Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1878-02-01
Our National songs.


Oar National Songs.
WHO BROUGHT THEM BEFORE TIE
PEOPLE?
The Star SpdRgiei Banner to begin
with. The words were written by Key.
One night, at Fort McHenry, below
Baltimore, an actor by the name of
Ferdinand Durang picked up a flute
and tried several times till he hit upon
the air Of "Anacreon in Heaven" Thi.
suited him. Durang afterwards sang II
on the stage OF the Front Street Thea.
Ter, and at the theaters at Philadelphia
and Washington. 1t became famous,
and is the best OF all our National airs.
Durang vas a Pennsylvania by birth
his father was a native Of
France, was a musician and
wrote the popular music called
Durango Hornplpe," which our grand.
mothers aud fathers were wont TO
dance. Poor Ferd. Durang died in ex.
IRENE poverty at New York in 1881.
Hal Columbia, another Of our popu.
lar melodies was first sung at Philadel'
phia on the stage BY an actor by the
name of Robinson, (rAmiliarly called
Hon Robinson as be had ar impedi-
ment In his walk Robinson never
made any money by his production or
singing and was very poor in his old
age. Then, as TO "The Bonnie Blue
Flag" which was the Mdrseiiles OF
the South during the war, the words
aud music were by Harry Nc.
Carthey, the "Arkanssw Comedian"
Harry made piles of money and
gave il away for the benefit of the
Southern soldiers during the war.
Blackmar, the music publisher Of New
Orleans, sold the music TO the amount
of thousands Of dollars, but became a
bankrupt, and poor Harry got what
authors generally get, nothing. As Tor
the song Of Home Sweet Home that
was written by John Howard Payne
the great boy actor. Payne INTRODUCED
the song into his drama Of "Clari, Of
the Maid Of Milan" The words OF the
song were written BY Payne, but the
music is q Swiss air. Payne was a
p~recocious child actor and was 8 great
success when a boy, but like all such
children, when he ceased 10 be lille he
ceased to be great. In after life he
wrote dramas, songs, etc. He received
, an appointment, as United Stale Consul
at Tunuis, Africa, but came home
and died in extreme penury.
So the author OF Home Street Home
died in q garre', which was not
bis home. | now come 10 the most
popular of all Of our Southern songs
" Dixie" When in 1857 CampbelFs
Minstrels were at Mobile, Dan Emluet,
one of the members Of the company
heard the negroes sing an air and
chorus while rolling cotton on the
levee. He thought i, good az by 4 lit
tie alteration he arranged It into what
/, called q walk. Around which al
ways winds up the entertainment Of an
Ethiopian concert. Il was a success. lu
the Spring OF 1851, when the wal
broke out, Mrs. JOhu Wood came tt
New Orleans 10 pay al engagement a
the old Varieties theatre. She pro-
duced "Pocahohta-. Near the cIo.t
of the second acl there j. a L u1yt
march by the ladic, Of the corps IL
ballet" AT the rehearsal OF tht
piece the leader Vt the orches'
ira was in 4 quandary as &c
to what music they would have
Carlo Patti Che leader could not Sc
ltct anything that would suit the stag
Manager Ct. B. McDonoughJ and The
consequence was that the rehearss
came TO a dead stand.stipl. AT length
Patti struck up Dixie" II suited an(
was adopted and vas played with
chorus 10 the same air. Di1te took tn
town by storm the pianos rang viii
it, the boys sang it, and the negroeI
whistled il. A musician by the namt
of Romeo Miueri arranged 1t for
march for the Washington Artilier!
battery, and from that hour till nov
all Southern men and women hail !
with delight. Cold must be the South
ern heart that does not glow with de
light at the sound OF our dear Dixie
But the composer, Dan Emmett, wha.
what of him Why, he q b.
found in a common variety saloor
at Chicago now playing on his fiddle
for a mere piltance, ekeing out a miser
able subsistence playing "Dixio" 10 al
admiring crowd Of newspsper'boya
roughs and beer-jerkers. So much foI
: those who wrote and successfully pu
before the public our national airs
Edwin Burke said, LET mi but write
: nations songs and | ia not wit
0 makes their laws" Now, for my part
q from what | know of the fate Of SOM
writers, | would rather make thei
: laws. IAN OLD PLAY-GoER.'
= The Gema nG Al aAhnra.