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CHAPTER VII |
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SULLIVAN AND "THE LOST CHORD"
AS with Bishop and "Home, Sweet Home,"
so with Sullivan it is "The Lost Chord"
of all his songs which will keep his name fresh
in the memory and hearts of the people, apart,
of course, from the popularity of his comic
operas. Sullivan wrote many songs that for
beauty and artistic worth take high rank among
the compositions of masters of English music,
and many other songs of the popular type ; but
none that approached "The Lost Chord" in
popularity. "When he wrote 'The Lost
Chord,'" says a recent writer, "Sir Arthur
Sullivan probably wrote one of the six most
popular songs ever penned."
The story of the circumstances under which
this song was written has been told by Mr.
Arthur Lawrence in his volume of Sullivan's
memoirs, before referred to. It was on the
occasion of the fatal illness of the composer's
elder brother, Frederick, to whom he was deeply
attached, and Sullivan had spent many anxious
nights watching by the sick man's bedside.
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