Charles Dickens and Music

STRUMENTS

(O.T.), plays carelessly with his handcuffs as if they were a pair of castanets. Miss Miggs (B.R.) clanks

upon the crown at every division of hi

wires rule 'a colossal strip of mu

ison is that instituted by Mrs. Lirri

n, with a beaming eye and a voice as mellow as

ptive powers remind us of those possessed by Mrs. Gamp

t, as ever you heerd, with a voice

election at Eatanswill the crier performed two concertos on his bell, and shortly afterwards followed them up with a fantasia on the s

nce, sharp and flat, cracked and clear, fast and

es from Italy

n horrible, irregular, jerking dingle, dingle, dingle; with a sudden stop at every fifteenth dingl

ith the title of a well-known story. He had chosen a subject, but was at a lo

de his ideas spin round and round till they lost themselves in a whirl of vexation and giddiness, and dropped down dead.... Only two days later came a

ns about chimes and clocks; as, whether people watched up in the lonely church steeples by night to make them strike, and how the bells were rung when people died, and whether those were different bells from wed

e sheep-bells tinkling on the downs. To Tom Pinch journeying Londonwards

nas Chuzzlewit just before he sta

s! they seemed to know that he was listening at the door, and to proclaim it in a crowd of voices to all the town! Would they ne

els. Fagin hears it when under sentence of death. Blackpool and Carker

oor with a lunge, to get as much sound out of the bell as possible,' while Bob Sawyer gives a pull as if he would bring it up by the roots. Mr. Clennam pulls the rope wi

bell, every tinkle of which is enough to throw a strong

which used not infrequently to add unnecessary fuel by coming incontinently down on the head of the aggrieved one. What a pull the fierce gentleman m

d the waiter he'd better bring the toast i

rnaby Rudge (7), where he mentions the variations known as a 'triple bob major.' Finally there is an interesting reference in Master Humphrey's Clock to a use of the bell which has now passed into history. Belinda says in a postscript to

om for the letter-carriers to c

nly a most original, musical effect is that secured

?' he adds, after breaking off to whistle one

old man. 'No, we nev

They bury soldiers to it, so it'

al way of bringing a c

through life with Mrs. Wilfer is like keeping time to the 'Dead March' in Saul, from

ly mentioned. Mr. Hardy (S.B.T. 7) w

coachmen and fowls, play airs on his chin

way of producing music in Sketches by Boz, where Mrs. Tippin performed an air with variations on the guitar, 'accompanied on the chin by Master Tippin.' To return to Mr. Hardy, this gentleman was evidently deeply interested in all sorts and degrees of mus

nquired the Captain, who lost no opportunity

d Hardy, rathe

om-t

ev

a gum

ev

' eagerly inquired

day, though Hardy afterwards sugges

yed the fife while the others went through their exercises. After that a boys' band appeared, the youngsters being dressed in a neat uniform. T

feet of performer on the neare

Dickens would be very familiar with the name of the instrument,

g the arithmetical puzzles, he mentions the cym

ding answer now and then rather than not cut in at al

, had an ambition not only to tread the boards, but to start off as H

hat had just been played in the orchestra and handed out at

music-shop, so we must not forget to visit C

els went round, performed most doleful music. Many sm

t used to play when she visited the toy-maker's. Caleb's musical contribution would be 'a B

aid Tackleton, putting his head in

it. He hadn't what is generally t

ingers. The kettle began it with a series of short vocal snorts, which at first it checked in the bud, but finally it burst into a stream of song, 'while the lid performed a sort of jig, and clattered like a deaf and dumb cym

o the cricket, for elsewhere (M

e of those chirping insects w

lar instrument half a century ago, as the addition of keys gave it a much greater range of notes than the ordina

on which, whenever the conversation flagged, he played the first p

t was on Mr. F

Each cleaver was ground so that when it was struck with the bone it emitted a certain note. 12 A complete band would consist of eight men, with their cleavers so tuned as to give an octave of notes. After more or less practice they would offer their services as bandsmen on the occasion of marriage ceremonies, which they had a wonderful faculty for locating, and they would provide music (of a kind) ad libitum until th

d marriage of Mr. Dombey, shows what bridal p

near Battle-bridge 13 ; the second put themselves in communication, through their chief, with Mr. Tomlinson, to whom they offer terms to be bought off ; and the thi

the flageolet, and the triangle. It is difficult to classify the walking-stick on which Mr. Jennings Rudolph played tun

Life of Char

ther a modern

's Cross Sta