Familiar Songs - Their Authors & Histories

Share page


	ALLAN WATEB.	301
	Sir Walter Scott says of Lewis: " How few friends one has whose faults are only ridiculous. His visit was one of humanity, to ameliorate the condition of his slaves. He did much good by stealth, and was a most generous creature." Lewis died at sea in 1818. The familiar music is the composition of Charles Edward Horn. He was born in London, in 1786. His father was a noted German musician, but the son surpassed him. He evinced musical talent very early, became one of the finest baritone singers in London, wrote many operas, and composed some of the sweetest and most popular ballad airs of his day. Chorley speaks of him as "one of those delicious and refined English tune composers, to whom the time present offers no equivalent." Unfortunately for his airs, they were too often set to meaningless words, and so have perished. Horn came to the United States, and sang in the Park Theatre in New York, but lost his voice, and afterward kept a music store. His wife was also a well-known singer. He died in New York in 1849.