sargent; "The Lonely Aud
Wife," fine imitation Of the Scotch, by gentle.
man of this city; "The Lonely Aud Wife," by
DR.. Raynell Coates, Of Philadelphia;'' "Oh show
Warren," were given with the usual good taste
and fine execution of Mr.. d., nterspersed with
appropriate and interesting remarks, critical, de-
scripive and historical--the whole forming an in.
teresting evenings enterte inment, with which the
audience were evidently delighted.
The next lecture viii hs delivered on Thursday