Failing merry-go-rounds and cocoanut-shies, the delights of which areapt to pall, the English masses have still left to them their mainredoubt of rational enjoyment, which, for reasons no man may skill,is called the music-hall. The English music-hall is practically anexpansion or efflorescence of the old-fashioned "sing-song." Sixtyyears ago the man who went out to take a stoup of ale at his inn wasaccustomed to be regaled with a little music free of charge. Minehost had possessed himself of a second-hand piano, and secured theservices of some broken-down musician to play it for him. There wasa great singing of old songs, and the time sped merrily, as it didin the golden age. These feasts of harmony brought custom, and incourse of time the evening "sing-songs" at certain hostelries becameorganised institutions and were run on lines of great enterprise, thepiano being supplemented by an orchestra, and the pianist by a numberof professional singers and entertainers. Within the last fifty yearsthe "sing-song" has been[Pg 186] separated from its parent the alehouse, andhas developed into the music-hall. To-day the English music-hallsare almost as thick on the ground as churches and chapels. In themetropolis you would have a difficulty to count them. In the provincesevery town of size supports two or three halls, and insists on Londontalent and London style. The class of entertainment provided may becostly and amusing, but it is certainly not edifying. The performersalmost to a man, and one might say to a woman, are persons who can beconsidered "artists" only in the broadest sense, and whose ignoranceand vulgarity are as colossal as their salaries.
With this enchanting song the English welkin resounds by day and night.The great, broad-shouldered, genial Englishman, full of four-ale andbad whisky, howls it in chorus at his favourite "public," work-girlssing it in factories, mothers rock their children to sleep with it, andevery English urchin whistles or shouts it at you with unflagging zest.Of course, there are others; for example, there is I'm a P'liceman,which goes like this:
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