Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-01-04

Crouch, the Composer. Tells the Origin
Of tine Ballad.

Mr.. F. Nicholas Crouch, of Baltimore, writes
as follows:
The ballad. "Kathleen Mavourneen." which
ushered once prosperous gentleman into noto-
riety in the old world, was simple portrature
OF mans feelings actuated by the devotion ex-
pressed in the lyric Of the song referred to.
read those words, and lin my minds eve" saw
the scene before me-the situation cause and
effect. 1t was an untrammeled outpourng of
a mans soul at the shrine OF her whom nature
had created his own. There was no necessity
for grandilOguent thought, no occasion for dr,-
matte display of action, no requirements OF ao-
struse harmonies to make the subject at once
| the adopted offspring of the public.
Under these impressions. on horseback on tue
| banks of the lamar, in Devonshire. wrote the
| melody and became SO infatuated Win my
own creation that | determined TO persOnate
the hero of the song before plymouth audi
ence, although at that time commercially con-
nected with a firm in London. and representing
its interests abroad. previous to which L had
figured in the concert rooms and theaterS of the
metropolis as player and s0lost on the VlOlOn-
cello commencing at the age of nine years.
Rut devoted "a | was to my profession the
birthrieht of my family found as I advanced
i'm life little of enoument was made by the labor
of love / attached to it. Like other aspirants
i'm life's lottery | had taken to myself wife,
and children were fast gathering around me.
from following music as profession. CONNER
cial engagements now absorbed my mind and
the interests OF my firm Chapman Il Co.. Corn
hill, LOndOn) demanded all the energies and
time | had. But the old leaven would burst
forth. despite my obligation and in one of these
fits of abstraction, albeit divided duty. Isketch-
ed Kathleen MavOurneen." Thus was nv Gre
alton begOtten. and so she became the adopted
child of the world. In the Plymouth Assembly
Rooms, Plymouth, DevOnshire. West of England
sang the song to large audiences. and within a
week OF its public performance found myself
engaged for two sets of concerts. and profits &C
cruing every hour.
There was no eyadins the pressure. and SO
circumstances forced ME back into my former
profession. in returning to which l made a gift
OF the copyright to Mrs p. E. Rowe. wife of the
man at whose concerts I was called upon to sing
1t, and wherever | went it's popularity made me
willing lmpersOnatOr of its simple merits. OF
course its success reawakened the dormant fires
OF creative Thought My old associates. Mrs
Crawford. Mrs Abby. Mrs. Norton all cOntribu-
tors to the Metropolitan MoJozine enlisted my
interests in their lyrical writings. 1t was union
of feeling. thought and sentiment, and so we
grew together. and thus became the prolific
ballad writer have been. During my sOjOurn
in Plymouth wrote would Were With Thee!"
Mrs Norton; 1.-THE Widower' and "We Parted
in Silence" by Mrs. Abby" "Sing to me, Moral"
Mrs Crawford; 1.-The Widow to her Child"
Thomas Blake; all of them republished in this
country, but affording me no compensation
whatever, and in only one single instance have
received remuneration for my writings here al
though a resident and naturalized citizen Of
America upwards of thirty years. kathleen
MavOurneen" has over thirty different editions
published in the United States, from the sale of
which received not a cent. So much for the
want of an international copyright law. Was
this equitable and justifiable law in force at this
present time, could once more resume my
rlght1ul position, "a prosperous gentleman"
As it is, my necessities compel me to labor as a
common mechanic for beggarly stipend of less
than dollar per diem. two-thrds of my time
out of employment; with this fruitful and re-
munerative return have to maintain wife and
five children