SOLDIER AUDIENCES IN EGYPT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2756, 27 April 1916, Page 2

SOLDIER AUDIENCES IN EGYPT

Some months ago Miss Nellie Bill- | ings, a well-known Australian piauiste, and Miss May Brookes, sister of A'ormau Brookes, the tennis champion, wont to Egypt to give concerts to tlio wounded men, writes a correspondent in the Sydney "Herald." Their work.lias been much appreciated, and Miss Billings, who has just ieturned, tells many interesting stories about the soldier audience. When she was. not performing at a concert —and as . many as lour sometunes took placo in a day at the various hospitals—Miss Billings delved in all sorts of odd corners for knowledge of Eastern music. She \vent to festivals, funerals, and weddings; she heard the street cries-arid the market calls of the natives with the car of the musician. "Arab music has queer melodies." Hiss Billings was emphatic on this paint during the course of a recent interview. "It has no harmonies, and' is rather sad. Music is iooked upon by the Egyptians as an occupation unworthy of employing very much of a serious man's, time, hut it i s used, nevertheless,' a great deal at j-cligious ceremonies, but not at the place of religion—the mosques." "Funerals and weddings," continued Miss Billings, "have their own particular styles, as in other countries. Even the poorest engage a chorus to sing at a funeral ob they walk along. Some have boqks of the words of tho s song, and when they forget the effect i s alarming. The same de'vico'is used at the wedding procession. They take the bride through tho streets 'in a closed carriage, covered with hright pink and silver trappings, the chorus usually sings a song with words—written specially for the occasion—relating to the virtues of the bride."' Miss Billings used to stand and listen as the processions "passed along the street, then A <ihe'usually dashed into the nearest shop and jotted impressions.. She found that, the boatmen on the Nile had a- keen musical Eense. "They used to sing," she said,"plaintive/yet sweet, songs, with curi- , mis verses off two lines. When 'they' had sung these they iron Id rest for five '< minutes, and only a plentiful supply of backsheesh would persuade them to sing • two more linos. This habit was' as : consistent as it was strange." ' . ■ ] The native hoys' band, which played ] in the gardens, ako interested Miss j Billings. "It played in hollow-sounded ] unison," she said, "there was no har- i mony, but the rhythm was' perfect." , ■ 7. — ' <