New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-27

EOEN - oNOS
modern in his haymonizations. There
arc twenty-five Of the Lonesome
Tunes" Comparing the two collec-
tions with the book of Mr.. Sharp, we
note that eight of the ballads and songs
which Miss McGill collected are also
also to be found in Mr.. Sharp's colec-
ton and four of the Lonesome
Tunes" Miss McGill's list is longer in
the category of ancient English bal
lads, Miss Wyman's in songs of prob
able American origin, not necessarily
Indigenous to the region where they
were found. billie Boy" credited TO
Jackson County. KY, is probably
known throughout the country; at any
rate, it was boyhood favorite of ours
in Ohio too many years ago to talk
about.
From G.. Schirmer New York and
Boston,, there comes 10 us two vol
umes of folksong arrangements. Mr..
Arthur Whiting has made settings for
solo voice.. two voices or mixed quar-
tette Of eleven admired Scotch songs
and provided them with attractive ac-
compartments. They are "Scots Wha
Haze "Allister MacAllister," "Lewie
Gordon" ga the Yowes," "The Hun
dred Pipers," "Cam' You by Athol?"
"Whistle, an I'll Come to YOU "The
Laird of Cockpen," "Elorelo," willie
Brewed Peck Of Maui" and "Tulloch-
eorum." The settings put variety into
the folksong programmes. Ten Dutch
folksongs have been provided with
pianoforte accompaniment by Coen-
raad V. Bos, and English translations
by DR.. TIL. Baker and George Harris,
Jr. The collection opens with "Wilhel-
mus van Nassouwe," one of the best Of
national songs. The same publishers
have issued an interesting transcript
tion for violoncello Cor violin) and
pianoforte OF "Thc Sussex Mummers'
Christmas Carol" made by Percy
Granger, master of such work, al
belt an extreme modernist in his man
ner. The Sussex mummers' carol is
feature Of the old play, est George, the
Turk and the Seven Champions OF
Christendom." The melody was noted
by Miss Lucy L. Broadwood, a particu-
larly active member of the English
Folksong Society. From the press OF
g. Schirmer comes also second
series of old English artsongs collect
ed and edited by Frank Hunter Potter,
with pianofortc Accomplishments by
DR.. Charles Vincent. 1t is beautiful
publication, with an entertaining and
instructive introduction by Mr.. Potter,
sketchirg the story of the famous
musical gardens of London in the
eighteenth century, with sidelights
thrown on singers and composers.
From the Ditsons comes also a collec-
tion of choruses, compiled for commu-
nifty singing; which invites to another
phase of discussion.
The contemplation of so much activ-
ity in the field Of folksong turns the
thoughts of a musical observer quite
naturally TO the community music
movement which is to be promoted by
a national conference to be held in this
city on Thursday and Friday of this
week. Thus far the movement. of
which We have heard a great deal from
very few sources, seems TO have ex-
pressed itself chiefly in getting crowds
of people to gather in public pieces on
summer nights, and melting them to
sing popular songs, of which 1.-THE Old
Folks at Home" and "Old Black joe"
seem to be the most popular A love-
lier phase, developed in some cities, is
the singing Of carols by gatherings
around electrically illuminated trees
on Christmas Eve. This phase, how
ever, calls for higher culture, better
taste and more serious interest than
the singing of popular songs, and has
been of slower growth. What the out
come of the meeting planned for this
week will be we do not know, and we
are not at all inclined to speculate
upon it. This much, however, may be
said in anticipation: It's promises for
good probably would be much greater
than they are had its aims been more
modestly and reasonably set forth by
its leaders. Granting that much
pleasure and large degree of genuine
edification have resulted from the
Community sings" in city parks. with
and without spectacular Examinations,
1t Is difficult for the student of must
cal history to see how the mere sing
ing OF popular songs by scores. or
hundreds, or thousands of people is to
free America from dependence upon
the forms of musical art laboriously
developed by centuries of cultural ef-
fort throughout the rest OF the civil
lied world, and least Of "a how such