Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-13

Tyrol or countries untouched by the influence
of the popular song from the big cities.
Before could speak, in my babyhood in Ire
land, | could sing hundred Irish folk tunes.
And folk songs have tremendous influence on
the soul of the individual. The modern Russian
school of composers is instance of this.
There would not be any Grieg if it was not
for the Scandinavian folk songs that he had to
draw upon. The peasants of his country could
sing many little melody which found its way
into his sonatas melodies that sprang from the
hearts of their ancestors and have lived ever
since. .
Take Dvoffak for instance, when, during his
stay in this country and inspired by desire to
write something with a genuine national turn
to it. he composed his American (New
WorldD symphony. he still showed the influ-
ence of the folk songs of his native Bohemia.
There is not a movement in it. except the beau
tiful slow one, where Bohemia does not look
| through the keyhole, in Slavic traits and bits.
Even Chopin, without doubt one of the great
est geniuses, although he wrote only for the
piano, owes vast per cent. OF his beautiful
melodies to the folk songs of his native Poland.
The only American folk songs that we have,
those by Stephen B. Foster. belong to a ro-
mantle period in the South that we have lost
Negroes Losing Their Gaiety
A far as the songs of the Southern negro are
= concerned they seem to have no longer
the joyous spirit of their grandfathers OF nifty
years ago. lney nave no more III ILcIl uoW,
as then, that charming gaiety.
Sometime ago several hundred negroes
kindly sang to me at one of the great tobacco
factories of Richmond. Instead Of the melodies
of the past. alternately bright and pathetic,
they sang, and most beautifully, men. women,
and children-hymns! Whether they felt freer
as slaves than citizens, or whether a certain
carefree responsibility that they once enjoyed
had vanished. this change in their choice was
strangely marked.
National songs that run like prairie fire
through whole vast country as does WIND
swept fame. are born or come appropriately
under exact conditions at an exact moment.
They are great embodiment OF intense feeling
which demands them.
Take, for instance the famous Sword
Song" which until the Franco-Prussian War of
| 1870, when " Die Yacht am Rhein" superseded
it. was great battle hymn of Germany. Lying
| in ambush for the enemy korner wrote the
| words. Two hours later he was shot dead
The poem found in his pocket made him i'm
mortal. The song set by Weber to music has
| long inspired patriotic enthusiasm and valor.
| Again, the wild, pulse stirring "Marseillaise
was written by Rouget de Isle in the war times
Of 1892 in single night. seated at the piano IN
| cold room, too exhausted after composing
where he had fallen asleep: Its spirit held the
whole spirit of France. After it was first sung
at Strasburg it was quickly carried to Mar
settles. and became the inspiration of the band
OF insurgents there. and OF generations OF liberty
lovers after them. Its spirit has carried that
same message to many lands. and not heart
but IS stirred by it.
Volumes might be written of the scenes in
| which anyone of these great national songs has
played a part. scenes that have made history.
influencing ages past, which will bear weightiy
on ages yet to come.
On the other hand, there is the patriotic
popular song for a certain period and not
general to whole land in its application. Such
a popular song lives its day. and then perhaps
is comparatively seldom heard, except in those
| sections from which it originally sprang.
Yet, songs like Dixie" hold all their fresh
ness and vigor and to-day stir the masses to the
same wild enthusiasm of old 1t is now
folk song Alive with martial fire and spirit
Dixie" makes all forget it sectional
America needs new national hymn; but it
can come only at a moment of intense, univer-
sal feeling.
Weakness Of National Songs
TIL melody of THE Star-Spangled Banner"
is majestic and strong: but the weakness
of that melody lies in the fact that its compass
is vocally unsuitable :" Die Yacht am Rhein =
has the same fault. Both are an octave and
fifth, whereas the natural compass for a
national song should not be more than one
octave