Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-09

fessor's thoughts from the gloomy and forebod-
| ing channel in which they seemed inclined to
run, 1.-THE national airs have some sort Of q
| fixed official status"
"GoD SAVE THE QUEEN"
.In all the European countries with whose
music am acquainted" Mr.. Sousa said. .sthe
national air is officially recognized. In England,
for instance. all the bands and orchestras Llay
God Save the Queen not only on official occa-
sions but at the conclusion of all theatrical and
other entertainments every night. curious
thing about God Save the Queen is the number
Of countries of which it is the national air. diff
ferent words being employed in each of course
II IS thus used in Prussia, Norway. Saxony,
/ Switzerland and Wurtemburg. The air is an
old one. 1t was composed By DR.. John Bull
| in commemoration of the discovery of the gun
powder plot, and was first sung at dinner
given by the Merchant tailors' guild, of Lon
don, In their hall, in 1907, King James and
Prince Henry being present. The words are
by Ben. johnson. 1t has also been claimed
that the music was composed by Henry Carey
but the best authorities ascribe it to Dr. Bull
Frenchmen have attempted to show that the
air Is OF greater antiquity and Of French ORR
GIN, asserting that 1t was sung as village
hymn for centuries in the south of France. L
think, however, the weight Of evidence is in
| favor of DR.. Bull.
by the way, must not forget" Mr.. Sousa
"Aoou' .uat tHe air Is OIten near0 IN our
churches here under the title OF America
Ihe next most popular patriotic air is Rule
Britannia, which is also quite old. 1t was COM
posed by DR.. Arne, words by Thompson, au-
thor, OF The Seasons and Mallet. 1t origi-
| nally appeared in the Mask of Alfred which
was written by command of the Prince of
wales, father of George III, and was first per-
formed on the birthday of the Princess Of
Wales, in 1740, at Clifden.
THE STIRRING SONG OF FRANCE.
"Rouget de fIsle has given to the world one
the finest and most stirring of national songs
in the 'Marseillais,' which through all the revo-
lutions Of the last century has never lost its
hold on the hearts of Frenchmen. Rouget de
fIsle was an officer in the French army and
the song obtained its name from the fact that
it was first sung in Paris by a body of men from
Marseilles, who came to aid the revolution of
1892. De rIsle received a noble recompense
from his country for his song in the shape of
an annual pension of $4,000. Portant Pour
La Syrie,' which also figures as a national song
OF France, was written by Queen Hortense,
mother of Napoleon III.
''DIE YACHT AN RHEIN."
'Since the conquest of France, in 1871. Die
Yacht am Rhein' has come to be accepted by
nearly all Germans of the north as the national
air of the empire. Although the song was
composed by Karl Wilhelm in 1854, words
by Schneckenberger, it did not become widely
popular until the Franco-German war. when
its stirring strains inspired many deed Of
German valor. Since then the song has re-
tanned its popularity and its significance for
the Germans, as it is likely to do for many a
day to come. Wilhelm was granted pension
OF 81 200 year, in recognition of his services
to his country
Can you mention briefly some of the other
national songs of Europe?"
IAN army officer. Col. Luoff." resumed the
professor, wrote the Russian hymn. God Save
the Noble Gar in 1880. The Austrian hymn.
God Exalt Franz. the Kaiser was written by
L. Leopold Hashka, in 1899. and was first per-
formed on the kaiser's birthday February II.
OF that year. The Polish national song, writ
ten in 1880. is remarkable for the fact that the
words praise extravagantly Gen. Shryuecki,
who was afterward shown to have been traitor
to his country. Sowniski was the author Of
the air.
THE NATIONAL SONGS OF IRELAND AND SCOTLAND
need hardly be spoken Of" the professor con-
tinued after pause during which he lit fresh
cegar, ''as they are familiar to almost all
American as our own songs
" The Wearing of the Green ST. Patrick's
Day. The Harp that Once Scots Who Ha'
Wi Wallace Bled,' The Campbells are Coming
| and Aud Lang Syne are familiar on our
streets as Hail Columbia and The Star Spang-
led Banner If you want to make Welsh
man happy you must play The Men of Har-
lech.' 1t is fine old air. Mr.. Sousa enthusi-
astically said, as he sat down to the piano and
ratified it of. The song takes its name from
an incident which occurred during the reign of
Edward ~. That monarch sent a powerful
army under the earl Of Pembroke to storm
the castle of Harlech. When the earls brother
called upon its stout defender to surrender
the latter sent word back i held town in
France until all the old women in Wales heard
of it: now all the old women in France shall
hear how l defended this CASTLE They did.
put after stubborn siege, hunger forced the
brave Welshmen to submit. By the way, you
might give the Welsh name of the song 1t is,
'Rhyfelgyrich Gwyr Harlech.'
1.-THE CHINESE NATIONAL AIR."
resumed Mr.. Sousa. after brief period of ru-
mination, lis called The Worlds Delight
1t is very graceful air, but not as delightful
as some music have heard. The Mexican air
suggests our darkey melody, old Susannah'
When the Siamese want to play their national
air they have TO take day Off as it is the
most long-winded one / ever came across.
The Turkish patriotic song is officially de-
scribed as song of deeds, war, and valor,'
composed by Redgeb Pasha chief of the sui
tan's band. The Grecian song, Sons of
Greece. Come. Arise sounds like iceland
toe polka
Don't most of tho national songs run to
some particular form! inquired the reporter.
PEcuLIARITIEs OF NATIONAL ANTHEMS
1.-The two most common FORMS" replied Mr.
Sousa, "are the choral and march. Hail Co.
lumbia,' 'Wacht am Rhein,' Red White and
Blue and the 'Marseillaise' are in the march
form. Good examples of the choral form are
God Save the Queen and the Russian and
Austrian hymns. Another popularity of the
most successful national airs are that they are
written in limited compass. God Save the
Queen, for instance, is written within a COM
pass OF six notes. Hail Columbia within an oc-
tave and one note; Red, White and Blue
Rule, Britannia and the 'Marseillaise the
same; the Russian and Austrian hymns within
an octave. The advantage of this is that they
can be sung by mixed voices. The Star
Spangled Banner is composed of thirteen
notes, and it is almost impossible to give it with
mixed voices in one key with any effect.
I'm concluding. just let me call attention to
significant difference between our American
patriotic songs and those of European coun-
tries. said Mr.. Sousa. ''Our American songs
are devoted to singing the glory and greatness
and power of the country, but the European
songs nearly all glorify some individual-king,
kaiser or car
Blaine and Reed.
THE MUGwCMP GOSSIP REGARDING THESE MAINE