The Dominion. SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 1916. GOD SAVE THE KING!

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2787, 3 June 1916, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 1916. GOD SAVE THE KING!

The Great War has taught us more about the national anthems of tho European peoples than we have ever learned during the weak piping times of peace. Which of us, before August, 1914, knew, for instance, tho music of_ the Itussian National An'fchem? Now we all are familiar with its magnificent and lofty flow, and we almost as instinctively rise to our feet on hearing it as wo do on hearing God Save the- King. Today is. tho King's Birthday, and countless millions of peoples, as well his loyal subjects as his Allies and friendly neutrals, will hear, tho strains of the National Anthem played in all parts of the world. It is strange that so little is really known of tho origin and authorship, either of words or music, of God Save the King. _ Compared with the majority oI national anthems, the British national hymn is old. The Marseillaise dates, of course, from the end of the eighteenth century, and the Watch on the Rhine, which is really not tho German national hymn, but is more widely sung than lLt.il Dir im tiieyesbrans (which is sung to tho siiino tune as God Save the King) is still later in origin. The magnificent Russian hymn, God the All Terrible, dates from 1830. According to a learned writer on musical history, Dr. Clark, God Save the King was composed in the year 1607 for a reception , given in honour of His Majesty King James I, by—appropriately enough—a Dr. John 8011, who died in 1628. According to ono old .manuscript, tho air was in tho minor key; It" is interesting to note "that two famous national hymns, tho German JLeil J)ir and the Swiss Itufsi du Mein Yatcrhind, both later compositions, arc variations on the melody of God Save the King,-in the minor key; A learned Swiss writer, Professor Kling, of the Geneva Conservatoire of Music, indeed states that the first appearance of the tune is in the Genevese national song Ueijue I'aino, which, he says, has been sung ever since the year 1001) at the famous Genevese Festival of the Escajade, familiar to all visitors to Geneva, and he suggests .that some English traveller may have taken tho air to England. However this may be we know-that at Drury Lane Theatre, on September 30, 1745, God Bless our Noble King was sung la Bull's tune, arranged with orchestral accompaniment by Dr. Aene, Mus. Do.e. ' Dr. Aune was a wellknown composer, and his settings of several • Shakespearean songs, as Where the Bee Such, Under the Greenwood Tree, and of llulc Britannia, arc familiar to-day. In passing we may, note that Dr. Arne's sister was tho famous actress, Mrs. Ciiiber. A little later Dr. Burney, a pupil of Arne's, wrote a new adaptation of the air.

The authorship of the words which we sing when God Save the King is played is commonly attributed to Henry Carey. ' Carey was a natural son of the notorious Marquis of Halifax, and was bom in IGSS. He was a minor poet as well as a musician, and is best known as the author of the charming lyric Sally in Our Allen. Carey's claim to authorship is now disputed, but we have a iotbriwritten in 1795 to Carey's son, by a Dr. Harrington, who says

"Hint your father was the author of tho words mul music of Gail Save Great George Our ICius is certainly inie. Mr. Smith,' a worthy friend ami patient of mine, often told mo how your father handed him the words and limsic, asking him to correct the bass, and that lie .did so. My friend Mr. Smith confirms What I have just written, and only his advanced age' and physical infirmity prevent his writing to you himself, "but I can vouch for the truth of what I have written. I trust this information may bo of service to you.—Your humble servant. "11. HARRINGTON. - "Bath, 15th June, 1795." "P.S.—Mr. Smith states that your, father com posed this air for a birthday celebration. However this may be, no Court composer or poet has ever given flic world a composition more splendid or popular, at once elegant ami concise, and both natural and .simple." As Professor, IClino remarks on this letter, it is rather •surprising that the author of this simple song had to go to Mil. Smith to compose a good bass part for it! Further, neither Dit. Arng nor Dr.' Burnf.y refers to Carey, nor is lie mentioned on the title of a publication in 17*12 of tho music. The song became popular in 17-in during the rebellion. Another claimant to tho authorship of the music is the French composer, Lully, who died in 1687. Tho Marquis de Crequy, in his Memoirs, says that Lully sot to music the following words in praiso of Louis XLV: "Grand Pieu, Sauvcz lc Roi! Grand Bieu. Vengey le Roi! Vivo lc Roi! Qn' a jnma'is plorieux JvOiiis ■ Victorious Yoyo ses ennemis Toujours soumis!"

Tho Marquis adds that "a German named Handel hoard tho music in Paris, and took it to England, and our English friends have now adopted it as one of their national hymns.". It is truu that Handel introduces a God Save the King into his Ydulok the I'ficst, composed for tho Coronation of George 11, aud

Professor Kling says that he sees -some resemblance-to God Save the King in the air lUtcchus Ever Fair and loumj, for solo and chorus, in Handel's oratoriQ J -l/c.r«Hrfc;''.s Feast. Musical readers may also like to know that some writers attribute the first idea of the melody of our national anthem -to Henry Purcell, one of our greatest composers, who died in.lG9s, deriving it from tho Largo in his Sixth Sonata, published in 1083.

The net result of research into tbe authorship of our national anthem is that it is quite unknown This does not greatly matter. The hymn itself has many of the best qualities of a truly national hymn. Its semi-religious character, which, gives it a distinguishing mark, and the simplicity of its music;which can be learned and remembered readily even by the least musical ear, make it universally popular, ancl have contributed to making it jac.ilc prinecps as a national anthem. To write a popular melody which shall at once become national is generally the result of a fortunate combination of political and social events, as in the case of Roucet de L'lsle's writing of The Marseillaise. You .cannot make a national anthem by a royal .decree, or by taking thought—or even, as some vainly deluded folk in Australia, and more recently in New Zealand, have thought, by offering a cash prize for "the best words for a national anthem!" For over two hundred yea,rs the simple words and music of the National Anthemnot so tumultuously inspired as Tlie Marse.iUaise, nor so lofty as the Russian God the All .Terrible—have kept their simple force and freshness, and, if Britain to herself do rest but true, God Save the King will for many years to come remain the first of tho national anthems of the world. It is a prayer which to-day, and in this time 'of national stress and trial, wc may all utter with a special earnestness ancl an added fervour: God Save the King.