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FAMOUS SONGS
another subject the veteran author of " Cheer, Boys, Cheer" says: " One summer afternoon when I was playing at the Presbyterian church, Rochester, I made a discovery. It was that sacred music played quickly makes the best kind of secular music. It was quite by accident that playing the 'Old Hundredth' very fast I pro-duced the air of' Get out o' de way Old Dan Tucker;' this was the first of a good many minstrel songs that I composed or rather adapted from hymn tunes played quickly. Among them are ' Lucy Long,' ' Ober de Mountain/ and ' Buffalo Gals.' "
Leaving Henry Russell, we turn to one of England's great national songs, "The death of Nelson," the music of which was composed by Braham. This was first sung in an opera called "The Americans," produced in 1806. The words of the opera and the lyrics were by Samuel James Arnold, the son of Dr. Arnold, composer of the " Maid of the Mill" and over forty other operas, who died in 1802. S. J. Arnold's first venture was a stage version of " Auld Robin Gray" in 1794, when only a little over twenty years of age. This was followed, in 1795, by " Who Pays the Reckoning," " The Shipwreck" in 1796, "The Irish Legacy" in 1797," The Veteran Tar" in 1801, " Foul Deeds
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