Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-09-03
MuiSc.
THEO. GIFT.


exactly in the things that are said of it,
either in prose or poetry. For great
many very foolish things are said in prose
and great many very silly verses are
written in poetry (?) about music.
But really, spite of the faults of poets
and prose writer's, what wonderful thing
it is. All nature is full Of music. The
wind and the wave; the babbling brook
and the storm-swept ocean; the thunder
and the whispering zephyrs; the song of a
thousand birds; the hum of myriad in-
sects; the roar of the wild beast of the
| jungle; the purring of the kitten by the
fire side the splendid melody of the deep
toned cataract, or the happy cooling of a
turtle dove, or of an infant nesting In its
mothers arms. Surely God intended this
to be an unfailing fountain of pleasure to
his creatures, or these myriad voices
would not be heard in such mingled har-
monies all around our path through life.
But there is wonderful power in mu-
sic. Who has not heard or learned, that
the singing of the Marselaise Hymn has
overturned more than one dynasty in
France? Who fails to feel their pulse
beat quicker, and their breath come faster
at the sound of " Yankee Doodle" albeit
some affect to despise that really National
song. The writer of the old John Bro Sn
song little knew when he wrote those
verses and set them to music, that the
song was to become a raIlying cry for
gathering hosts, or that it would echo all
over the land. But all that is true of it,
and more.
| Why do the military authorities in va
rious countries keep up band organizations
in armies? We cannot give all the rea-
sons but We know that the style of music
played by them aids wonderfully in MAIN
tanning the esprit Of armies while they lie
in barracks or garrisons or camps and We
know just as well that music helps to
cheer the dropping spirits Of men on the
march, and gives wonderful inspiration on
the field Of battle Wno has not heard
how Sir Colin Campbell's forces were
cheered by music when hemmed in the
Residency at Lucknow by the bloodthirsty
Sepoys? 1t was perhaps an infatuation
that made young Scotch woman declare
that she heard the pibroch of the coming
: Campbells, but it served to strengthen the
courage of the beleagured garrison amos
as if by miracle
A Highland regiment was stationed al
one of the healthest places in the West
Indies, and yet the men were failing il
numbers OF an unknown sickness tha
, seemed to defy all remedies. The sur
geon, at his wits end in regard to tn,
+ strange trouble, was walking around th
, grounds one day, and saw large grouI
&, of soldiers gathered around an old bag
piper, who was playing the touching anC
t sorrowful melodies of home, while the mel
e lay on the grass sobbing, or stood arounc
bathed in tears. He was wise enough no
: to speak then, but soon called the playe
to private interview, and strictly forbad,
the playing of any more melancholy
music; ordering him at the same time t.
play the liveliest tunes hereafter. The re
suit was soon seen in the recovery of tn
t sick and a general bracing up Of the regi
0 ment. Music had made them sick, AM
/ music healed them.
+ How national character exhibits itsel
in music. During the Peace Festival, tn
French Band carried off the laures. The
] showed the finer taste, and Infused tn
}. most of sensuous inspiration into their ex
t ecution, and hence the crowd were wild il
, their excitement over the performance
/. Dan Godfrey and his English Band an,
d the German band were pronounced secont
r to that of the French. But one coul,
hardly fail to recall other things in con
: nection Herewith. The dash and fire an,
taste were to be expected from tn
d Frenchmen it was the outbreathing O
@ their natures. But the music of the othe
t bands was showing of the types of char
c acter that van quished the Old Guard a
: Waterloo and wrested the palm of vic
tory on the bloody fields of Gravelot an
/. Sedan. Listen to the Russian music, AM
Q when once its strange rough chords ar
q noted, sounding like the pitiless movement
G of Cossack hordes, the style will never b
n forgotten. You expect to hear of expedi
g tions into Khiva, or of a never failin
y watching and waiting for spring on Con
!. stantinople, whenever the notes Of a Rus
;. sian waltz or march tall on the ear.
,, So, too, the fierce yet sleepy Mohamme
dan speaks out bis nature in the indies
3 cribable music that comes from Turke,
8 or Persia; or that may perchance b
It adopted by them. A mingling of soemni
e y, like what one would expect to com
q from their fatalistic creed, and the disso
a nant cry of death to all unbelievers such a
= has been their rallying note in all thei
10 history, seem to find expression in thei
"a songs, marches, and other music.
q Indeed. one may 60 on endlessly; trac
|, ing out the working of this law, which pei
It haps, has no more marked illustration than
It the Negro melodies sung by coored popu
+ lation Of our own country. But all owe
D. the world, the law prevails; it reache
,e out into q thousand channels of persona
- pacnl ritv and 6nde ovnrooo;on IN a