The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-07-21
MUSIC ANTEDATES
WRITTEN HISTORY
Earliest Songs in European
Countries Often Composed
for Big Celebrations.

'Suner Is &c Cumen In is the Oldest
song in the English language since our
mother tongue assumed the form in
which we speak Il today. II recalls The
fact that most peoples have songs
which anteda their written history.
In many cases these were composed by
singers or musicians now unknown AMI
not infrequently to celebrate a national
exploit or disaster. For instance, til :
SSrvians had a ballad. "TsaT Lazar. q"
which took its name from that Of their
great leader. and cOmmemorated the
famous battle OF Kossova in 1889, when
the Servian army was totally destroyed
and Servian independence was lost.
To this day the Servians wear rouni
their caps a narrow black banC IN
mourning for the awful defeat at Kos
sOva. By a strange coincidence. the
Hungarians, too. had a national ballad
II commemorate their defeat n 144s BY
Sultan Murad II. the battle occurring in
the valley Of Kossova, and the two
armies Occpying the same positions held
IN the former conflict
Earliest Welsh Song.
The earliest Welsh song, ..AIorva
Rhuddlan" cRuddIan sdarsh''). also
|
ter, a battle OF that nar4e, A. 4. 49,
The Welsh were defeated by the Saxons
with fearful slaughter. Caradoc was
killed, all prisoners taken by the Saxons
we're massacred and the remnants OF
the Welsh army were drowned IN the
marsh CaradOc's bard escaped. and
upon reaching the mountain STRONGHOLD
Of his dead master. Immediately com
posed the words and melody. both pre-
served 10 the present day. Another
welsh song OF almost equal antiquity
( -Ddvydd : Garreg Wen" David OF the
White ROck'D, IS said 10 have been the
Work or very old bard, who. feeling
I himself 10 be dying, called for his harD
ana composed the sono and tune for
his own funeral.
First French Song.
The oldest French songs are said 10
be ''L'homme Arme" and Robin
NJ Anne, " The Armed Man and ROBIN
Loves Ne" These, like most OF the
early songs OF central ana southern
Europe, are believed TO be the compost
ton OF the troubadours, who furnished
the greater part Of the music sung in
Europe for go or 800 years They were
what We would ca musical tramps, o"
wandering from court 20 court, attend
Ing weddings, fetes. and festivals.
''L'hOmme Arme' became so famous
that IL Travelled all over France. spain.
and Italy, and was so well known that
IL was claimed as a native tune by
half a dozen different naIiOnaIities Il
probably anJedated the eleventh cen
tury, and in the course Of time even
worked its way into the services OF the
church. for Palestrina used II as a sub
jet OF fugue in one OF his masses.
There are, however, so many SONGS at
tributed 10 the early trOubadours and
JrOuveres thar the claims OF the two
mentioned are sometimes contested in
favor Of others not so well known
The singing contests OF the Germans
were q popular feature before the ma
ton had a writ ten history. The mime
singers were the German troubadours,
and the soma they composed were so
numerous that IL IS quite Impossible 70
say which were the most ancient. As
early as the ninth century cities be
came 2CJed for their musical societies,
and IN the twelfth or early thirteenth
began the great contests on the Wart-
burg. In the German medieval manu-
scripts are 1900 Of songs BY mime
singers and meistersingers, and many
Of these melodies harmOnized az the