Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-04-23
A New Singing-BoOk.

Tue AMERICAN SISGlSG-BooK, by Simeon Pease
Cheney, just issued by White, Smith & Co., 5l6
Washington street, Boston, will attract especial
attention, as the author for so many years has
sustained the highest rank as a singing teacher,
vocalist, leader Of choirs, and, so far as he has
allowed his compositions to appear, as composer,
After long life of devotion to teaching and the
study of music among us, at the age of sixty-one,
when we are flooded with singing books from
every quarter, for our maestro to come upon US
with this che is certain to excite our curiosity to
see him; and after looking him over we are paid
for these years OF waiting in much that is interest
ing and peculiar rs well as and instructive in
more senses than one, all the way from the con-
ceit on the cover the tide page and preface to the
index. One-third of the entire book was COM
posed by Cheney his coadjutor, James A, John.
son, rising author of the classical STYLE occupies
many pages nearly all of extant American
authors have literally contributed almost unm-
tied access to published works has been gener-
ously granted hence we have in "The American
Singing Book not only the unique, as above
mentioned, but also the cream of previous COM
poseIs, with an unusal amount OF the divine from
the inspirations of Handel, Haydn, Mozart and
Beethoven.
The old backbone tunes are in as Duke street,
Rothwel Cambridge; Dundee, Truro, St Thomas,
Lisbon, Haddam Dalston and Lyons; and stand
ards OF delicious airs, as Ward Germany, Her.
mon, Dedham, Gorton, Dennis; also those every
day saints fayorites, as Hebron, Ortonvle Green
vile, Olmutz.
Samples of the revolutionary era by Billings,
Morgan Edison, Reed, Swan, West, Kimball, In
gals, Holden, IIolyoke Maxim and Doolittle SUI
iicient for Ahtique Concerts, are inserted and
biographies OF their authors interspersed among
their tunes; most of these sketches are here writ
ten for the first time, and the long longed for in
formation they give is as delightful AS it is rare
The ninety pages of secular music is scarcely
less remarkable than the sacred portion. Indeed.
this department abounds with lustrous pearls,
many OF them new and flashing with brliancy
and whoever speaks first and loudest in praise of
The California Song fixes his reputation as a
man of good Judgment for all time to come.
Also 1t is well to mention that several pieces from
the programs OF The Cheney Fdmay of thirty
three years ago are here published for the first
time.
Very likely for the last forty years more talent
has been enlisted in the compilation Of singing
books in America than was ever known to be else
where. Although our composers have not equalled
those of older nations, our compilers have far
surpassed Them for when in competition Yankee
meets Yankee, startling results follow; and our
professors beingprvieged to select from European
pages, have kept us supplied with assortments 50
remarkable that almost anyone of our better ed-
tons equals half dozen transatlantic specimens
for variety in excellence. Could, Hastings, Mason,
Webb, Zeuner Kingsley Baker, Taylor, Brad
bury, Woodbury.. A. n Johnson Root Greatorex,
Emerson, Marshall, Perkins Brothers. etc, have
flooded us with good music; twenty times rs much
as we have needed; still White, Smith 4 Go. are
undoubtedly correct in believing The american
Singing Book 10 be the most original, important
and interesting one ever published in this coun-
try, and in every sense worthy of its great title "
We would only add that Cheneys book Is eie-
gantly printed and well bound, and whatever the
price, II is worth 1t.