Page:Pen, pencil, baton and mask; biographical sketches (IA penpencilbatonma00blaciala).pdf/22

2 it looks. At the age of eight he too took his place in the choir, and before he was fifteen he held an organ in a church, while during his holidays every spare moment was spent in reading. I was an omnivorous reader,' he remarks, and was so wrapped up in my books that I used to forget meals. Architecture ran music close, and has ever been a passion with me.' When the young chorister's voice was no longer suitable he gave lessons for a year, and then in family council it was decided that he should be sent to the Royal Academy of Music, where, being saturated with the compositions of old Church masters, he got to the head of the class in his first term. He remained a few years at the Academy, and the end of his career there was marked by what he calls a failure,' though it was one that tended to his own credit. It was the first time the Mendelssohn scholarship, founded by Jenny Lind, who collected between two and three thousand pounds for the purpose, was put up for competition. Among the thirty-nine candidates were Arthur Sullivan and himself. These two came out at the top, and ran a dead heat, so it had to be tried for again. "Sallivan got it,' says Sir Joseph,' and very justly. I do not know any composer whose works have given me more pleasure. I look on him as the greatest that England has ever produced, and she may well be proud of him.' About this time the young musician was summoned to York to relieve his brother, who was doing a large musical practice in his native town, but a few weeks' experience were sufficient to show him that his thirst for knowledge could never be satisfied in that city, or obtained in the volume that he desired. Curbing his ambition, however, for a time, he made a home for his father and sister, which had a steadying effect, and when the beloved and honoured father passed away suddenly and, a year later, his sister married, he felt free to soar. I wrote to my brother," says Sir Joseph, reflectively, and said I would go to London if he could find me a post at 301. a year. He