8 at once upon Dr. Arne's song. Still the dramatic effect is not attained, as Mr. Linley has written his chorus for first and second sopranos and bass (with a view to performance in the drawing-room only), and not stage situation. for male voices entirely, as required by the Dr. Arne's melody has been arranged as a glee for four male voices, by Sir Henry Bishop, and in that form was introduced into the operatised "Comedy of Errors." In Mr. W. Chappell's work is a simple air to the words of Amiens' song, and there is a little three-voiced "Under the greenwood tree," in a book of vocal compositions by Maria Hester Park (date, about 1790). Lastly, as far as I at present know, there is a very elaborate setting of the song (including the words, "Who doth ambition shun") by Mr. Stafford Smith, 1792. The first soprano part of this composition, which is a glee for four voices, is of a somewhat florid character, and the glee altogether is one which, I doubt not, if it were skilfully performed, would give much pleasure to the Shakespearian musician. Act II. Scene 7. The Forest of Arden. A table set out. [AMIENS sings]. Enter SONG. I. Blow, blow, thou winter wind, Thou art not so unkind, As man's ingratitude; Thy tooth is not so keen Because thou art not seen Although thy breath be rude. Heigh, ho! sing, heigh, ho! unto the green holly; Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly; Then heigh, ho! the holly This life is most jolly. thou winter wind," is of Shakespeare and music. Dr. Arne's beautiful setting of Amiens' song, Blow, blow, course known to everyone who thinks of It does, however, really seem somewhat singular that the Doctor should have omitted to set the burthen, Heigh, ho! the holly," &c. It cannot but be considered as a great mistake not to have set the poem entire. Mr. Linley has remarked upon the fact of this omission, and has accordingly composed the music himself for the burthen, and has added it to Dr. Arne's melody. Mr. Linley, as I imagine, has executed his self-imposed task very felicitously, and it can hardly be conceived that anyone, after hearing the song with Mr. Linley's addition, would ever desire to hear the Doctor's beautiful melody without Shakespeare's "Heigh, ho! the holly," as made musical by Mr. Linley. N.B. Any baritone desirous of singing Amiens' song, with Mr. Linley's added, "Heigh, ho! the holly," will find the whole flow on very pleasantly by transposition into the key of E b, which will then make the highest note fall upon the upper F. Mr. R. J. Stevens has set Amiens' song in its entirety as a fourvoiced glee, for soprano, alto, tenor and bass, producing a very attractive composition of its kind; and Sir Henry Bishop, having harmonised Dr. Arne's air for four male voices (to be introduced into the operatised Comedy of Errors)," has added, with the proper acknowledgment to Mr. Stevens, the burthen from his glee. In this case Sir Henry has raised the key from Bb, the original. key, as sung by Mr. Lowe (at least according to the printed copy), to C, so as to use an alto voice for the melody, accompanied by two tenors and a bass. Of Dr. Arne's melody strictly, there is another arrangement, as a glee for four male voices, by the eminent glee composer John Danby. In this case the original key is retained, so that the glee might be called one for three tenors and a bass. In a collection of vocal music composed by Samuel Webbe, the younger, published about 1830, will be found an elaborate setting, as a glee for five voices, of Amiens' song, complete, as written by Shakespeare. There is a setting of this song by the Hon. Mrs. Dyce Sombre. This is a slow air (in the key of D), and suitable for either contralto or baritone, or indeed for any voice, the compass being only from the lower C to D. The melody is simple, and not without a certain feeling, however remote from the merits of that by Dr. Arne. The burthen, "Heigh, ho! the holly," is omitted. There is also a setting of Amiens' song by Agnes Zimmerman, which I find reviewed in the Athenæum for June the 27th, 1863. Not having seen this setting myself, I must transcribe the words of the critic, who, of this and of another composition by Miss Zimmerman, is pleased to write that they "go far to justify the reputation gained by this young lady in the Royal Academy." The critic then goes on to give his view, that "There is a certain ungraciousness of character in the Shakespeare song, referable, no doubt, to the words; but be it right, be it wrong, we prefer Arne's rendering. The mixture of melancholy, melody and freshness in his setting is almost unparagoned in the library of Shakespeare songs." The latest setting of "Blow, blow, thou winter wind" that I have heard of is one published in 1865 by Messrs. Addison & Lucas. It is as a "part-song," and is composed by R. Schachner. Act IV. Scene 2. The Forest. Enter JAQUES and Lords, in the habit of foresters. "JAQUES. Which is he that kill'd the deer? FIRST LORD. Sir, it was I. JAQUES. Let's present him to the duke, like a Roman conqueror; and it would do well to set the deer's horns upon his head, for a branch of victory. Have you no song, forester, for this purpose? SECOND LORD. Yes, sir. JAQUES. Sing it; 'tis no matter how it be in tune, so it make noise enough. SONG. "1. What shall he have that kill'd the deer? 2. His leather skin, and horns to wear. Take thou no scorn, to wear the horn; It was a crest ere thou wast born. 1. Thy father's father wore it; 2. And thy father bore it. ALL. The horn, the horn, the lusty horn, Is not a thing to laugh to scorn. Then sing him home." The earliest setting of the above song and chorus which I can find is one by John Hilton (of about the year 1652), as a round for the singular, and, as it must be admitted, not very pleasing combination of four bass voices. The composition by Hilton is reproduced in Mr. Charles Knight's "Shakespeare," with a note (of which I propose to avail myself), particularly à propos to the question of the burthen, which seems to involve certain differences of opinion, as I shall proceed to show. Here follows the note referred to: : "The music to this song is from a curious and very rare work, entitled 'Catch that Catch can, or a choice collection of Catches, Rounds, &c., collected and published by John E Hilton, Batch, in Musicke, 1652,' and is there called a catch, though, as in the case of many other compositions of the kind so denominated, it is a round, having no catch or play upon the words to give it any claim to the former designation. It is written for four basses; but by transposition for other voices would be rather improved than damaged. In Hilton's round, the brief line, "Then sing him home," is rejected. The omission was unavoidable in a round for four voices, because in a composition of such limit, and so arranged, it was necessary to give one couplet, and neither more nor less, to each part. But it is doubtful whether that line really forms part of the original text. Printed as one line we have "Then sing him home, the rest shall bear this burthen,' without any variation of type. Is the whole line a stage-direction? Then sing him home' may be a direction for a stage procession." So far from Mr. Knight's note. To me it appears more likely, that, although thus printed in one line, the words "Then sing him home" are a part of the song; and the words, "The rest shall bear this burthen," only a stage-direction. So the matter must have appeared to Mr. Linley, as we shall presently see. Mr. John Stafford Smith having set "What shall he have that kill'd the deer?" as a glee for alto, two tenors and bass, had omitted the burthen in question. This composition Mr. Linley has transferred to his work, adapting it, however, for two sopranos and a bass, apologising, at the same time, for a liberty which he has taken-no other than that of introducing a strain to this very burthen, "Then sing him home;" which, observes Mr. Linley, whether by accident or design, Mr. Smith has not taken notice of. Mr. Linley also adds this remark concerning the words of this burthen : "It is certainly difficult to conceive why they were omitted, if they were designedly. so, as they are surely as strikingly characteristic as any in the whole song." We should have, most probably, quite a large majority of persons in full agreement with Mr. Linley upon the above question. Sir Henry Bishop has evidently inclined that way, and has written, for the Comedy of Errors," in his very effective and dramatic style, a setting |