The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1884-07-11
oar Il SONGS.
IutcrestJnp Story or the Writers by u
MIN Knows Thelr History.

=-~
IutcrestIng gsory OF the Writers by Ono
VIVA Knows Their History.
A writer in the Oakland, Cal, Times says 1t
Is a singular fact, nevertheless true, that nearly
all OF our national songs were written, adapted
or nut before the public by actors. | will en-
deayor to give u correct history OF our national
songs. according to tho best authorities. Our
| oldest national melody Is "Yankee Doodle"
| When near the close OF tne war OF l776, when
Lord CORVALLIS was at Yorktown, Va, an of
| ficer wrote some verses upon Washington. The
| miserable doggercl lines were set toQ,usic by
| the master OF the regimental band q fthe Scotch
| Greys, AMI the song was given In Rlsion OF
| the Americans and their cause.
The first verse ran thus "Yankec Doodle
came to town upon a little pony" etc,s II caus'
ed a great deal of merriment among inc bfiu'h
troops. CORVALLIS laughed at the "youhs
buckskin," as he called Washington, ana was
certain OF a very easy victory at that time. but
DE Grasse and Rochambeau arrived with the
French army and Washington gained his coun-
try's triumph. Among other spoils CT the bat
tlefiela the words and music were gained, and
the Americans now played "Yankec Doodle
back at the British. 1t was afterward played
in the theatres in Philadelphia, and so 1t has
been acknowledged as our own music ever
since.
Next in order is "Hail Columbia" The song
was adapted in measure to the "Presidents
March" and was written by Joseph Hopkins
OF Philadelphia in 1898. At that time war was
expected with France, and a patriotic feeling
pervaded the community. Mr. Fox, Il young
actor and singer, called upon Mr. Hopkins one
mpruipp aud coiI SgVn ~ 10 anpoiutpQ
for my benefit at the theatre, and ! fear there
will be q slim house. If you will write me some
patriotic verse to the tune of the Presidents
March, l feel sure Of a full audience" MI
Hopkins retired to his study, wrote the first
verse aud chorus, and submitted it to Mr. Fox,
who sang 1t to a harpsichord accompaniment.
The song was soon finished, and that night the
| young actor received it. The next morning the
placards announced that Mr. Fox would sing a
new patriotic song. The theatre was crowded
that night. The song was sung; the auditors
were delighted; eight times it was called for
and repeated. When the song was sung for
the ninth time, the audience stood up and join
ed in the chorus. Night after night it was re-
ceived with great applause in the theatre, and
in a few days the song was to be heard in the
streets among men and boys. Such was the
origin of "Hail Columbia"
"The Star Spangled Banner" was written by
Francis Key, after the Commandment of Fort
| McHenry during the war of 1872. The verses
were printed in ballad form and were scattered
around the camp on Federal hill, Baltimore.
One evening one of the mess picked up q copy
and read it aloud to the soldiers. Once, twice
| and three times he read it, until the entire divis-
| ion seemed electrified by its pathetic eloquence.
| An idea struck Fred Durang, an actor, who
| hunted up an old volume of flute music, which
was in a tent. He impatiently whistled tune
after tune as they caught his quick eye. One
called "Anacreon in Heaven" struck his fancy
and riveted his attention. Note after note fell
| from his lips. With a leap and a shout he OK
| claimed .'Boys, I've hit itn!' Getting a short
furlough, Fred and Charles Durang sang it on
| the stage of the Holiday street theatre soon
| after it was caught up on the streets and by the
camp, and when peace was declared the song
| that had been sung by the soldiers at their bi.
vouac fire was carried home to thousands OF
firesides as the most precious relic of the war.
Then came a song that will never die. | mean
"Home, Sweet Home" The words of this song
were written by John Howard Payne. He was
a New Yorker by birth, born in 1892. He was
a clerk in a contingencies, but at a very early
age the boys taste and talent for literature was
noticed. In 1909 he appeared at the old Park
theatre in New York as Young Norval, in his
sixteenth year. He was very successful, but
like many other precocious children, when he
ceased to be little ceased to be great. George
Frederick Cooke advised Payne to go to Eng
land, which he did, where, for over twenty
wears, he remained with varying fortune, as ac-
sor and manager and play-writer. He wrote
uBrutus'' for Edmund Kean, vino played 1t with
great. success. When Charles Kemble became
- rararf Gor1np payOp apnlip1 To
Kembie for aid. He offered several manuscripts
to Kemble for ESQ. The ESQ were for "Clari
or the Maid of Milan" Kembe bought them
| all. Miss Mary Tree, sister of Ellen, who mar
ried Charles Kean, first sang "Home, Sweet
| Home The drama and song made Q great
success. Everybody made money except Payne,
who not only lost the EOS he was to get for the
DOWNRIGHT on the twentieth night, but he was
not even complimented by a copy of mis- song.
| PAYNE wrote s'Clari," in which the song was
introduced, as a drama, but kcElble got Henry
| Bishop to alter it into an opera and put the
words to a Sicilian air as it now stands. =,
Who is not familiar with sod Dog lray,,
esThe Swanee River" "Massas IN de Cold, Coiu
Ground :" But how many know anything about
| the extraordinary man who wrote them +: lie
must have passed unnoticed through the streets
| when from every lighted conCert-room ,'and from
every familiar circle, from every hand organ or
roaming ballad singers lips, were poured lorth
his irresistible melodies. lie Wroe Det"een
two and three hundred songs, and, although
they are not of equal popularity and merit, yet
T have to hear one which is devoid of meaning
| in words or beauty in air. Stephen e Foster
was the composer of the songs mention. lie
was born in Pittsburgh, July 4, lS26. ne was
a musician almost from his cradle, and at the
| ace of seven he had mastered the fiaSeolet with
| ont a teacher. Every instrument in turn gave
M its sweetness to his touch. 10 compose the
words and music of a song was his chief delight
| from boyhood. His first was in lS42. 1t was
| said that Foster received $l5,O00 1or ms songs;
| This is incorrect, for one publishing house paid
him $4,000 for his compositions. Ills songs
have been translated into most OF the European
| and some of the Asiatic languages. roster had
| n wide range of culture, was an eager Ieauer,
and proficient in French and German. Inc Jew
| who became his intimates speak most enthuslas-
| tically of his varied powers, but he was retirlng
| and Sensitive. He was somewhat OF a .palnter
| and illustrated some of his songs with pictures.
| Foster spent the last years of his life IN New
York. where the most familiar sounds OF his
own music was heard.