THE MUSICAL TIMES.-JANUARY I, 1903. passage. The two glees under notice have never before been published. This seems strange considering their Gossian attributes. But better late than never. The independence of the part-writing places them well in the category of the glee, and all the voices are well provided with tuneful phrases. ' 0! little harbinger of day' is the more extended composition of the pair. The ' cheerfully, but not too quick' opening movement in quadruple rhythm gives place to a charming andantino grazioso in three-four time. This not only forms a delightful contrast, but the triplet treatment of the words go, tuneful sprite, and wave thy wing' is exceedingly happy in its appropriateness. The semiquavers which are made use of to ' charm Astrea's morning hour' give further variety to a composition which, with its companion, will doubtless be warmly welcomed by male-voice choirs and quartet parties.A Book of British Song for Home and School. Edited by Cecil J. Sharp. [John Murray.] Although this collection of school songs is designated 'British,' no fewer than sixty-six of the seventy-eight ditties contained herein are English; Scotland contributes eight, and Ireland a modest pair. In regard to the productions of the land o' cakes and the Emerald Isle, Mr. Sharp says that these ten songs are all that he could find ' really suitable for performance in class.' No one will object to the large sprinkling of folk-songs, though opinions may differ as to whether some of the words are suitable to be uttered by singers of tender years. For instance, ' The Beggars' chorus' (circa I640) contains this verse:-A bag for my oatmeal,
Another for my rye, A little bottle by my sideTo drink when I am dry, And a-begging we will go, &c.On this ground one has just the feeling that the book will go ' a-begging' in girls' schools and not a few homes. The time has long since passed by when the words of a song ' don't matter.' One of the main difficulties that beset earnest-minded teachers of school singing-classes is the selection of songs that contain words above reproach in every respect. The importance of this aspect of the subject cannot be over-estimated, especially when so much attention is given (or ought to be given) to the clear enunciation of the words as well as their poetic import. The editor of this volume has found it necessary to insert a rather extensive glossary of the obsolete words used in his pages. The ' notes on the songs ' are a commendable feature of a not altogether satisfactory volume, and, moreover, one that leaves room for improvement in its music-typographical presentation.
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