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Kay's Originals Vol. 2

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 95 Mr. John Campbell died in 1795. He was succeeded in the precentorship by his son, Mr. Charles Campbell, who held the situation during forty years. He resided in the Canongate, where he long taught a respectable school for writing, arithmetic, and other branches of education. No. CCIV. A MEDLEY OF MUSICIANS. THIS curious Print is one of the artist’s retaliatory pieces. It appears that MR. ALEXANDECRA NPBELLo, ffended at the etching of his brother the precentor, and having some skill in the art of drawing, produced, by way of revenge, a caricature of Kay-in which John Dow was represented as dragging him by the ear to the Town Guard, while Bailie Duff brought up the rear, in the attitude of administering a forcible admonition with his foot. The caricature, although rudely executed, afforded considerable amusement to Mr. Campbell’s friends, among whom it was chiefly circulated. Kay retaliated by producing the “ Medley of Musicians,” in which Mr. Alexander Campbell, then organist in a non-juring chapel, appears with a hand-organ on his back-his brother of the Canongate Church is straining his vocal powers in the centre-Bailie Duff, to the right, is chanting it on the great Highland bagpipe-while behind, MEEK, the blind Irish piper, and the city FISH-HORNB LOWERa,r e lending their “ sweet sounds ” to aid the general harmony. The figure sharping a saw in the background, whose labours may be supposed to afford an excellent counter *or tenor to the deep bass of the two long-eared amateurs, is in allusion to Mr. John Campbell’s former occupation. The scene altogther is not an inapt illustration of the couplet quoted from Hudibras- “ Let puppies bark and asses bray- Each dog and cur will have his day.” The early history of Mr. Alexander Campbell is already partially known from the sketch of his brother. Of a warm and somewhat romantic temper, he was attached to the small body of Jacobites, who still brooded over the fate of the young Chevalier-enthusiastic in his national prepossessions-and passionateIy fond of the music of his country. In addition to vocal music he taught the harpsicord, for which many of the Scottish airs are peculiarly adapted.1 Mr, Campbell was known as a poet and prose writer as well as musician. In Chanders’s Sed. Bwg. Diet. it is stated that “Mr, Campbell was music-master to Sir Walter Scott, with whom, however, he never made any progress, owing, as he used to say, to the total destitution of that great man in the requisite of an ear.”
Volume 9 Page 128
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