4G0 " IVhether Music is necessary to the Orator, c^c." 



Analysis of " Gnd save the Kin a." 



This noble composition, as origin;iIlv designed, viz. indepen- 

 dently of the embellishment, or f>;race which was afterwards in- 

 trodu "ed into the pen\dtin)ate bar, will be fovmd on inspection 

 to su.'jass the diapciite by a single semitone — no more ! It 

 contains, in its present form, 42 notes; and proceeds in the fol- 

 loWir.g manner by repetitions and gradations. 



Repetitions 8 



Semitones 12 



Tones 18 



Minor 3d 1 



riajor 3d 1 



FiftL 1 



41 



Add the coir.mencing note . . . , 1 



42 notes, as stated. 



Were it necessary to product- an additional subject for analysis, 

 I would prefer for the purpose, above all others, that model of 

 chaste composition " Hope, thou Nurse" in the opera of'* Love 

 in a Villa£e," wliich song, when ably executed, never fails to 

 delight. Of this, however, it win be sufficient to remark, that its 

 nidest interval is a tone (with the exceprion of one minor 3d), 

 and that its extremes are limited to a minor 7th. 



I shall proceed no further in defence of the dinpenie, which, 

 if my judgement be not inaccurate, the well-formed oi-ator will 

 never covet, in any one clause of a sentence to surpass ; but witii 

 regard to the very great imperfection of our notes, or rather, 

 the notes of thcSt'EAKER, is tius defensible, cither on the ground 

 of chasteness or expression ? Is it not rather probable, that it 

 arose partly from imitation or habit inconsiderately called nature^ 

 and partly from the non-cultivation of his ear ? And may we not 

 thus account for the numerous uiulefinable intervals, which, in 

 speech, are every instant discoverable tliroughout society ? 



i3uch then having become the general usage of our country, 

 xvould it not appear that tlie cultivation of music in the ordinary 

 war, can by no means remtmerate tlie orator for his inevitable 

 loss of time and trouble ? Stiil, must not the exercise of the 

 speaking voice under an experienced master, who, iii addition 

 to every other requisite, shall possess an exquisite ear, l>e highly 

 beneficial ? A person so qualified to teach, especially if a scien- 

 .tific musical composer, would avail himself of all the advantages 

 of his art, without violation of decorum. He would design the 

 most suitable intervals for well-selected passages j regulate, as 



far 



