Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-05-28
HI ENRY @. WORK.
A Popular Song Writer. and His
Method OF COmpOAfng.

A Popular Song Writer. and His
Method OF Composing.
Henry c. Work, the author Of many popular
songs, says In recent letter:
You are aware that popular music must be
very simple. Nine-tenths of the people are
still in the primer. unsteady. 1t would be
Tor w1m
classical class ear. though there is no reason
asmucn as It is artistically correct. But, as
aTily, for publishing. The demand Is too lin
tied: Those who can appreciate 1t are too few.
II have any mission TO write, 1t Is to write for
the people, and, In accordance with the false
theories OF the day, expect and am accus-
TONED to have my productions sneefed at by
those who deem themselves purely Classical
Noth1Dg. however, pieases and encourages me
more than to meet with those who can appre-
ciate the beauties of classical music and at
The same time perceive the necessity and util-
positions which the people must have or starve
unusually"
His mode OF composition is most peculiar.
Music and words form themselves IN his brain,
and are submitted to paper and sent to puoli
cation without ever being tried on any instru-
ment or heard from any lips. In addition 10
other songs he is the author Of "Grandfathers
Clock, babylon Is Fallen" echo Dell '"rhe
Mystic Veil," "a Thousand Years." and 'Joy
In Heaven The latter is the most ambitious
and powerful OF his compositions, aud the "a.
Its conception. gathered from hts letters oy =
lady OF San Francisco, cannot fail TO Interest
the public.
Soon AFTER he came to Brooklyn, and while
listening TO Mr.. Beecher's choir. he beg Al 10
feel strong desire to write something for them
to siDg-a composition more eiaborative, I'm
agfnative and descriptive than an anthem;
aSd aa ne
pied all day, but began to collect materla,
mentally, and finally commenced to compose
the melody and words as he walked to the
ferry. sat in the cabin, or stood at bis case In
the printing office. All day long he hummed
IT over, continually changing, improving, per-
fecting. At the further end or the room were a
dozen steam presses, under the cover of whose
continuous thunder he was sheltered from
notice.
Occasionally, after pulling for hours over a
knotty point, sudden light would flash upon
his mind and the long sought harmonies burst
upon him with such exceeding grandeur that
he found himself almost overcome with excite.
ment and quite oblivious to typographical dis
tinctions; yet. as his employers seemed salts
fed, he must have. during the greater portion
OF tie time, carried on simultaneously two dis
unct varieties OF composition. each requiring
odd interval he pencilled on scraps OF paper
the literary and musical efforts. In the even
Ing he assorted and compiled them, working
under the greatest disadvantage In a sitting
room where there was everything to distract
the mind.
On Saturday the manuscript was completed
hno ne sent IL 10 MI. Beecher, With an explain
atory note. hoping that ne. after looking over
IL, would Immediately send it to the Choir and
that they would examine it at their rehearsal!
that evening. There ensued a painful strain
OF nervous suspense At last he wrote three
notes, one after the other, requesting the re-
turn OF the MSS. but received no reply. just
as he was completely discouraged dayoreak
came, and note from Henry Camp. the organ.
the composition as an opening anthem.
The famous Plymouth church choir OF seventy
voices was to sing his melodies. and the great
organ, with one exception the largest and finest
IN the United States, was to echo his harmontes
The delay In responding to the author had been
cause by the loss Of his address. he received
evening. The organist clasped him by thu
hand, and held 1t last all the while they walked
across the lecture room to the choir library.
He said he liked the piece very much, and that
the final chorus was very effective and grand,
and all the while the composer had never heard
single note sung or played.