The morning call., 1894-02-06
A COMPOSERS CAREER.

Poets are born, not made. the ancient
aphorism affirms. and the common belief
is that composers have their divine har-
mOny instilled by inspiration. But both
poets and composers have to toll very hard
before they are entitled 10 the name, and
such gifts as they have are of very little
value associated from the labor that trains
and stimulates. Sir Arthur Sullivan, the
composer of THE Golden Legend" the
"Mikado," "Pinafore" and other we'll
known works, has for the first time in his
lie submitted to an interview for the sake
OF the moral example to boys. and given
an insight into his own career. 1t is in
Structlve as An example of how men rise
TO success, If not to greatness His father
was baDdmaster at the Royal Military
college. Sandhurst, and as soon as he
could hold an instrument be set him to
learning every one in the band, except the
bassoon and the hautboy. He practiced
every day, and although not member OF
the band he attended the practice rehear-
sails, and was soon facile and skillful in
playing every instrument, with tbs excep-
ton OF the TWO mentioned. That expert
ence has been of the utmost advantage to
him as a composer, because 1t has en-
abled him to judge of the possibilities of
all the instruments and their effects, sin
gly and collectively.
Tie next step in Sir Arthur's career
was to become a member of a church
choir, in which good voice is certain to
be brought under very careful cultivation.
Joseph Mas and many other English
singers OF high standing owe much to
their training in the great cathedral choirs,
the salaries being sufficient TO tempt good
artists 10 remain Ing them. AS choirboy
Sullivan had the good fortune to sing in
the oratorios in which Jenny Lind took
part. and he remarks that the first time he
heard that purest of all soprani he had
never listened To such exquisite singing.
Better voices he has heard. but never such
management and expression. 81 got back
In the evening"" be says, land sat half the
night on the stairs. | was In such a state
Of nervous prOstration l could not 60 to
bed. [ never knew there could be such
exquisite music on earth. l could not
cry, could not speak, could not really
think. L was simply paralyzed with
strange oyerpowering emotion
This outburst OF emotional rapture over
the great sOngstress' singing indicates that
the composer lad deep down in his nature
the love of music, but as TO what he might
make of il. or expand into, he had as yet
no conception. A time came when the
road TO success. as the training which en-
abes the student TO triumph, was open to
him, and he jOyfuly took it. His experi-
ence eXemplitleS that scholarships are not
worthless in the development of talent.
Through Jenny Lind's efforts mainly The
MendelssOhn scholarship was founded,
soon after the first performance of the
Oratorio of Elijah" For the first cOmpe-
tition the competitors were to be from II
to 20 years of age. Young Sullivan en-
tered and forwarded his compositions
There were thirty candidates, and Barnby
NOW also knighted) and Sullivan were Sc
lected for final com pelition, and were sub
jected to a viva voce examination. He aud
Barnby were told that one of them might
expect letter of nomination on the NOR
row. The day was passed in agOuizing
suspense, and the letter came to Arthur
Sullivan. The Mendelssohn scholarship
Vas the one thing needed to ripen the COM
poser for his brilliant career, and well he
has justified the confidence and hope re-
posed in him. Sir Arthur is now rich and
eminent. Fame has come TO him in every
land, and multitudes who know nothing of
music theoretically, yet acknowledge his in
fuence by singing or otherwise performing
numbers from his operas or ballads. But
his career Is a demonstration that what the
world terms good luck is intimately inter-
woven with purpose and severe application
to toll. at all events in the professions
where the mind Is dominant