Poet Who Could Not Sing
DP you know that Sir Walter Scott as a boy was always in hot water with his singing master. The master, a man called Alexander Campbell, taught all the Scott boys, but Robert Scott was the only one of the family who could sing. The master got it into his head that young Walter was just stubborn, and made no allowance for his bad musical ear, Walter’s father was musical, and played the ’cello at concerts. Mr. Campbell, the singing teacher, had a bad temper, and used to thrash the boys when their singing was too bad to be borne. You can just imagine the noise and rumpus all this would make. One of Scott’s neighbours was Lady Cumming, and the uproar got so bad that she sent to ask that all the boys be not thrashed at one and the same time. Lady Cumming did not doubt that the punishment was deserved, but the noise was too dreadful. We have it from Sir Walter Scott that it was only by long practice that he was able to acquire the power of telling one melody from another. He loved to
hear his daughter sing old Scottish folk songs, but it was the words more than the music that moved him. — ("Junior Encyclopaedia of the Air,’ by " Ebor." 2YA, January 26.)
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19420220.2.12.2
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 139, 20 February 1942, Page 5
Word count
Tapeke kupu
225Poet Who Could Not Sing New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 139, 20 February 1942, Page 5
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in