James Campbell McInnes 1874-1945Source: Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, Vol. 4, No. 6 (Dec., 1945), p. 254Published by: English Folk Dance + Song SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4521230 .

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OBITUARY

JAMES CAMPBELL McINNES I874-I945

CAMPBELL MCINNES divided a career devoted to singing between this country and Canada. His singing was a part of the English renaissance, since he had a hand in the revival of madrigals, of folk-song, and of Bach, and identified himself with those reformers who wished to raise music, especially singing, from the ranks of a narrowly professional craft to a place in general culture among educated people. This meant primarily a new regard for literary values, words and speech as well as song.

He was born in Lancashire, studied at the R.C.M. and under a succession of great teachers including George Henschel, Charles Santley, William Shakespear and Bouhy of Paris. He was attracted to the folk-song movement in its early days, himself collected in Scotland and worked with Lucy Broadwood and Cecil Sharp. He sang at the dedication ceremony at the opening of Cecil Sharp House and on his last holiday in England just before the war sang there again. In Canada where he settled after the first German war he devoted himself to teaching at Toronto and from there spread over the American continent the gospel of intelligent singing, based on the English lan- guage and English traditions, which he had formed for himself from an even wider experience which included above all, Bach.

Dr. Vaughan Williams writes The two outstanding characteristics of Campbell McInnes's singing (in addition to his beautiful

baritone voice) were his feeling for words and his almost unique sense of the shape of a tune. My most vivid recollections of his singing are connected with that lovely melody (often attri-

buted not surprisingly to J. S. Bach) " Jesu meines glaubens Zier " and the words of Christ in the Gospel according to St. Matthew.

It is for these two qualities that the guardians of English folk-song should keep his name in grateful remembrance.

OBITUARY

JAMES CAMPBELL McINNES I874-I945

CAMPBELL MCINNES divided a career devoted to singing between this country and Canada. His singing was a part of the English renaissance, since he had a hand in the revival of madrigals, of folk-song, and of Bach, and identified himself with those reformers who wished to raise music, especially singing, from the ranks of a narrowly professional craft to a place in general culture among educated people. This meant primarily a new regard for literary values, words and speech as well as song.

He was born in Lancashire, studied at the R.C.M. and under a succession of great teachers including George Henschel, Charles Santley, William Shakespear and Bouhy of Paris. He was attracted to the folk-song movement in its early days, himself collected in Scotland and worked with Lucy Broadwood and Cecil Sharp. He sang at the dedication ceremony at the opening of Cecil Sharp House and on his last holiday in England just before the war sang there again. In Canada where he settled after the first German war he devoted himself to teaching at Toronto and from there spread over the American continent the gospel of intelligent singing, based on the English lan- guage and English traditions, which he had formed for himself from an even wider experience which included above all, Bach.

Dr. Vaughan Williams writes The two outstanding characteristics of Campbell McInnes's singing (in addition to his beautiful

baritone voice) were his feeling for words and his almost unique sense of the shape of a tune. My most vivid recollections of his singing are connected with that lovely melody (often attri-

buted not surprisingly to J. S. Bach) " Jesu meines glaubens Zier " and the words of Christ in the Gospel according to St. Matthew.

It is for these two qualities that the guardians of English folk-song should keep his name in grateful remembrance.

CORRESPONDENCE

OAKDENE, ASHTEAD, SURREY.

5.8-45. To the Editor of the Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society.

DEAR SIR, May I state that the song commencing ' Not the Swan on the Lake' given on p. I88 of your

number for last December was not translated from the Erse by its author, Ewen MacLachlan, as it is there said to be, but is a rendering of his own song Ealaidh Ghaoil (Song of Love).

J. Macdonald in the introduction to his edition of MacLachlan's Gaelic Verse says " there is one Gaelic poem by him which is known throughout the whole of Gaeldom-Ealaidh Ghaoil-a beautiful lyric."

I am, Yours faithfully,

EDWARD MACCURDY.

254

CORRESPONDENCE

OAKDENE, ASHTEAD, SURREY.

5.8-45. To the Editor of the Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society.

DEAR SIR, May I state that the song commencing ' Not the Swan on the Lake' given on p. I88 of your

number for last December was not translated from the Erse by its author, Ewen MacLachlan, as it is there said to be, but is a rendering of his own song Ealaidh Ghaoil (Song of Love).

J. Macdonald in the introduction to his edition of MacLachlan's Gaelic Verse says " there is one Gaelic poem by him which is known throughout the whole of Gaeldom-Ealaidh Ghaoil-a beautiful lyric."

I am, Yours faithfully,

EDWARD MACCURDY.

254

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