JESSIE L. GAYNOR

MRS. JESSIE L. GAYNOR.

Among the writers of songs for children few have
been so fortunate as Mrs. Gaynor ; and perhaps no com-
poser ever made a more sudden bound from being en-
tirely unknown to the rank of a composer from whom
charming things had come and from whom still better
were to be expected. Mrs. Gaynor was largely self-
educated, her later studies being made with Dr. Louis
Maas of Boston. In composition she was a pupil of Mr.
A. J. Goodrich and Mr. Frederick Grant Gleason, and
Mr. Weidig. Her methods of work are original with
herself. Her songs are characterized by bright and
pleasing rhythms, discreet application of dramatic color
through harmony and eminent suitability to the voice.

Mrs. Gaynor's talent has been well characterized by
Mr. Karleton Hackett:

Mrs. Gaynor has made a special place for herself by
her songs of child-life. This intuition for the thoughts
and feelings of the child is a sealed book to most com-
posers and to be opened only through some esoteric
sympathy. Mrs. Gaynor has found the "open sesame,"
as the popularity of her songs among the little folks
abundantly proves. She has not confined herself to the
writing of this kind and some of her other songs, "And
I," "The Wind Went Wooing the Rose," are charm-
ing. But they yield the palm to her "Discontented
Duckling," "Sugar Dolly" and "Songs from Child Life."

SONGS TO LITTLE FOLKS.

This collection of seven songs was written to be sung
to children. It contains ideas congenial to child life, but
in forms of utterance as yet beyond the powers of the
ages to which the ideas are primarily addressed. Ac-
cordingly Mrs. Gaynor has written the accompaniments
with great freedom and they have altogether an un-
usual musical value, for the grade of difficulty to which
they belong. Probably the most popular of these songs
are the following: "The Flower's Cradle Song,"
charming slumber song: "The Discontented Duckling,"
which is very humorous, both in words and accompani-
ment, and the "Fireflies," in which the accompaniment
is extremely clever and the effect of the whole delightful.

THE SLUMBER BOAT.

This beautiful melody is upon a poem by that delight-
ful writer for children, Airs. Alice C. D. Riley. "Baby's
boat's the silver moon" and the rocking accompani-
ment, combined with the melody, gives a most pleasing
effect. This song belongs to the "Playtime Songs."

L' EN FA NT.

In the collection of "Five Songs," by Mrs. Gaynor
there is one upon a poem by Victor Hugo, a slumber
song, which Mrs. Gaynor has treated in the French
manner, the melody lying more often for accompani-
ment than for voice, the latter meanwhile running along
upon a monotone, or nearly so. The result is a very
dreamy, extremely musical and poetic setting of a re-
markable poem. For the benefit of those who under-
stand English better, there is also a translation. This
song is full of clever bits of detail, particularly in choos-
ing an unexpected chorus for some particularly telling
word. For instance in the phrase, "Slumber within my
arms and dream of Paradise," the modulation and treatment of the word "Paradise." The song as a whole is one of the best.

If an effective tenor song should be desired, "Come
Down to the River To-night" answers all requirements.
This is one of her earlier songs, and it has had a grati-
fying popularity.