CATCHES AND ROUNDS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 331, 16 May 1877, Page 3

CATCHES AND ROUNDS.

By Enhaumoxia. When Jackson, of Exeter, heard of the itablishment of the Noblemen and Generaen's Catch Club at the close of the isfc century, he wrote : "Is it creditable tat taste should revert to barbarism V' 'hat gentleman's objection seems to have een, that catches have no point unless hey are indecent (which is certainly not nie); that singers flatten in unequal derees, which is the case, more or less, in [1 unaccompanied part music ; and that ie catch is an ill-constrncfced canon. His idignation, at last, got rent in the opinion lat the catch singing of his own time resents such a scene of savage folly, as onkl not disgrace the Hottentots, in;ed ; hut is not much to the credit of a impany of civilised people. Mr. Jackiti's severity, however, does not prevent i thinking that many will be interested a short sketch of " The Catch " and, irelative, " The Round." The meaning of the word "Catch" ieds no explanation. The pieces to lich this name was given had words hicli, when arranged in a certain way by e composer, or uttered in detached sylbles, conveyed a meaning wholly dif:ent from that which belonged to them hen read in a straightforward manner, lere was sometimes a play upon tiie unci of the words, as when, " Ah ! how >pliia," was taken for a " house a fire ;*' , when in C'alleott's well-known catch, Bump 's History," sounds like '"burn 3 history or there was a play upon the ;ani:ig of the words, as when the singer stu' us that if we steal up to his lady's wer wo a hall be transported with the [lit, and this, at last, turns into a warn--5 of the penalty which awaits a tiiitf, r)tly speaking ; it is only to composins in which the words do catch that we l apply the name. But tiie word being ce adopted, it was used to describe a tsical fonn, without reference to the rets catching or not. In the same way i use of the word " glee " was extended the musical setting of words which re not gleesome, but sentimental, as, Breathe soft, ye winds or narrative, as The Red Cross Knightor devotional, " When winds breathe soft." In the 1 books, therefore, the word "Round seldom met with, all these compositions ing classed as " catches." Catches are lat we should now call " rounds," or :anons in unison." Other canons have 0 "parts" on one " subject," or meio- : idea ; two in one, or three parts on a-atijgj|flct ; three in one," four parts on :> "Subjects; our in two, and so on. ho wrote the first catch is a question ich. has not yet been answered. The ion in unison, the unusual genus to ich the catch belongs, is very ancient, 1 are dated from the 13th century. ,e singing of catches, rounds, or roundys was common among all classes of the aple in the Kith and 17th centuries, e accomplishment is not a difficult one, ' the singers have only to bear in mind i melody, and the harmony comes of elf. jMt. Chappell instances an old irality, in which Avarice says : 'lit, sirs, because we have tarried so long ; f you be good fellows, let us depart with a song." id Cruelty answers : am pleased, and therefore let every man follow after in order, as well as lie can. ■t, however early was the origin of the >tom, it was Purcell who brought the ch to perfection. In the dissolute irs of the restoration, it was pressed 0 the service of debauchery and vice, 1 hence we have to regret that some of r best catches are unavailable for preit use by the character of their words, ie musical definition of' the catch is a ure in the unisoi?, wherein to humour ue conceit . .fiords ; the melody is >ken, and the sense interrupted in one 't, and caught again or supplied by other. Iu singing catches, the first

performer goes through the part which is written at the top. He then immediately commences the second line, while a second performer begins the first. After singing the second line, then the first performer t:ikes the third, and so on. The catch may be sung through any Lumber of times ; three or four repetitions will be found sufficient. As each singer has exactly the same notes to sing, the voices should be of the same compass and kind ; it is well to increase both force and speed towards the close, and leave off abruptly at an agreed signal. As the words are the soul of a catch, the enunciation should be of the crispest, clearest kind ; the music should be committed to memory, so that the singers may give their whole attention to the words. Since the time of Purcell, all English composers of note have practised this kind of writing. They have left a store, in which we find much that is free from all objection on the score of the words, as well as much more that is not. Intro, dr.ccd sparingly, and in good taste, they afford a pleasant variety in concert programmes ; but we do not plead for a general revival of them. Like the madrigal and glee, the catch now belongs to the past. It remains as an interesting monument of the process of musical development. With the modern part song in our possession, a reaction in its favour would be as absurd as a revival of stage coaches to journey by, or of candles to tell the hour.