The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-06-19

O'Brlen' and the more recent cantata
of "Phadrig Crodoore" are certain to
become better known than his equally
admirable Voyage of Maeldune," and
Irish Symphony")-with that exception
Irish musicians have not attempted
original Irish work of an ambitious
character. Mrs. Needham of London, a
highly accomplished Irish composer,
whose Irish Lullaby" "Maureen,"
Irish Reel" and other clever Irish
songs have been amongst the biggest
successes of 1866; and Dr. Annie Pat
terson, with her very cordially well
coined Gaelic Songs" have been, apart
from DR.. Stanfords, almost the only two
Irish composers who have produced
work of genuinely Irish character,
within recent times. True, the distin-
guished Franco-Irish musician Mile. ALL
guste Holmes, has written an extremely
interesting and cultured work entitled
Ireland" but 1T does not profess to be
absolutely Irish in character.
1t is somewhat inexpliciable that none
of our older Irish composers ever seri-
ously tried to write Irish music-not
even at time when, If report speaks
true, the music of Ireland enjoyed
vogue which has been surpassed only in
our own day-and that. the one Irish
opera known to fame, 1.-THE Lily of Kill
larney," should have proceeded from
foreigner (sir Julius Benedict). Tune
full as this opera is, however, its music
can hardly be called "Irish," save where
it is obviously derivative. AS all that
Irishmen have done, whether Irish In
essence or not, belongs to Ireland, there
need be no scruple in appropriating to
ourselves the credit of such compost
tions written by Irishmen as will lie
mentioned in this article. Musically
some of it is of poor enough quality, but
only that which Is or has been very pop
ular will be specified. Much of the work
referred to is of course lyrical. Songs
are necessarily the most widely known
of musical productions, and some of the
most famous songs in the world are
Irish in the narrower sense of being
the work of Irishmen. One notable
case occurs to the writer at this mo-
ment. Everybody has heard the touch
ing plantation ditty, known by its first
line, way Down Upon de Swanee Riv-
er," or otherwise "De Old Folks at
Home" How many Irish people are
aware that its American" author and
composer, Stephen Collins Foster, was
the son of Irish emigrants? Foster, be it
observed, was remarkably clever man.
His songs are absolutely the most pop
ular ever produced in the land of his
birth, and are also certainly among the
most popular outside America. lie
not only wrote the words and music of
de Old Folks at Home" and of such
other immensely popular negro songs as
"Oh, Susannah!" "Massa's in de Cold.
Cold Ground" my Old Kentucky
Home" and "Old Uncle Ned" but he also
produced, words and music alike, "Wil-
lie, We Have Missed You," "Come
Where My Love Lies Dreaming" and
other beautiful songs and duets. Fos-
ter, who was born in Pennsylvania in
1926, and died in 1864, never made much
out OF his songs, although they were
sold, and still SELL by the millions; his
publishers alone have reaped the re-
ward. Many other Irishmen, it is feared.
have failed to benefit in pecuniary
sense by equally popular works. Foster
is, however, somewhat recent instance
of popular Irish composer 1t is nee
e5sary to go back to the last century in
order to note the beginnings of that mu-
sic which, though composed by Irish
men, is not known even to their coun-
trymen to be connected in any way with
Ireland, but which is popular all over
the world. 1t is worth recalling too
that the words of many of the most fa-
nous songs of the last century were the
work of Irish writer's. Such were for
example, O'Keeffe's "Friar of Orders
Grey and "The Jolly Little Plough
boy" Cherry's bay of Biscay," Sheri-
dams "The Mid Watch" "Dry Be That
Tear" and "Had 1 a Heart" Isaac
Blckerstaffe's miller of the Dee," and
McNally's '1dss of Richmond Hill."
Moreover, some of the most successful
of the airs by Arne, Shield and Arnold,
In the last century, were admittedly
adapted from Carolan's melodies. Not
alone did Irishmen compose music
which was sung all over England, but
some of the best vocalists of the time
came from Ireland. Michael Kelly had
wide renown as an operate artist, and
contemporary chroniclers dwell with de-
light upon the charms of Jack John
ston's and Robert Owensons voices and
methods of vocalization. 1t may not be
amiss, either, to point out that both
Charles Cleggett and Richard Pockrich,
the musical inventors, who were at the
height of their reputation a hundred
years ago or SO, were natives of Water
ford and Monaghan respectively.
But the foremost Irish musician OF
the last century, and one of the greatest
men in the history of music was John
Field (known as Russian Field" by
reason of his long stay in Russia). He
was native of Dublin, and was a youth
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