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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
446
(I)avourr;eer;.
While at Drury Lane he assisted in the produc-
tion of John Howard Payne's " Clara, the Maid
of Milan," in which "Home, Sweet Home"
THE; EVENTFUL LIFE OF WILLIAM CROUCH,
was sung for the first time by Miss Stephens,
WHOSE FAME WAS WON FIFTY YEARS AGO.
subsequently Countess of Essex.
At Drury Lane Crouch composed his first
^
WILLIAM NICHOLLS
M* CROUCH was born in Warren street, ballads—"Zephyrs of Love" for Miss Annie
Fitzroy square, London, July 31, 1808. His Tree, and "The Swiss Song of Meeting," for
father, William F. Crouch, was a composer of the famous diva, Mme. Malibran. His high
instrumental music and one of the leading vio- position as master musician and composer now
loncellists at the Royal Italian Opera. His led to an intimate social acquaintance with
mother was Anne Maria Nicholls, daughter of many of the leading writers, actors and artists
Counsellor Nicholls, a celebrated London bar- of the day, among whom were Dickens, Thack-
rister. From immemorial time the Crouch eray, Mark Lemon. Douglas-s Jerrold, Campbell,
family resided near Stonehenge, on Salisbury Rogers, Sheridan Knowles, John Hewitt, A. A.
Plain, and nearly all of the male members for Watts, Mrs. Hemans, Mrs Norton, Miss Mit-
several generations, especially during the six- ford, and scores of others who were in frequent
teenth and seventeenth centuries, were favor- attendance at his musical soirees. On one
ably known as painters of historical and scrip- occasion, while Crouch was executing a difficult
tural subjects, organists and composers of solo before Rossini, Bochsa. the conductor, was
sacred music ; men of genius all, and many of
them renowned in their respective arts, as show n
by their works which still exist in Exeter
Cathedral and the churches in the western
bishoprics of England. William Crouch, his
grandfather, was a noted organist and composer
of church music, whose works were highly
valued during the last quarter of the seventeenth
century. He was for a long period organist of St.
Luke's Church, by Bedlam Madhouse, London.
The subject of this sketch can boast that he
worked his way through the world from the
first. He was an industrious and self-rely ing
boy, whose youth evinced no special promise of
the honorable renown which would come to him
in future years. The rule which he adopted
at a very early period was, to "study hard and
never waste his time or money." He relates
that the first book purchased by his own money
was " The Seven Champions of Christendom,"
price four shillings, and from the knightly char-
acters in this work he laid the foundation of an
earnest, conscientious life, which remained un-
tarnished through all subsequent years. His
early boyhood, however, was as full of change-
ful vicissitudes as those which fell upon his
venerable head in later years. At the age of 9
he commenced his professional career at the
Royal Coburg Theatre on a weekly salary of 24
shillings. The theatre was five miles from his
home, and his duty required him to walk to it
1. Wonderful in Tone quality.
twice each day.
Rich, deep, bell like and pure.
Leaving this place, he united with the Down
and Falkner troupe, playing in Yorkshire and 2. Wonderful in strength of frame.
the provincial cities. He then drifted into Scot-
Strongest possible combination of woods glued
land, where he joined Ryder's company at the
and bolted together.
Caledonia Theatre, Edinburgh. An unsuccess- 3. Wonderful in improving by age and use.
ful season led to the disbandment of the Ryder
Pianos sold five years ago are said to be better
company, and young Crouch was again thrown
in tone than when they were sold.
upon his own resources. He entered the mer-
chant service as a common seaman, and was em- 4. Wonderful in selling qualities.
Tone, action, style, finish, patented improve-
ployed during the next two years on vessels
ments all taking.
plying between London and Leith. His next
venture was to enter the service of Evans at his 5. Wonderful in popularity,
celebrated cider cellar in Covent Garden, during
Even our strongest competitors all praise them.
which period he boarded with his mother, and,
6.
Wonderful in phenomenal success.
as fortune would have it, a member of her
Only
5 years since the first A. B. CHASE
household was William Watts, Secretary of the
pianos
were made, and now they are taking
Philharmonic Society, under whom he was en-
the
lead
everywhere.
abled to resume his musical studies. Watts
also obtained for him a position as violoncellist 7. Wonderful in character of its agents.
in the orchestra of Drury Lane Theatre, then
The very best men in the trade seek the agency
under the management of Stephen Price. Here
for these instruments. No others need apply.
he remained year after year working, studying,
For terms and territory, address:
and always advancing, until at last he was for-
tunate enough to reach the principal desk, to
which he was assigned by Henry R. Bishop.
NORWALK, OHIO.
THE WONDERFUL
A. B. CHASE
PIANOS.
THE A. B. CHASE CO.,
so amazed at its perfection that he made him
his pupil; and at the age of twenty such re-
markable indications of vocal excellence had
manifested themselves that he was transferred
to William Hawes, then master of music at St.
Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and the
chorister of the Chapel Royal. Under this mas-
ter Crouch devoted his whole time to the study
of the Episcopal high church service and the
works of Handel. Finally, after a hard and
exceedingly laborious life, he became a student
at the Royal Academy of Music, where his
special line of study was continued under the
immediate supervision of the celebrated Italian,
Crevilli. His classmates were Stemdale Ben-
nett, Lucas Mudie, Anna Rivers, and others
whose names have long since become famous in
the annals of classic music.
So proficient had Crouch now become, and so
accurately had he studied the " rules of cadence
and rhythmic classics of the masters," that
Tombooke and John L Hatton were the only
English musicians who ventured to contest with
him for the palm of supremacy. While still at
the Royal Academy his services were frequently
in demand at Buckingham Palace and Windsor
Castle, and the phenomenal ability there dis-
played led to his promotion as "Gentleman
of Queen Adelaide's private band. His position
as a member of the Royal Academy also necessi-
tated his attendance at the funeral ceremonies
of William IV. and the coronation of Quttn
Victoria.
It is a curious but characteristic feature in
Crouch's life that he should have been actuated
by an almost uncontrollable propensity for
change of situation ; hence he was led to invest
his accumulated means in Kent, where he found-
ed a zinc furnace and rolling mill. This un-
musical venture proved a total failure, for it was
no sooner established than the young poet went
" troubadouring " into the provinces and allow-
ed his manufacturing interests to fail through
sheer neglect. For years well known as a musi-
cal artist of extraordinary ability, he now awoke
on the barks of the Tamar and found himself so
sweelly renowned that the world will ever hold
his memory green and precious. Fame came to
him on the melodious echoes of "Kathleen
Mavourneen," a song founded on a story writ-
ten by Mrs. Crawford, whose autobiography was
then appearing in Capt. Marryat's Metropolitan
Magazine. The success of this tender and
pathetic ballad was as spontaneous as it was
lasting, and it is said to have brought its Lon-
don publishers more money than the whole of
Crouch's other works combined. It was first
sung at the club of the literati of the nobility,
and its reception was so hearty as to lead to its
being sung at all the leading societies. On one
occasion, where it had been received with a perfect
storm of applause, an enthusiastic nobleman
sent the composer and singer a check for ^100.
Following this success was his appointment as
musical editor of Marryat's Metropolitan Maga-
zine, in which many of his subsequent works
were published, the most notable, " Echoes of
the Lakes."
He resigned this position to accept the more
lucrative editorship of the musical publications
of D'Almainse & Co., of Soho Square, this house
contracting for all his works during the ensuing
seven years. The following list will show how
actively the young poet was occupied during
this period: "Echoes of the Past," "Bardic
Remains," " Songs of the Past," "Songs of the
Olden Times," "Songs of a Rambler," "Songs
Used Exclusirely in Seidl,
Thomas and Gilmore Concerts
at Madison Square Garden,
New York.
130 Fifth Avenue, corner x8tn Street, N e w York.
BOSTON,
NEW YORK,
CHICAGO.