The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-09
SULLIVAN THE MUSICIAN
Incidents in the Career of The Late
English Composer.
His First Earning of Money Was as
n ChOrister-A Friend of Numerous
Famous PersOns-Not Particularly
Neutrality-suspicious. of His COMPOST
lions - Notes of His Boyhood.

| IA ehui SuiiiNau TecOlleCtlOnS were pun
lished. They gave to the world many Incl
dents in a career that abounded in inter
esting happenings, although the Englis
composers life was unlike that of man
musicians in the rather easy flow of it
prosperity. The tales of suffering and pri
walton found in biographies of other me-
famous in the field OF music were not
part Of his existence. Possibly his talent
were of a kind that found ready apprecia
ton where the genius of other men had t,
struggle slowly to acknowledgment. 1t i
certain that his own countrymen Withheld,
no sign of favor which lay in their powe
TO grant TO this fortunate composer.
| His father was rather an obscure profes
scr in the training school for military mu
sicians at Kneller Hail. in Surrey, but wa
able to send his son to ST. Marks Norma
| College after he had himself taught tn,
| boy the rudiments of music. Young Sulli
van was able there to continue his studio!
| under two such well-known teachers as DR.
John Hullah and Thomas fillmore, who
compiled several books on religious music
| that are still In use. 1t was in the boy
choir of the college. which at that time in.
cluded more than $50 voices, that he first
earned money. He received a guinea every
three months. The best singers In thit
choir were selected for the choirs at the
chapels royal at st. James Palace, White.
nall, and Savoy. 1t was his musical knowl-
edge, rather than his voice, that attracted
the attention Of Mr.. fillmore, who was at
that time precentor Of these choirs. Mas
ter Of the children Of the Queens Chapel
Ia the title by which he was called. The
boys were under his guardianship az well
as his musical instruction. and when young
Sullivan's father willingly gave his con-
cent the boy was for Ave years indentured
to the Queen and went to live in Mr.. Hill
more's house. Thomas Carlyle lived next
door and once denounced the practicing
OF the youths as an attempt ITO praise
God and raise the devil at the same time. "
1t was a curious old-w world life that the
boy led at this time. The choristers had
duties regularly laid out for them, in ad-
dition to their regular participation in
the services at the chapels. They were
expected to sing every Sunday in the
royal chapels at II a. IN. and D. M; to
sing the Christmas carols under the win
dows OF st. James Palace on Christmas
eve: to serenade the ladies of the palace
at o'clock on Easter morning; to sing
the Latin grace at state dinners and cor
porat!on banquets. and, whenever re-
Qufred, TO assist at the court private
chamber concerts. For these various SER
vices they received fees varying from a
shilling to a guinea. On the Queens
birthday they got five guineas apiece, a
glass Of wine. and a piece of plum cake
on Easter morning they received ten
shillings and cup OF hot milk. Their
services were in demand by the nobility
during the winter season, when they sang
HrtU soil A III
went to the master who at the end of the
term Of their indenture gave them a fixed
sum or the accumulation of their fees
after certain amount had been deducted
Disposal of His First Salary.
The first half-crown young Sullivan
earned was before this period and he got
1t for singing at Fulham Palace with
Verdure Clad" He added to this a six
pence that boy owed him and bought
Handels Samson" At this early age he
had developed the business instinct which
stood him later In good stead. His large
fortune was in measure due to the care
with which he made his Investments, and
for many years OF his life he had the BEN
eft Of association with W. S. Gilbert and
DOyley Carte. These two were his equals
In business and Gilbert's economy in such
matters afterward developed until it
caused his quarrel with the two other
partners in his vastly successful enter
prises and resulted in loss of thousands
OF pounds to him. 1t may be mentioned
here that the American woman to whom
Sir Arthur left a third of his fortune had
Tor many yaars been OF great assistance
10 him in many Of his business enter
prises. She Ia woman of great social
influence and could throw that to the as
sistance Of his schemes when such sup
port was most needed. There were no
more prosperous enterprises in Sir Ar
thurs commercial career than his share
IN the proprietorship Of two very expen-
sive London hotels. The tact and influ-
snce of the American woman were most
valuable in directing the attention of her
wealthy compatriots to these establish
nents. And there were other schemes in
which she was Of equal help TO the COM
POSER in his capacity OF man Of business |
Once while in the choir of the Chapel |
Royal young Sullivan sang a solo and he
wrote to his father that he should not |
all to watch the newspapers. And most |
likely you will see about it," he wrote, |
for there was a reporter and he took |
Town my name and good deal more"
he sang at the opening of the Crystal |
Palace in . children's chorus, and re-
,eived during his membership in the |
Chapel Royal choirs ten shillings for an |
Inthem he composed. During all this time |
lis musical education was going on under |
dr. fillmore. His talents had already |
the attention Of influential |
riends. Among these were the Duke of
Edinburgh, who remained his admirer for |
ears afterward, and Sir Frederick Gore
)usley, who had heard so much about the
musical ability Of the young choriater that
10 came up from Oxford especially to
lear him play the organ and TO look over
lis compositions. He had begun to make
uch an impression for SO young a man
~ his organ playing that his part In a
endering Of THE Messiah" was describ-
ID as IAN extraordinary performance"
specially as he had undertaken the work
I the last moment owing to the sudden
llness Of the regular player. In 1858 he
rent to Leipsic as winner Of the Mendels-
ohm prize, for which he tied at the mi
ial contest with Sir Joseph Barney. Sui
ivan won when a more difficult task was
imposed.
II was at Leipsic in 1859 that Sir Ar
hur made his first regular appearance as
player and one year later his 'Lalla
lookh' overture was given there. He
'ss always an extremely indolent man
nd he confessed that these student days
q Germany were not unlike those devoted
o study by men who never become SO
amous. They were made up Of work
nd play. Among the Englisbmen there
{ the same time was Franklin Taylor,
'ho played the banjo at a negro minstrel
how when John Francis Barnet was the
ones and Wheat the violin. II Nas this
ldolence that led Sullivan TO rely 80 Ere
uently on some of his friends for the
ompletion of work he was never ener-
etic enough to finish The man no called !
n most frequently for assistance Of this
ind was Alfred Collier, and it is inter-
sting. In view of Cellier's share in so