osition which he still holds, and in which he
has displayed signal ability. Mr. Singer has written many compositions
for piano and orchestra, and besides his "Festival Ode," the cantata
"Landing of the Pilgrims" (1876).

The Landing of the Pilgrims.

"The Landing of the Pilgrims," written in 1876, was Mr. Singer's
Centennial offering to the patriotic music of that year. The text of the
cantata is the familiar poem written by Mrs. Felicia Hemans, which was
first set to music by her own sister, Miss Browne, though in somewhat
different style from this work of the modern school.

The cantata opens with an instrumental prelude which gives out the
principal motive as we afterwards find it set to the words, "With their
Hymns of lofty Cheer;" and truly lofty cheer it is, that antique, strong
melody. Breathed softly at first, as from afar, it is repeated after a
rapid crescendo with the whole weight of the orchestra, to melt away
again on an organ point in more subdued tone-color. In the second
movement (andante) it appears in quadruple time, augmented in its cadence
by a chromatic harmony which serves well to enrich the working-up of this
fine piece of orchestral writing. A short interlude containing the germ
of a second theme, which afterwards appears at the words, "This was their
Welcome Home," now prepares the entrance of the voices. To the words,
"The breaking Waves dashed high," the basses and tenors give out the
first motive, and after declaiming the stormy opening lines of the poem
break forth in unison with "When a Band of Exiles moored their Bark on
the wild New England Shore." The time again changing, the composer very
happily contrasts the phrases, "Not as a Conqueror comes" and "They the
true-hearted came." Soon, however, the ever-pliable principal theme falls
into a martial stride, and a very effective setting of the words, "Not
with the Roll of stirring Drums," concludes the opening male chorus. Here
follows the Centennial Hymn as given out in the beginning, sung first by
an alto voice, and repeated by the full chorus of mixed voices. After the
close, the orchestra, dreaming along in the spell, as it were, seems to
spiritualize the sturdy Pilgrim Fathers into meek Pilgrims of the
Cross,--a piece of exquisite tenderness, Liszt-Wagnerish, and yet
beautiful. After some alto recitatives and short choral phrases, the
leading theme once more enters with heavy martial step to the words,
"There