The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1864-06-18
PonnIar Song.EYriters

the interest with which the various sketch
es of his life and works have been read, have
suggested to us that brief account of ouI
living writer's of popular songs, would moi
be unacceptable to the public. So far as
we are aware, no connected notice of this
class of musical men has yet been attempt.
ed, oven by journals specially devoted to
the science, and very little is generally
known of their lives and characters
The foremost composer of popular songs
now in the United States, if Judged by the
success of his productions, is George Fred
Eeriek Root. Having receiveJIsa European
musical education, be resided some years in
New York, where he was at the head of a
musical academy, but is now member of
the music publishing firm of Root & Cady,
at Chicago, at which city he permanently
resides. In the amount Of labor which he
performs, and in the versatility of genius
which he displays, he certainly presents a
marked contrast to almost every other
American writer. His issue of popular
songs, from the appearance of Hazel Dell, ,"
and 'Rosalie, the Prairie Flower" ten years
ago, down TO the "Battle Cry of Freedom"
of to-day, has been uninterrupted and this
too, while their author has been attending
musical conventions, compiling volumes Of
church music, works of instruction for the
piano and melOdeou, patriotic song books,
and several cantates, under the mons de
plume of "Wurzei'' 1.-THE German transla-
ton of the word Root), erik" Ian abbrevia-
ton Of the Latin radio, meaning also Root,
and Henry G. Work." he has written
"Old Folks are gone. F." Kingdom Coming"
and numerous other compositions Of the
same stamp.
A writer who has achieved marked sue
cess is j. r. Thomas, an Englishman by
birth, but for many years a resident of New
York, holding the position of leader of choir
of st. Johns church in that city. He is
an accomplished vocalist and musician.
Almost every one of his earlier songs be-
came Immediately after publication, house
hold word. His first success was Bonnie
Eloise," which was followed by Cottage
by the Sea- ooh, Gentle Breathe" and
"Annie of the Vale" During the past
year, Mr.. Thomas has published several new
songs, but they are characterized by much
greater elaborateness of composition, and
are therefore more difficult, than his pre-
vious etorts-so that they are. in all prob
ability, not destined to equal in popularity.
a few years since, Alice Hawthorne,
which may very possibly be pseudonym.
but which purports to be the real name of a
lady in Philadelphia, acquired wide repu-
tation by her songs, 'Wnat is home with
out mother ?" ''Listen to the Mocking
Bird" and others of equal excellence. But
she has been silent for the last four years.
1t is curious to note how many of our
song writers have caught the ear of the
public in only single instance There
seems to be no rule whereby the great mass
of American pnblic can be made to accept a
musical production of this kind. Mr.. Root
once informed us that after the success of
the "Hazel Dell'' and "Rosalie," he wrote
a song entitled "May of the Valley" which
he felt sure would excel either Of his prede-
cessors in popularity. The manuscript was
sent to the publisher, who entertained the
same opinion with regard to it, as from an
examination Of it. they believed that the
style of harmony, the rythm, and the "tak-
ingness'' of the melody and words, would
ensure its popularity. But the piece failed
to go down with the people, although extra
efforts were made to that end. In the case
Of very many composers, their first appear
ance has generally been some easily written,
unprecedented piece, which, to their great
establishment, is Immediately seized upon
and sung by the whole country. They at
once conceive the idea that they have mas
tered the secret of popular success and
therefore rush out a vast number of songs,
generally limitations of their successful ones.
But the people obstinately refuse to sing
them. A few perhaps are sold in conse-
quence of their first great success and that
Is all. Foster was more careful, publishing
hardly more than one song a year, and that
one his best mpoeition for the period.
Among these authors, to whom we might
almost give the name of ''sing "a -song'' men,
is Henry S. Thompson, whose home is in
Boston. He is the author of Chilly Dale"
a song from which the great music-publish-
ing house of Oliver Ditson 81 Co, in Bos-
ton, cleared upwards of $40, 900. Both
before and since the appearance of Lilly
Dale" Mr.. Thompson has written many
songs; but with the partial exception Of
"Annie Lisle, none of them have attained
a more than ordinary success.
Mr.. Charles c. Converse, of New York
City, young man, and one of our most
promising musciass, issued about / $50 the
song Crock Beside the Sea-" Four years
ago, Mr.. Converse composed a cantata en-
titled 1.-The Spring Holiday" which, con-
sidering the performers he was obliged to
adapt It to, shows not only cultivated mu-
steal mind but also decided musical gem
Jus.
a year later, while studying in Germany,
he produced an orchestral symphony, which
was performed IN Leipsic, and received high
praise IN the columns of the venerable Mu-
sikalisehe Zeitung, of that city-tbe Oldest
and ablest musical Journal In Germany.
His excellent Guitar instruction" is known
to all guitar:sts. In spite of his thorough