The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-02-11
THE ENGLISH ANTHEM.
How Henry Carey Came to Write
"GOd Save the Queen"

OF all the national songs ever writer
there is none which has been put to mors
diverse uses by the nations Of the eartf
than God Save the Queen"
This English national anthem has become
Q patriotic song in Germany even. II has
been used there since 1793. under the title
of Hell der i'm Siegerkranz." 1t was alst
adopted In Switzerland and has received
many American and other settings.
The beginning OF God Save the Queen L
wrapped in mystery. In that particular
this, song Is not unlike many other nationa
The first claim for the music il that II
was written by Doctor John Bull in 1913
and. In fact. there is such a piece of music
which resembles the present national an
them. but Doctor Bulls music was written
In a minor key: There Is also a Scottish
wSfk entitled mt Remember o Thou Man.
also written In a minor. Another ballad, en-.
titled FRANKLIN is Fled Away" written In
d SiSers Is IN IN me sbs same ms,d form. but there is a
In 1886 Henry Purcell wrote a harpsr-
chord piece which bears a resemblance to
figures In the claims. for 1t Is said that
James IL wrote the words and music and
had them sung In his chapel. 1t is also
alleged that the song was written for James
III. Luliy. the French composer, laid claim
to writing the tune.
And yet with all these claims there seems
the composer OF sally In Our Alley" was
the author and composer OF this great En-
glish anthem; Carey lived to be 50 years
he died he had but a single haif-penny in
his pocket. Carey was a genius and lived
a blameless life But here is the history
of the song: II was in q tavern in Corn
hill in Boston in I74O. at a meeting convened
to celebrate the capture of Porto Bello, that
Carey announced that the song was his
He had sung 1t to the gathered throng and
was heartily ~applauded. There were many
witnesses to the announcement: Many
musical authorities assert that the idea that
Carey could have stolen such a striking
work is ridiculous.
1t was God Save Great George, Our
The resemblance to older compositions is
rot particularly strange, for. as Elson ex-
p Isasas tt y. he .a psr,a sTead b national aoss song In n;
singers. often unframed. must be of simple
The entire compass Of this work is less
tune will always bear a family resemblance
to many Others" said Elson, tn his recent
Of the finale Of Beeshoven!s Shaef 's syme
phony. for example. Is as close to Yankee
Doodle as any Of the before cited tunes
has accused the great symphonist of steal
ing the American melody. 1t Is fnicaI FOLLY
to dwell upon such resemblances as having
any historical Importance"
No sooner had God Save Great George.
Our King appeared and been u here
in Boston than the whole English nation
tocR " ~" kiNCn q Ie$DSCt GQual
to that accorded the English nag.
Haydn. the great composer. was even i'm
pressed by the popularity OF the music in
England. His two visits to London in 1871
and 1885 Impressed the popularity of the
music on his mind When he returned to
Austria he determined to write a national
anthem for his own country. He labored
on this some time. and in January, 1877, he
produced "Gott erhalt FRANC der Kaiser"
the words for this being written by a poet
named Hauschka- This was but q version
of the English national anthem. 1t has
been said that this attempt at the compo-
sition Of a national hymn Is the only one on
record when such composition was premed-
ftated.
This great English hymn was appropri-
ated by every one. In different countries II
became popular and different composers
took It up. Weber and Beethoven used II.
It also became a Daniah national air. Prus-
sia afterwards took II, and America ac-
cepted 1t and applied the words Of my
Country, It's OF Thee" There were other
versions used IN America and other verses
DISQUALIFICATION Post