MUSIC.
Anthem, " 0 Lord 1 grant the King a long life." Composed for the Coronation of King William the Fourth, at Westminster Abbey, September 8th, 1831. By THOMAS Arrwoon.
There are many appointments, and some musical ones, in the gift of Royalty, which have degenerated into sinecures, or become mere jobs. Mr. ATTWOOD, with the feeling of a musician as well as of an upright man, has evinced, in the Anthem before us, that he has no wish so to regard the situation which be has the honour to hold. It is his official duty to write one of the anthems for a coronation ; and he has discharged that duty, not by the hasty scrambling together of a few commonplace phrases, or by a lazy compilation, as was the man- ner of some former musicians to the King. Such is not Mr. An- WOOD'S custom or object. Ile has evidently applied himself to his work, with a desire to render it worthy the office he tills, and worthy his own reputation. On the present occasion, there Was an additional sti- mulus : his former Anthem, " I was glad," has been, deservedly, one of the most popular compositions for the Church within our remembrance. It has been heard at every festival within the last ten years, and the demand for it has occasioned the taro necessity of a publication of the single vocal and instrumental parts. The composer was, no doubt, anxious not to derogate from his well-earned fame, and he has suc- ceeded. We have heard that, in constructing his former Anthem, be was restricted to its occupying in performance seven initiates and a liall!-here, he has laboured under no such limitntion ; but it is re- ported that his exertions to contribute to the splendour and interest of the day were received hysorne official dignitaries of the Church in a way which few men of similar station would have submitted to,-and it, particular, that he had to encounter the pertness and insolence of one of " those drossy spirits that need the lure and whistle of earthly interment," to whom it appeared an impossible thing that any man should have volunteered a duty from which he might have escaped with- out pecuniary loss.
We have said that, in this Anthem, Mr. Arrwoon has outrun his former success on a similar occasion. It has, necessarily, some points of resemblance ; but it is more fully wrought out, and written without an anxious reference to the watch.
Every one knows that " God save the King" is woven into the in- troductory symphony of " I was glad :" here, probably in honour of our Sailor King, the melody of " Rule Britannia" is executed by the horn and trumpet on the repetition of the corresponding movement. This has been cavilled at ; but, to us, it is no indication of bad taste. The air is become so truly a national one, and has withal so much of real grandeur, that, on such an occasion, no improper combination is formed, or incongruous association created. If this air made any impression on the minds of either King or People, it would be that " Bntons never would be slaves," and such an impression it was surely fitting at such a time to make. The voices begin, in simple counteipaint, with one of those graceful and melodious comhimitions which at once seize the hearer's attention, accompanied only by the stringed instruments ; on the ninth bar, the lighter wind instruments arc added ; and the band is gradually strengthened, until, on the repetition of the motives, its hall strength is poured in : the time is gradually increased throughout the movement ; and while the voice parts preserve their due superiority, mid are distinguished by their happy adaptation of sound to sense, the accompaniments are rich, full, and masterly. The concluding fugue i, more rapidly dismissed than we could have wished; the subject is so good, and the introduction of the first niotivo as a second subject so happy, that we regret it was not further pursued. Mr. ATTWOOD Win allow us to suggest, that it would improve the symmetry of the compo- sition, if the word "ever" were sung with the same accentuation in the 21st page as in the 20th. The mode by which this can be accomplished 'will be obvious to him.
The composer, in his dedication to the King, expresses his hope, that his Majesty, having condescended to notice his efforts, will extend his royal patronage to those native talents which, he modestly says, are far superior to any that he can boast, and which will be thereby stbnu- lated to exertion. On this subject, we have said before, and say again, that so long as those English musicians who cater for the public, regu- ]atly prefer any foreign artist to an English one, and make a point of excluding the best English music and admitting the worst French or Italian, it cannot be matter of surprise that their example is followed. They must help themselves before they are entitled to call on Hercules for help.
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