Successful Recitations
E-text prepared by Roy Brown
Edited by
1901
Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue; but if you mouth it, as many of our players do, I had as lief the town-crier spoke my lines. — Hamlet . SHAKESPEARE.
London: S. H. Bousfield & Co., Ld., Norfolk House, Norfolk Street W.C. London: Printed by H. Virtue And Company, Limited. City Road.
Many things go to the making of a successful recitation.
A clear aim and a simple style are among the first of these: the subtleties which make the charm of much of the best poetry are lost in all but the best platform work. The picturesque and the dramatic are also essential elements; pictures are the pleasures of the eyes, whether physical or mental, and incident is the very soul of interest.
The easiest, and therefore often the most successful, recitations are those which recite themselves; that is, recitations so charged with the picturesque or the dramatic elements that they command attention and excite interest in spite of poor elocution and even bad delivery. The trouble with these is that they are usually soon recognized, and once recognized are soon done to death. There are pieces, too, which, depending upon the charm of novelty, are popular or successful for a time only, but there are also others which, vitalised by more enduring qualities, are things of beauty and a joy for ever.
But after all it is not the Editor who determines what are and what are not successful recitations. It is time, the Editor of Editors, and the public, our worthy and approved good masters. It is the public that has made the selection which makes up the bulk of this volume, though the Editor has added a large number of new and less known pieces which he confidently offers for public approval. The majority of the pieces in the following pages are successful recitations, the remainder can surely be made so.
True Patriotism is the outcome of National home-feeling and self-respect.
Unknown
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SUCCESSFUL RECITATIONS
PREFACE.
PREFATORY.
CONTENTS.
THE ROYAL RECITER
JOHN BULL AND HIS ISLAND.
THE RED ROSE OF WAR.
ENGLAND.
A SONG FOR AUSTRALIA
THE PLOUGHSHARE OF OLD ENGLAND.
THE STORY OF ABEL TASMAN.
THE GROOM'S STORY.
THE HARDEST PART I EVER PLAYED.
THE STORY OF MR. KING.
THE ART OF "POETRY."
THE KING OF BRENTFORD'S TESTAMENT.
UNIVERSALLY RESPECTED.
THE AMENITIES OF SHOPPING.
SHAMUS O'BRIEN: A TALE OF '98.
HOME, SWEET HOME.
THE CANE-BOTTOM'D CHAIR.
THE ALMA.
THE MAMELUKE CHARGE.
MY LADY'S LEAP.
A SONG FOR THE END OF THE SEASON.
THE AGED PILOT MAN.
TIM KEYSER'S NOSE.
THE LOST EXPRESSION.
A NIGHT SCENE.
KARL, THE MARTYR.
THE ROMANCE OF TENACHELLE.
MICHAEL FLYNN.
A NIGHT WITH A STORK.
AN UNMUSICAL NEIGHBOUR.
THE CHALICE.
LIVINGSTONE.
IN SWANAGE BAY.
BALLAD OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN.
PHADRIG CROHOORE.
CUPID'S ARROWS.
THE CROCODILE'S DINNER PARTY.
"TWO SOULS WITH BUT A SINGLE THOUGHT."
A RISKY RIDE.
ON MARRIAGE.
THE ROMANCE OF CARRIGCLEENA.
THE FALSE FONTANLEE.
THE LEGEND OF SAINT LAURA.
DAVID SHAW, HERO.
BROTHERHOOD.
THE STRAIGHT RIDER.
WOMEN AND WORK.
A COUNTRY STORY.
THE BEGGAR MAID.
THE VENGEANCE OF KAFUR.
THE WISHING WELL.
THE TWO CHURCH-BUILDERS.
THE CAPTAIN OF THE NORTHFLEET,
THE HAPPIEST LAND.
THE PIPES AT LUCKNOW.
THE BATTLE OF THE BALTIC.
THE GRAVE SPOILERS.
BOW-MEETING SONG.
THE BALLAD OF ROU.
BINGEN ON THE RHINE.
DEEDS NOT WORDS.
OLD KING COLE.
THE GREEN DOMINO.
THE LEGEND BEAUTIFUL.
THE BELL OF ATRI.
THE STORM.
THE THREE RULERS.
THE HORN OF EGREMONT CASTLE.
THE MIRACLE OF THE ROSES.
THE BRIDAL OF MALAHIDE.
THE DAUGHTER OF MEATH.
GLENARA.
A FABLE FOR MUSICIANS.
THE DECLARATION.
LOVE AND AGE.
HALF AN HOUR BEFORE SUPPER.
HE WORRIED ABOUT IT.
ASTRONOMY MADE EASY.
BROTHER WATKINS.
LOGIC.
THE PRIDE OF BATTERY B.
"BAY BILLY."
THE OLD VETERAN.
SANTA CLAUS.
THE IMPERIAL RECITER
PREFATORY.
CONTENTS.
THE ENGLISHMAN.
ENGLAND GOES TO BATTLE.
ENGLAND ONCE MORE.
GOD DEFEND THE RIGHT.
DOWN IN AUSTRALIA.
AUSTRALIA SPEAKS.
AN IMPERIAL REPLY.
THE BOYS' RETURN.
"SOUND THE ASSEMBLY!"
THE ABSENT-MINDED BEGGAR.
FOR THE EMPIRE.
WANTED—A CROMWELL.
ENGLAND'S IRONSIDES.
THE THREE CHERRY-STONES.
THE MIDSHIPMAN'S FUNERAL.
LADYSMITH.
THE SIX-INCH GUN.
ST. PATRICK'S DAY.
THE HERO OF OMDURMAN.
BOOT AND SADDLE.
THE MIDNIGHT CHARGE.
MAFEKING.
THE FIGHT AT RORKE'S DRIFT
RELIEVED!
HOW SAM HODGE WON THE VICTORIA CROSS.
THE RELIEF OF LUCKNOW.
A BALLAD OF WAR.
THE ALMA.
AFTER ALMA,
BALACLAVA.
AFTER BALACLAVA,
INKERMAN.
KILLED IN ACTION.
AT THE BREACH.
SANTA FILOMENA.
THE LITTLE HATCHET STORY.
THE LOSS OF THE "BIRKENHEAD."
ELIHU.
THE LAST OF THE "EURYDICE."
THE WARDEN OF THE CINQUE PORTS.
ENGLAND'S DEAD.
MEHRAB KHAN.
THE RED THREAD OF HONOUR.
THE PRIVATE OF THE BUFFS.
A FISHERMAN'S SONG.
THE FIELD OF WATERLOO.
THE LAY OF THE BRAVE CAMERON.
A SONG FOR STOUT WORKERS.
AT THE BURIAL OF A VETERAN.
NAPOLEON AND THE BRITISH SAILOR.
THE BURIAL OF SIR JOHN MOORE.
AT TRAFALGAR.
CAMPERDOWN.
THE ARMADA.
MR. BARKER'S PICTURE.
THE WOODEN LEG.
THE ENCHANTED SHIRT.
JIM BLUDSO.
FREEDOM.
THE COORTIN'.
THE HERITAGE.
LADY CLARE.
BREAK, BREAK, BREAK.
THE LORD OF BURLEIGH.
DORA.
MRS. B.'S ALARMS.
SHELTERED.
GUILD'S SIGNAL.
BILL MASON'S BRIDE.
THE CLOWN'S BABY.
AUNT TABITHA.
LITTLE ORPHANT ANNIE.
THE LIMITATIONS OF YOUTH.
RUBINSTEIN'S PLAYING.
OBITUARY.
THE EDITOR'S STORY.
NAT RICKET.
'SPÄCIALLY JIM.
'ARRY'S ANCIENT MARINER.
THE AMATEUR ORLANDO.
A BALLAD OF A BAZAAR.
A PARENTAL ODE TO MY SON, AGED THREE YEARS AND FOUR MONTHS.
'TWAS EVER THUS.
MISS MALONEY ON THE CHINESE QUESTION.
THE HEATHEN CHINEE.
HO-HO OF THE GOLDEN BELT.
THE HIRED SQUIRREL.
BALLAD OF THE TRAILING SKIRT.
TO THE GIRL IN KHAKI.
THE TENDER HEART.
A SONG OF SARATOGA.
THE SEA.
A TALE OF A NOSE.
LEEDLE YAWCOB STRAUSS.
DOT BABY OF MINE.
A DUTCHMAN'S MISTAKE.
THE OWL CRITIC.
THE TRUE STORY OF KING MARSHMALLOW,
THE JACKDAW OF RHEIMS.
TUBAL CAIN.
THE THREE PREACHERS.
SAY NOT THE STRUGGLE.
PATRIOTISM.
TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW.
RING OUT, WILD BELLS.
RULE, BRITANNIA!