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The National Music of America. 119
many witnesses to this fact, and the idea that Carey could have purloined so striking a melody without being detected may be dismissed as absurd. The resemblances alluded to above are undoubtedly existent, but they prove nothing. Any great national song, intended to be performed by great masses of singers, often untrained, must be of simple construction ;' and " God Save Great George, our King " was almost entirely in conjunct movement, scarcely any skips occurring in the melody. Its entire compass is less than an octave, a very great merit. Such a tune, however, will always bear a family resemblance to many others. The chief theme of the finale of Beethoven's ninth symphony, for example, is as close to
tional English Airs," p. 86; Cummings's articles in the Musical Times, March to August, 1878; and the essay in the first volume of Chrysander's " Jahrbucher."
1 That the " Star-spangled Banner " and " Hail Columbia " are not so, is due to the fact that they were not originally national or patriotic songs. |
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