Sir A. Sullivan on Music.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3120, 4 February 1889, Page 2

Sir A. Sullivan on Music.

Sir A. Sullivan dolivered his presidential address and presented the prizes in connection with the Birmingham and Midland Institute on 19th October. He took music as his subject. Among the many advances ot our country for tbelost half century none, he said, had been greater than that of music. Publications and performances are now so extraordinarily multiplied that the masterpieces—not only of the old composers, but of the most modern writers—are brought within the means of everyone, more so pi'obablythan in any other country, and England.has thus so far the chance of again assuming the position that she held manyyears ago, o&being at the head of Europe as a musical country. She was onco, (as I believe the most Teutonic of German historians now allow) a long way in advance of other nation's, yet how little is known or acknowledged by ourselves. So far back as the year 1230 a piece of music composed by a monk of Reading (John of Fornsete was his honoured name, and the MS of his work is at the British Museum) was far in advance, both in tunefulness and expression, of anything else produced at that time.,l allude to the celebrated glee in six vocal parts "Summer is a coming in," and observe that that pre-miuence implies many years—l

might say centuries —of previous study and progress on the part of our countrymen. -But we need not liust to implication only. Records exist to prove how diligently and enthusiastically music was pursued in England from the reign of King Alfred to the time of the Reformation. Hero are a few facts. In 550 a.d. there was a great gathering and competition of harpists, at Conway, an early Eisteddfod. In 866 King Alfred instituted a professorship of music at Oxford, and there must have been concerted music in those Anglo Saxon times, for in the British museum is an old picture of a concert consisting of a six string harp, a four string fiddle, a trumpet, and a crooked horn, Curiously enough this is with the exception of th 6 horn,exactly the same combination of instruments that we see nearly every Saturday night playing outside a London public house. I have not noticed whether the background of the picture I allude to represents the corresponding locality of that period, Even then music had begun to exercise an influence on trade; the metal industry and joinery must have already benefitted by it, for in the tenth century tho monk Wulstan gives a long description of a grand organ in Winchester Cathedral, and St, Dunstan, famous lor his skill in metal work at the same date ftibrica-

ted an organ in Malmesbury Abbey, tho pipes of which were of brass. Long before' the conquest three-part harmony was pratised, and is spoken of by the chroniclers as the "custom of tho country." Thomas'a' Beckett, on his visit to France to negotiate tho marriage of Henry 11,, took with him 250 boys, who sang in harmony of three parts, which is expressly recorded to have been "in the English manner, and till then unheard of in Franco." It is a satisfaction to know, that in thoso days musicians were well paid, for at the wedding of Edward I's daughter, every king's minstrel received 40s, equal at least to L2O in these: days.' After dwelling on the influence which music had exercised, Sir Arthur Sullivan concluded by saying:—l have endeavoured to show you how England was at one time in the foremost place among musical nations, and I would now only urgo you to use all your efforts to restore her to that proud position, Tho means lie in education, We must be educated to appreciate, and appreciation must como before production. Give us intelligent and educated listeners, and we should produce composers and performers of corresponding worth; Much is now being done in England for the higher education of musicians, At the Royal Colledge of music my old and valued friend, Sir George Grove, is doing work of incalculable valuo in guiding and directing with merry judgment his splendid staff of processors, and embuing everyone with his own enthusiasm. Nor must we forget the services the Royal Academy of Mnsio has rendered .to musical education, and that under the spirited guidance of that gifted musician Dr Mackenzie, it is daily increasing its sphere of usefulness. Many other kindred institutions aro fighting earnestly anduiifjaggingly tho battle of our'art, and"to-night wo have witnessed the result of' the'sturdy energy which Birmingham possesses in such a high degree in the prosperity, of the Midland Institute, where lam proud to see that musical education plays such a prominent part. I read in the list of teachers the names of men well-known to me; Jheir names ; are a guarantee tfiat the inßtructiob. is sound. But there is one;particular branch for which. 1 no'professor is Qppoiqted,' and. yvitb' good reason, for

I am'suresttat wary ieacket. pnlthaj* staffiacludea it;ia- hisinistr^ph—fe: namely,:the tit t : ;pf;' ; listehlngY'. ' Wo| want : good -; listeners ;thauA indifiereDt''per)brmerai f t^^-^'-'IM

South'lmericpTO

~' The wild pig's{ of; SouW American are lmown'for their feifdoifcy'and .peirsistencew'ieribhcejtheyire'engageo 1 The'jaguar is so. large powerful: a beast of prey as to bewailed a'tigersby thepeople of the countries he is .found,: ■;A; fightibetweenpa:; drove.of'pigs and one of these tigers '.'_, brings put all thewild.naturo there is ' in both. ; Such a confliotis reported". in.an'America^ publication,-: entitled : "Pioneering.in Soutli Brazil,":--r: " One night Lopes aiid j,; who were; : then alone togetheiy were,oamped in.; the forest, -whensuddenly we heard,-; at a little, distance from Jus/.a tre-.; ; mendous uproar of grunting,squeak-):-in'g, and clacking of tusks;;; ,' ;Pigs,' ; : said we both. ■'. No'w.for a dinner : at;last." Snatching up ; oui\ guhs,Mj| crept cautiously toward the sound ™ wlrioh continued, though 'with- less v uproar than at first, and .soon' came'". to a.little clearing. ;■ Standing upon | the extreme summit of an ant-hillook,'; about live feet fronV thegrpund, was - a jaguar, surrounded by some" fifty or. ; sixty pigs,, all in. a state, of furious 1 rage, and vainly endeavouring to. got ; at.their enemy perched ou the ant-;, hill. We, did npt ,fire, hoping to obtain our supper without having' to waste- a shot,' for ammunition was •■ precious.: Meantime .the jaguar, with his tail stuck well up inihe air, and ■ with" all four legs close together,-, balancing himself .on the ant-hill, - kept facing round'.uneasily, first in ' one direction and theuinanothe, as'. the infuriated pigs threatened this side and that side, .It was clear that

the game could hot long be\oarrkb on in this fashion; either the mm would give up the Beige as hopeleT? or the jaguar would get tired of lira*, uncomfortable position,' and lhake a dash to escape/ The„end, :; . howevor, • came in a manner we did not expeot. In a moment.of forgetfulness the tiger allowed his tail, which he- had hitherto been holding well up out oL, the reach of his besiegers, to droop slightly. lii a second or to the unlucky, appendage was seized by the " pigs; it owner was pulled down from his perch into their midst, and a terrible battle began. Now and then onecould see thebigyellow body of the jaguar surge up above the seething mass of pigs, and his powerful forepaws striking out deadly- blows to. right and left, only to sink down agaiu the next instant into the midst of his raging enemies. Presently the uproar began to subside, but the jaguar bad' not emerged from the crowd, and we could pee him nowhere. After waiting some little time longer the herd- of pigs : began to disperse, and, the tumult beingnow over, we walked 1 into thiL clearing where the fight had so lateip been raging. Still-no jaguar was to be seen, but fourteen pigs were lying dead or dying upon the. ground. Presently Lepoz, stooping down,picked up a fragment of something, and holding it up, said, "Here's the tiger I" It was a bit of the jaguar's•' skin. He had been literally torn to pieces by the pigs, and his body and flesh devoured or. carried away by them. .From his victims, the dead pigs, we seoured our supper and J many more meals besides ; withou* haying had to waste a shot."

The New Zealander in Queens--land. The fat man from down South—the fattest and rosiest and juiciest specimens come from New Zealand -is very much in evidence in tbe. \ streets of Brisbane these hot dam ' Should you fail to discover him jijfleshiness and rubicund color,(Pt fashion and texture of his garments '■ would betray 'him. Under the heavy products of New Zealand loomsadmirable articles though they be in in the land which makes.them—he plods bravely along under a Queensland sun, exuding at every pore. : He 'employs strong language in telling you how hot it is. All day long there is a consuming thirst -upon ■ him, and he longs for a cool pint of Dunedin ale to moisten his parching palate. The beer in Brisbane, he says, is lukewarm in the mouth, and, moreover, he dreads drinking anything strong in these parts, as he has been forewarned about heat-' apoplexy ahd sunstroke, and the "jim jams," and other horrors : attendant on sub-tropical potations/) The "prickly heat" has seized ovJ him badly also, His nose and facial^

clearing generally are covered'wiM-' spots like scarlatina. Ho is' !jM bearded like the pard, and woua shave, he tells you, but for the state of his throat and chin, He yearns to pull down his socks in the street, and scratch himself like a newly caught Hielaudinan, He drinks all. the hop beer and lemon squash and • warm water and tea he can lay his handson, movingthe fountainsof persperation to increased activity. Brisbanehe thinks a fine place-much finer than Wellington or Oamaru, but too much blessed with flies'; and mosquitoes and thermometer weather. He is incessantly inquiring .' how long the summer lasts here, and when told that things will cool down ■' a little in May or June, he looksdesperateand disconsolate by turns. He can't eat anything to speak of ,but porridge and jmdduigs and " pap " of that sort, and he wonders ruefully if his normal healthy appetite for butcher meat is gone for ever. He declares half the girls in Brisbane have prickly heat oh their noses and chins like himself. law short, he is dyspeptic and biliouM: aid out of sorts with himself and hisTr environment, ( He might count for ' something in 'slow-going New Zealand, but he admits himself he is of - mighty little account in bustling ' Brisbane. Let him take heart of grace, however, if he should read this friendly sketch, and, shedding his heavy tweeds and hard sombre hat, don the light white raiment of. Bananaland, soon, with less to drink and returning appetite, life will ' assume a more cheerful aspect, and under the cool verandah he will learn to feel the glory of the evening sky, or to enjoy a genial pipe over tho" National" Boomerang. Nay, on a closer inspection he may come to discover that the chins of our ' girls have no prickly pimples or other excrescences, though their faces may lack something'of the'florid'bloom of the ghls heleft behmd 'him'iii Maoriland,—Boomerang!. : ,; -'> "''

Taratahi-Carterton Road Board; The ordinary. monthly meeting ofA the above Board was held on day last. Present;; Messrs Hi s}••<:■ Bunay (Chairrnaii v , /.' Eayner, Biff.'Dorset, W.,Parker, B. Braithwai{e,''J. Stevens, W. B. Allen, and />• E.'Morgan, minutes of"the ::•:• preyious «ieetin» having been" reaij ';'s

and confirmed tbo Treasurer reported a credit balance to the general fund of M, bank overdraft £lO7, and outstanding rales £247. The statot ".incut of accounts for each ward was read and approved, Correspondence • inwards: From Chief Surveyor stating that the department could not undertake to rectify surveys, where the old lines had been obliterated. From Mr Kummer asking for a track to be cut from Kaiwhata toWharemna. Resolved that the matter bo loft in the hands of tho wardons for No 8 ward. From Mr T. Price asking for permission to construct a tramway at Dalefield, also to be allowed to cut a drain. The Board decided, to allow ' the tram according to the usual conditions and tho mattov of tho drain was left in the hands of the wardens, Messrs Morgan and Stevons,_ Mr James Hooper asked that repairs bo done on Nix's lino aud offered to give the gravol for the same, and Mr T. Udy offered to give £5 towards the job, Tho warden stated that there was about 55 chains. Resolved that M tenders bo called foftho work, to close in a fortnight. Mr S.M, Hart waited on the Board in reference to a ohanuel being cut in the Maungatarari river so as to lot it have a straight course to enable him to make uso of some of his land which he was debarred from doing on account of the bend in the river. Tho wardens for No 5 and 0 wards were deputed to inspeot the sarao and report to noxt meeting. The-Wardons unanimously • agreed to pay their share of the rent to tho library for the use of the offices, and spoke rather strongly at the stand the Borough Council had taken against it at their last meeting as the library is a Carterton institution. A long discussion ensued on the matter of Dorset's road, when it was resolved that notice be given to owners of property to reinovo their

jA fences to their proper boundaries and %in default the Board take steps to have them removed. .Resolved that Mr Underbill have notice to remove all obstructions from the bridge near the Belvedere School. Mr Stevens moved that public notice be given that the bridge leading to the swamp road, Matarawa is unsafe for over *, 2| tons weight—Carried. Tenders ' for thirty chains ditching on Para Eoad :—Kolf 83 Cdper chain (accepted). Declined—Coradson 9s per chain; J. P. Petersen 9s Gd per chain. Fifty chains metalling Brooklyn Eoad:—btevens & Co. £B7 9s (accepted). Declined—Jobn Gormon 36s 6s per chain; Gardner and Go. £O7; E. Butler £99; Corlett, • 89s 9d per chain, Tenders for some fresh works were ordered to be called for and the Chairman gave notice that the question of main road maintenance bo settled next meeting. Accounts amounting to £B7O were passed for payment (tbo aforesaid sum included interest on loans). The Chairman was authorised to get / some timber for the Board's use from « the Gladstone sawmills, and the. meeting adjourned.

A Stupid Joke. A reprehensible trick was recently perpetrated shortly after midnight in the Grand Hotel, Spring-street, Melbourne, and caused a serious ■ pauic there. Tho Ago says that about 12.10 a.m. the majority of the |k inmates having retired to rest, an 7 unearthly yell was heard, followed immediately after by screams of "Fire! Fire!" The screams came from a room in the southern portion of the fourth story, and were of such a piercing character as to rouse the inmates out of their sleep, The night porter rushed upstairs, and seeing a brilliant red light shining through the windows facing the west, ■*M added to the excitement by calling !& out loudly that the place was on were filled with ladies running about 'en deskUh screaming loudly for help, followed by a number of children, who intensified the confusion by crying loudly. One lady fainted as she endeavored to get down stairs, and was trampled upon by those who were rushing after her in their anxiety to get out of the building, A number of gentlemen, among whom were several of the American baseball players, ondeavored to discover where the fire was, and foun J that the intense red glare died away as suddenly as it had burst out. A closer inspection proved that it must have beon caused by someone burning limelight material. When the alarm was first raised, a Mr Man-

ning, one of the American baseball * players, opened the window of his room and looked out into a large A vacant space in the centre of the to ascertain the cause of the confusion and screaming. No sooner had he done so than he was struck a severo blow on the head with an empty whisky bottle, evidently dropped from the flat above, His head was cut open and. he fell to Hie ground in an insonsible condition. One of bis comrades sleeping in the same room went to his assistance, and finding him bleeding profusely from a severecut on the head, sent for a medical man, and Dr Charles Ryan 'Soon arrived on the scene. On regaining consciousness it was found that Mr Manning had fortunately escaped serious injury, as the bottle in its descent striking him on the side of the head and glancing off. merely tore the flesh from the scalp, In the meantime the ladies, of whom there were about sixty, several of them in a helpless state, owing to nervous excitement,, were informed of the cause of the alarm, and

though their fears were quieted they . returned to their rooms with groat W reluctance. Many of tko genllomon residing in the establishment, expressed groat indignation at the stup ; d "joke,'' and when the manager of the hotel appeared a short time after the oxcitomcnt had abated, they demanded that a search should be made ior tho offender. From the accounts given ho hesitated to act at onco, and tho result was that the perpetrator escaped detection.