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232 A CENTURY OF BALLADS
field; Hermann Lohr's "Songs of the Norse-land," produced at a Butt-Rumford concert at the Albert Hall; and in lighter vein "The Old Grey Fox" (M. V. White) and Squire's "Three for Jack." His singing of the " Four Serious Songs " of Brahms, and other classical songs, hardly comes under the heading of this book.
Rumford relates an amusing experience he had once at a concert up north. Somehow or other his luggage had got lost en route, and he had no other clothes to appear in. However, the violoncellist of the evening, who happened to be something near Rumford's size, offered to help him out of the difficulty, and the two accordingly played the parts of "quick-change artists," each appearing in the same dress suit alternately!
One other little story that Rumford tells bears a sentimental interest. "Whilst living at Birkenhead," he says, "I was in London on a visit, and having half an hour to spare, turned into St. James's Hall. Before hurrying to the station I had only time to hear two items on the programme—one a song by Plunket Greene, who became one of my dearest friends, and the other ' Kathleen Mavourneen,' by the lady who is now my wife."
Public singers are often inundated with requests for autographs, but these are not always so amusing as the following effusion, which was |
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