"By the dark rolling waters ; " a Glee for
four voices. The Words from Ossian. By J. M‘Munms, Mus. Bac. Oxon.
This is a very favourable specimen of that class of glees of which STEVENS'S "Some of my heroes" was the first, and perhaps the best. Mr. 111‘Mtranzes opens with an impressive bass solo, followed by a short chorus, introductory to an animated fugue, which is somewhat too briefly dismissed. Another solo leads into the final chorus or dirge. We remember to have heard this glee at Mr. E. TAYLOR'S concert, and that it received there a very decided and deserved mark of approbation from the audience.
Nos. 1, 2, 3, of a Collection of Sacred Music, with an Accompaniment for the Organ or Pianoforte. By W. HORSLEY, Mus. Bac. Oxon.
These numbers comprise KENT'S well-known Anthem, " Hear my prayer," the Easter Hymn, and BYRD'S Canon "Non nobis Domine." If these numbers be specimens of a periodical work, we should Lave expected, from Mr. HORSLEY'S intimate acquaintance with the music of the church, a better selection. His own compositions, to look no further, would have furnished choicer materials. Of Kswr's anthem, we have already a dozen arrangements; and it is an employment unworthy the author of "God is our hope and strength," to be spending his time in arranging the music of a second-rate church composer. The Easter Hymn is introduced in almost every existing" collection of psalm tunes, and needed no separate reprint ; and the same may be said of BYRD'S Canon, in reference to collections of glees. We suspect that Mr. HORSLEY has nothing to do with the selection, which has probably been made by the publishers from the catalogues of their neighbours. We should advise them, laving placed the work of arrangement in Lands so able (and in commendation of this department of it, it would be idle inns to enlarge), to leave that of selection to the same individual. A valuable addition to our catalogue of sacred music would then be made available to general use.
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