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Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2144, 21 March 1870, Page 2

Music of tue Pekiod. — Of the illustrations of tlis vulgarity of the age (writes au English critic), the music of the period is about one of the most hackneyed. To make us thoroughly understand British vulgarity, t!xe critic sends us to the music-halls to hear music-hall singers. Now that vulgarity cannot be more extremely expressed than by the accent, dtmeanour, and words of the music-hall singer and his songs, we freely confess. But we protest against the notion that the music of these taverns is vulgar as a confusion of cause and effect, and a complication of wrong ideas. That the original music is vulgar we do not deny. But pray bow much of original music is composed at the present day? It is notorious that at least twe-thirds of the music sung at the music-halls form nothing more than a travestie of pure, sweet melodies. Here are some examples : —“ The Whole Hog or None ” is “Love’s Young Dream“A Life by the Galley Fire ” is “A Life on the Ocean Wave “ Buffalo Gals ” is an old melody as ancient as the days of Henry VIII, set to words beginning “My good Ship comes sailing Homei” “ Coal-black llosc ” is “ Hark ! the vesper softly stealing;" “The Jaunting Gar" is an impudent plagiarism on “The Spider and the Fly“ Mousetraps” is an old waltz ; “ The Onehoise Chay ” is Eveleen’s Bower,” and so on ad None of the original melodies we have named can he called vulgar, accepted in their normal form, yet, mouthed by music-hall baritones, and sot to words by poetic potmen, they are held up as typical of the vulgarity of the age. Let us be careful in our discrimination. Vulgarity cannot be adventitious; it must be inherent. Yet in the case of English music it is made adventitious. As well might we call a refined woman vulgar because she is mated to a vul« gar husband. The most popular songs of the day have been revivals of the finest and most admired melodies, distorted by a change of tuno or the alteration of a note. If we want a type of vulgarity let us take the singer of the period and his words—not his music, at least in nine cases out of ten. If one does not hold still when stung by a bee or fate, the sting remains behind the wound. What style of hat is the easiest to wear? —That which is not felt. The Siamese Twins arc showing in Colura* bus. They travel together.