Of the language I failed to understand one word. One thing, however, struck me, and this was that even in the final cadence there was no leading note[3], and that the style of note-succession reminded me of Scotch music.
As nearly as I could approximate it, the key suggested G minor, and the final notes sounded like the following:—
This, of course, may have been the idiosyn
cracy of the singer, but each verse, as I heard it, was consistent one with the other.
Doubtless such an authority as Mr. Cecil Sharp would be able to give an explanation of so interesting an experience.
It should be borne in mind that music, for long ages, was transmitted from one individual to another through the ear alone. The invention of a musical notation, even of the most primitive kind, being comparatively recent. The art of reading from it, in the Middle Ages, was practically restricted to the monks, whose creation it was.
Even to this day musical sight-reading is only mastered by comparatively few of a large population.
On this important point, the majority of the people of England are certainly not musical.
We shall later on deal with the earliest known examples of English vocal and instrumental music. For the moment we will consider the means at the disposal of the music-minded in mediæval days.