III. Ride on, proud ship of state, tho' tempests low'r, Tho' fierce the blast may be, No blast shall shatter thee; Sunshine once more. Chorus. God save our Fatherland, blest home of God save our Fatherland, One evermore. CHORUS. ALTO. TENOR. One in her hills and streams, One in her glorious dreams, One in love's noblest themes! God save our Father-land, True home of Freedom! あす God save our Father-land, True home of Freedom! O BASSO. God save our Father-land, True home of Freedom! These words seem to have been written, merely as the vehicle of the music which accompanies them. Yet they are nervous, spirited, warm with the fire of patriotism, and have a fine, manly rhythm. The music stands in the first rank of its class. The simplicity of its motive, and the strength and symmetry of the whole composition give it a noble beauty. It is in the highest style of plain choral writing; and the feeling which it inspires, no less than the purity with which it is written, make it a work of which no composer need be ashamed. Why then not accept it as a national hymn? Because, simple as it is, for the public at large it is absolutely unsingable. People generally would be puzzled to discover its melody, much more to retain God save our Father-land. One ev it. They would say that it had no tune. These objections apply, too, with peculiar force to the chorus, that part of a national hymn which should be least obnoxious to them. The melody of the chorus is dif ferent from that of the solo part, and it is based upon modulation; a radical objection which, of course, applies equally to the harmonies. In the chorus of a national hymn, the harmony should be confined to the three primary chords, with, perhaps, the rare addition of the seventh. Upon these harmonies can be based all the effects desirable for such a song. But there is yet another, and a more essential objection to this music as that of a national hymn, an objection which does not in the least touch its intrinsic beauty, which has to do with the kind, not the degree, of its Cres. One in her hills and streams, One in her glorious dreams, One in her hills and streams, One in her glorious dreams, One in her hills and streams, One in her glorious dreams Cres. excellence. With all its strength and dignity, it is not confident; and a national hymn should be, above all things, confident in tone, though not aggressive. Its office is to cheer and to inspire. But the spirit of this melody is prayerful, tearful. True, its supplication is majestic, its grief is noble. So might Moses, hopebereft, have implored upon the lonely top of Pisgah: so might the stricken Peter have wept in the outer court of Caiphas. But if it fitly uttered the woes of the whole hierarchy of prophets, and the aspirations of all the archangels, it would be none the less unfitted for the use of a nation of determined men. The next song is merely a direct and fervent rhythmical utterance of the sentiments and aspirations f f Molto Ritard. One in Love's no-blest themes, One ever - more. which fill the heart of every patriot when he turns his thoughts upon his country. And this is just what a national hymn for our people should be. Nothing is lacking to such a song as this but that great lack, the music that will give it voice and win it universal favor.* *I add here the music of a song received by the committee the melody of which, though unsuited to a national hymn, is purely vocal, of an elegant symmetry and enchanting sweetness. Its author has evidently been an admiring student of Mozart; but he has given us no imitation of him except a reminiscence of " Vedrai carino" in the bass of the first strain. There is a striking similarity, extending to the harmony and movement of inner parts, between the third strain of this composition and the fifth of Mr. Willis's. Is it an unconscious reminiscence by both composers which their critic is unable to trace? |