MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2494, 22 June 1915, Page 10

MUSIC.

[Ex Tbkblb CLEf,I Songs of the British soldier. Seriousness seems to be "the note of most of the British soldiers''; singing, in spite of some charges of frivolity. The London "Evening Standard" prints the letter of Private T. Milligan, which traverses these subjects. He even tells us that'he once "came on a big Presbyterian belonging to the Cameron. Highlanders," who, "though he was wounaed badly, was lying there singing with the zeal of an elder the words of the twentythird Psalm." Further: "In our spare moments we delight in singing some of the old songs that remind us of home. The Irish regiments never seem to weary of dear old 'Garry Owen.' "It is curious how the Connaughts still remain faithful to the 'Young May Moon,' which is their regimental march-ing-song. The English regiments are maddest about'Tipperary.' . .. , '' 'Annie Laurie,' the 'Cameron Men,' and 'Wha Saw the Forty-Second?' are the most popular with the Scots. Now and then you will hear 'Rob Roy,' 'Scots Wha Hae,' and, of all tunea, 'Lochaber No More.' "The Welsh sing little but 'Land of Our Fathers' and 'Men of Harlech,' varied with the 'Land Song.' I.suppose their affection for Lloyd George is what accounts for the use of a political song. "Anothor song that is popular with the Irish regiments recruited outside the North is 'The Rising of the Moon,' but they seldom sing it on the march, though you can hear it around the charcoal fires in the trenches when we are doing our best to entertain one another. "It says much for the changed times that an Ulsterman was allowed to sing through the 'Orange Lily' the other night to an audience made up of good Roman Catholics and Nationalists without any trouble. . . . "Some of them try to sing 'Sister Susie,' but it is generally hissed, because our lads don't like the way it ridioules those loved ones at honie who are doing their best." "Cramo" Shells. It will be remembered' (says the London "Musical News"- of April 3) that it was rumoured some time ago that the engraved plates of German musicprinters had been commandeered, in order to be melted down into bullets. That this was more than rumour, which for once' proved better than a lying jade, was also known later. Mr. Algernon Ashton has had to bewail the loss of his plates printed at Leipsic, and several British firms who sent their music to be engraved abroad have lost their stock, and are now busily engaged in getting them reproduced—this time, were are glad to say, at the handß of their own countrymen. We were all inclined to laugh at the Btraits our enemy were in, in having to convert music into bullets, but in this respoct we were, perhaps, ill-advised, for something of the same kind of thing is taking place in this country. We are not, it is true, destroying goods,, or converting what existed into material other than what it was intended. But it appears that several gramophone companies have been visited by the Government with the object of turning their factories temporarily and in part to the uses of war. Their disc-making machin. ery seems to be extremely suited to the manufacture of shells, and thus these firms are adding the the making of munitions to their wonted trade. It is said that one firm is turning out about 3000 shells a d?y. It says much for the capacity for work that these firms do' not appear to' show" aiiy great falling off in the manufacture of talking machines at the sanie time. For not only does the ordinary trade appear normal, but there has been a great increase in the output, owing -to the enormous number of gramophones and discs sent out to cheer our men at the front. Thus the manufacturers have shown a pleasing versatility. They are, at one and the same time, sending out machines to cheer the brains of our soldier lads, and others to shatter those of our enemies. Which, when one comes to think of it, is just what is required in these terrible times. Hfmrl Verbrugghen. The third week in April brings welcome news from London, for it shows' that the newly-appointed director of the New South Wales State Conservatorium was then conducting the 'Three B's" Festival at Queen's Hall. Mr. Henri Verbrugghen could hardly have been called upon to a higher or more difficult artistic enterprise than the interpretation of the ■ masterpieces of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms. The Belgian conductor had at his disposal the London Symphony Orchestra, the Leeds Choir, and the best available soloists. Bach's wonderful "B Minor Mass" occupied one evening, and the four "Fidelio" overtures of Beethoven, the C Minor Symphony, and the Emperor Concerto, with -Mr. Arthur de Greef as solo pianist,_ were performed on another. One leading London daily writes of Verbrugghen"As a conductor he is not only infinitely painstaking, but also thoroughly alive. _ There were great spirit and vitality in his interpretations, and at the same time there was no lack of imagination. He invariably maintained the best Beethoven traditions, but at the same time ho was never for a moment dry or dull. Altogether both he and the splendid London Symphony Orchestra are warmly to be congratulated. On the opening night (April 20) Mr. John Coates was . the vocalist.—"Sydney Morning Herald.",