No. 3 was much sung here last season, by Madame Cinti, who can render almost anything agreeable. It would be thought long in the hands of singers of the second class, though there is a great deal of originality in the first movement, and considerable merit in the whole. But the latter part is certainly too much spun out, the first stanza being repeated over and over again till it becomes somewhat fatiguing. The effect of this considerably depends on action; it is therefore better suited to the stage than to concert or drawing-rooms.

The three ballads by Mr. Lee all possess a certain degree of insipid prettiness, which enables them to pass uncensured, for they exhibit no fault in composition, or in the setting of the words; while it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to discover a single original trait in any one of them. Hence they are easily understood by an audience, and give not the slightest trouble to either singer or accompanist in private.

  1. GLEE, The New-Year’s Welcome, for three voices, the words by EDWARD MORTON, Esq.; composed by T. COOKE. (Morton, late Dean.)
  2. BALLAD, ‘I’ll ne’er forget that happy hour,’ composed by Mrs. P. MILLARD. (Chappell.)
  3. ‘The little bark goes slowly on,’ the poetry by L. O. CUMMING, A.M.; the music by Mrs. GEORGE BUBB. (Duff.)
  4. SONG, ‘From thy shores, my loved Scotland,’ composed by H. R. BISHOP. (Chappell.)
  5. BALLAD, ‘Waken, O waken! my bonnie dove,’ composed by FRED. W. HORNCASTLE. (Hawes.)
  6. ODE to the memory of Sir WALTER SCOTT, ‘The Minstrel sleeps,’ written by ROBERT GILFILLAN; composed by FINLAY DUN. (Edinburgh, Paterson and Ray.)
  7. SONG, ‘Come sing to me,’ the words by Miss E. ACTON, the music by FINLAY DUN. (Paterson and Co.)
  8. BALLAD, ‘My own,’ the poetry by CHARLES SWAIN, Esq., composed by EDWIN J. NIELSON. (Purday.)
  9. SCOTCH SONG, ‘What care I for gowd and gear,’ written by WILLIAM PAUL, the music by JAMES P. CLARKE. (Glasgow, Brown.)
  10. SONG, ‘As gentle rains refresh the earth,’ written by C. V. INCLEDON, composed by T. H. SEVERN. (Hawes.)
  11. SONG, ‘You ask me for a pledge, love,’ composed by J. F. LEESON. (Goulding and Co.)
  12. BALLAD, ‘O saftly sleep, my bonnie bairn,’ poetry by LEITCH RITCHIE, Esq., composed by R. A. ROWE. (Dean.)

No. 1 is as easy to sing as it was to write. The composer certainly did not rack his brains in search of novelty when he put this glee on paper; neither, we are equally sure, did he bestow much thought of any kind on any one line of it.

No. 2 is well set, as regards accentuation, and the melody, though made up of not any uncommon phrases and cadences, is far from inelegant, and the whole is quite easy.

No. 3, meant to be descriptive of a calm followed by a storm, is not very successful. The first part may perhaps pass, but it was a great mistake to relate the fatal catastrophe in notes which described stillness and security—in a kind of da capo.