une 4.
In these days of jazz music and jazz songs, which hold 80} strong a position in the world of entertainment, whether it be public or private, one hears comparatively little of the old songs and old music which are essen-ally British. But many of the old British songs and melodies retain all their charm and appeal, despite the ultra-modern attack, and Britons are still able to sing them with a vigour and an en-Jjoyment which show no signs of diminishing with the advance of years. These thoughts were given rise to in consequence of a dinner party—obviously an all-British affair—which was held in the Western district one nigh this week. The members of this party, scorning that Shanghai custom which has become almost a tradition of rushing to a daneing place or a cinema immediately dinner is over, decided instead to stay at the house of their] hosts; and for practically four hours—from ten till about two in the morning—they literally made the welkin ring with chord, uses and verses and snatches of ancient and modern, English and Trish and Scottish songs and ballads, An enthralled list one who at first was in his bed but who afterwards took sanctuary on his verandah with a mass of prosaic reading stuff, was surprised at the number and variety of old songs and tunes that could be resuscitated in the brief space of two hours; but when three hours had passed and there was ne noticeable diminution in either the rate of revival or the fervour of expression, he was utterly amazed, both at the wealth of British song-lore and the knowledge and ability of those who could so spontaneously revive so much of it. Among the characters who have been immortalized by British song writers, the minstrel boy whose visit. to the wars in the late nineties had such. unfortunate consequences to himself, came in for generous treatment; those charming if mythical creatures, Mesdames Dolly Gray and Rosy O'Grady, were lauded to the skies; and a really great tribute was paid the much-adored and long-lamented, Miss Laurie.—It seemed, about' one o'clock, that there was a danger of the British supply running out, and the listener received a great shock when he was informed, sans warning, that the singers were temporarily unprovided with bananas. Then followed a strong, but intensely British. spurt; but eventually even that commenced to peter out and the Songsters offered a sort of compromise in "Holy, Holy, Holy," Onward, Christian Soldiers" and "Abide With Me." The National Anthem came as what proved to be a false climax. as before the party dispersed the Deity was fervently, if a trifle inharmoniinvoked to shower his on Edward Albert Patrick David, Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester and Duke of Cornwall; and finally, there was a unanimous agreement in answer to the famous question regarding auld Jong syne and the human me-mary. Truly, the loud pedal and the human voice make a great combination, and if, in the case under review, the effect was such as not fully to be appreciated by a sick little child, that must be put down as one of the disadvantages of being extremely young.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.