The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-30
IN TIE DOMAIN OF MUSIC
DEATH OF THE AUTHOR OF ga
HOME ON THE OCEAN
WAVE"
STORIES OF SIR A. SULLIVAN
Special Music I'm Some of the ST. Paul
ChOirs TOn1ght-SchubertC Clubs
Midwfnter Musical
Season.

Henry Russell is dead, at the age of
nearly lightweight years. To the
younger generation this announcement
will mean little, for it no longer sings
"A Life on the Ocean Wave" Wood
man, Spare That Tree 1.-THE Old Arm
Chair, Cheer, Boys, Cheer!' and ''The
Ivy Green;' but the generation did sing
these songs throughout the length and
breadth of America, and It's more VEN
cradle elements did so under the inspir-
alton Of the composer himself, who spent
enc of the most prosperous periods of his
life in this country sixty years ago.
Russell was born at Sheerness on Christ
mas eve, 1872. He studied music at
Bologna, and was the friend of Rossini
Bellint, DOniZetti and Balfe For g.
While he was chorus master at Her
Majesty's theater, but in 1888 came to
America, and remained till 1871. He re-
tired from his public life as composer
and singer long ago, and, it is said,
made fortune as a note broker in Lon
don.
George P. Morris, who pronounced
against the value of ga Life on the
Ocean Wave" for song purposes, was the
associate of Nathaniel P. Willis in con-
Quoting those journals, beloved of our
mothers and grandmothers-''Th Mir
ror," 1.-THE New Mirror and "Home
Journal" He wrote several songs for
Russell, the most famous of which is
Cor was) ''Woodman, Spare That Tree!'
He has left us an account of how that
song came to be written, in the stately
and sentimental style of a period that
seems much further removed from to-
day than it really is:
Riding out of town a few days since,
IN company with friend who was once
the eXpectant heir of the largest estate
IN America. but over whose worldly
property a blight has recently come he
invited me to turn down a little, TO-
lH9nuc woodland pass, not far from
Bloomingdale. ''YOur Object?" inquired
l. Merely to look once more at the old
tree planted by my grandfather, near
cottage that was once my fathers"
That place is yours, then2 said I. mo,
my mother sold it''-and 1 observed
silght culver Of the. lip at the recollec-
ton. Dear mOther! resumed my COM
panton. 1--WE passed many, many happy
days in that old cottage, but it is moth
ing to me now. Father, mother, sisters,
cottage, all are gOne!' After a mo-
ment's pause he added: Don't think me
foolish. l don't know how it is [ never
ride out but l turn down this lane to
look at the old tree. I have thousand
recollecuonS about it, and I always greet
1t as familiar and well remembered
friend In the bygone summer time it
was a friend, indeed; its leaves are all
I'll IIOW, So you won see ITO dQVantdge
Tor 1t is a glorious old fellow in summer,
put ! like 1t full as well in the winter
tlme: THESE words were scarcely ut
Tered t.31I when my companion cried out:
mere 1t ISL Near the tree stood an
old man, with his coat off, sharpening
an ak. He was the occupant of the
cottage, What do you intend doing7''
asked my friend in great anxiety. What
aa 6on are are not ft,, going to cut that tree
down, surely? Yes, I am, though"
said the woodman. What for?'' in
with emotion what for? Why, because
| think proper to do so. What for? |
Ike that! Well I'll tell you what for.
4 !. MS tree makes my. dwelling unhealthy
IL IL, stands iapf too near the house It renders
you that?" "Dr. s." "Have-W w NO eG11
other reason for wishing to cut it down.
YES. am getting old, the woods are
great way off, and this tree is of some
value to me to burn" He was soon con-
WINGED, however, that the story about
the fever and ague was a mere fiction,
disease in the neighbOrhood and was
then asked what the tree was worth for
nfreWood why, when It's down, about
$$iu, suppose l make you a present of
YES You are sure of that?' Posi-
tive Then give me a bond to that eff
iect. L Grew it up, it was witnessed by
his daughter the money was paid. and
We left the place with an assurance from
the young girl, who looked as smiling and
beautiful as a young Hebe, that the tree
should stand as long as she lived.
The st. Paul Choral club and the Peo-
Pies church quartette will give por-
lions of HandePs oratorio, "The Mes
siah, - this evening at the PEOPLES
church. DR.. S. G. Smith will give a talk
on the oratorio and the chorus will sing
three numbers Solos will be sung bY
ton Yale, Mr.. Jaeger and H E. Phillips.
who compose the quartette Mr. Jaeger
will sing the recitative, Comfort Ye"
and the aria, Every Valley" Other
solos will be sung as follows: Thus
Said the Lord" and aria, ''But Who Nav
Abide" Mr.. Phillips; recitative, Behold
the Virgin and aria, 80, Thou That
Tellest," Mrs Yale Mrs. Yale will also
sing the aria, ''He Was Despised.' Mrs,
Graves will sing, 81 Know That NV Re-
deemer Liveth." and Mr.. Phillips. 'sWhv
Do the Nations
F. r. Spark. the honorary secretary of
the Leeds Musical festival, has many
stories to tell of Sir Arthur SuIlivan's
connection with that great function SAYS
the Pail Mall Gazette. Here is one:
After 1.-THE Golden Legend" Sir Arthur
did not write anything for the Leeds fes-
rivals. With the approach of each festi
val he was asked to write work for IT,
and he promised to do so provided he
could find a suitable libretto. About a
year before the last festival he wrote to
Mr.. Spark, saying that he had found a.
subject. and had already written a con-
siderable portion of the instrumental
music of a cantata. Mr.. Sparks came
to London with the view of obtaining
further particulars of the work, only to
be surprised and somewhat ANNOYED to
GN15 4Aa4
mind He told Mr.. Spark that the
further he went with the work the more
he found it shaped itself for the purposes
of an opera, and that be should very like.
ly use it as such. He did so; he con-
verted the cantata into an opera. and II
was brought out at the Savoy under the
title of '"Fhe Beauty Stone" 1t was a
failure, and considering the circun-
stances, that was perhaps hardly sur
prising.
Sir Arthur was a great admirer of
Bach, and especially of his mass in B
minor. That was performed at Leeds in
1856, and at the time of the production of
"The Golden Legend" The mass up to
that time had been regarded as an almost
impossible work, although it had been
performed by the Bach society in Lon
don. Sir Arthur took great pains. with
it.; he wrote the organ part, and It's per-
Torrance was quite a sensation. Mr.,
Spark recalls an incident in connection
with it which illustrates the effect which
ambition had upon Sir Arthur's physical
condition. Sir Arthur was then suffer-
ing from an attack OF the painful malady
which ended his career, and was very Ill.
Mr.. Spark came to London to see him
about the arrangements for the festival,
and conversation turned on the mass
Sir Arthur was lying on his couch scarce
ly able to raise himself on his elbow,
but he became quite animated In speak,
ing of particular passage in the chorus
the Sanctus-saying that he regarded It