The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-05-01

Philadelphia, Richmond and George
town.
There is evidence that Mrs. Wash
1ngton shared her husbands fame as
patron of music. Another page OF
Duport's music book bears the head
ing, Fancy Menuit with Figure
Dance by two young ladies in the
presence of Mrs. Washington in 1892.
Philadelphia"
Mrs. Washington, like her husband.
had songs indited to her. One pa.
thetic, and yet amusing, specimen OF
the Revolutionary period is entitled
Lady Washington" 1t begins with
flamboyant rhetoric. Saw you my
nero? Saw you my hero, George?" Ac-
cording to the song, Mrs. Washington
goes on to say that she has been out
looking for her hero. She has
inquired of every swain" only to be
told that the missing General was in
the van of the battle. The song ends
with a dramatic line in which Lady
Washington implores the swans to
return my hero George"
The conception of this emotional
song was certainly lofty enough. and
sincere. But it is a LITTLE difficulf
Tor us to picture the dignified Mrs.
Washington going about the country
side to inquire of the SWANS if they
nave seen George. Whether this sim
pie dltty was ever performed before
MRS. Washington or what she NAV
have thought of it is, unfortunately
not recorded.
One of the oldest looking manu-
scripts in the exhibit is "a collection
OF the best psalm tunes engraved bv
Paul Revere and sold by him and 10
siah Flag, Boston, 1854"
The preface of the little old volume
closes with the quaint remark: at is
hoped, 1t will not diminish the Value
OF this Book in the Estimation of anv
but may in some Degree recommends
II even to those who have no particn
lar Relish for the Musick, that how
ever we are obliged to the other Side
OF the Atlantick chiefly for our Tunes.
the Paper on which they are printed
is the Manufacture of our own
Country"
In spite of the intensely patriotic
character of the early music of the
republic, almost all the composers
were foreign born. The first native
porn American composer, Francis
Hopklnson, is represented in the ex-
hlbit by one of his manuscript song
books and letter written by him to
lhomas Jefferson. 1t was the son of
~ FRANCIS Hopkinson who wrote
the words of Hail Columbia"
Composer Statesman, Too
This first American composer was
one of the signers of the Declaration
OF independence, and his portrait
hangs today in Declaration Chamber
OF independence Hall, Philadelphia.
1t shows man with a mild, idealistic
lace, holding quill pen.
Much of the music of the coIoniaI
composers has passed into historic
COLLECTIONS and much into oblivion.
Inc march written for Jefferson's
Inauguration and the national song
the Louisiana Pur
chase are forgotten. But a. few of
those exalted outbursts of patriotism
are stu depended upon to inspire
patriotic emotion today. The words
70 The Star Spangled Banner" writ
Ten during the War of 1872, place this
famous song in later period than
that covered by colonial music coil
lection. The tune, however was
known and widely used long before
The melody had been first called
Anacreon in Heaven" and a song
called Adams and Liberty" had been
sung to 1t before Francis Scott Kew
wrote his set of verses.
Hail, Columbia both words and
music, survived this colonial era. and
IS now an American classic. Amer
ca" came later, but its tune of God
save the King" borrowed from Eng
and, was prominent feature of a
number of popular songs in colonial
America.
Our most inspiring national songs
are souvenirs of this golden age of
music. Today, composers
and poets seem to have lost the knack
Of producing national songs. There is
more demand for songs about home
mother, and the girl, and the law OF
supply and demand works Just As
surely now as it did in 1880. But
some Americans believe that the
Great American anthem is not among
.hese colonial pieces. that it is Still
Q Q pc written in another golden age