four solo voices with pianoforte accompaniment
by Arthur Whiting.]

[Music: WOULD GOD I WERE THE TENDER APPLE BLOSSOM]

This Irish tune[29] is certainly one of the most perfect that can be
imagined, remarkable alike for its organic unity, gained by the
frequent use of the first ascending motive, and for the manner in
which the successive crises are reached. Note in particular the
intensity of the final climax, in measure 13, attained by a repetition
of the preceding phrase.

[Footnote 29: For Irish folk-songs the best collections are the one by
Villiers Stanford and a _Cycle_ by Arthur Whiting, prepared in the
same way as that just cited on Scottish melodies.]

[Music: EN PASSANT PAR LA LORRAINE AVEC MES SABOTS]

This charming song[30] from Lorraine exemplifies that rhythmic
vivacity and lightness of touch so characteristic of the French.

[Footnote 30: Taken from an excellent collection of _Chansons
Populaires_ edited by Julien Tiersot.]

Observe the piquant effect, in the final phrase, produced by the
elision of a measure; there being in the whole song 31 measures
instead of the normal 32 (16 + 16).

[Music: Old Hungarian Folk-song]

Hungarian folk-music[31] is noted for its syncopated rhythm and its
peculiar metric groupings. It is also often highly embroidered with
chromatic notes; the Hungarian scale, with _two_ augmented intervals,
being an intensification of our minor mode, _e.g._

[Music]

[Footnote 31: The best popular collection of Hungarian melodies is
that by Francis Korbay, the texts for which were translated and
arranged by the American novelist, J.S. of Dale. It is well known what
artistic use has been made of Hungarian melodies and rhythms by
Schubert, Liszt and Brahms.]

Russia is fortunate in her musical inheritance; for not only has she a
wealth of folk-songs, but her famous composers, Balakireff, Borodin
and Rimsky-Korsakoff--who are men of letters as well--have published
remarkable editions of these national melodies. The Russian folk-songs
express, in general, a mood of sombreness or even depression--typical
of the vast, bleak expanses of that country, and of its downtrodden
people. These songs are usually in the minor mode--often with sudden
changes of rhythm--and based on the old ecclesiastical modes, the
Russian liturgy being very ancient and having an historical connection
with that of the Greek church. The folk-music of no nation is more
endowed with individuality and depth of