Granville Bantock (born 1868) may justly be called a radical modern composer, whereas Elgar has much of the classical reserve about him. Bantock’s very great ability and learning sometimes produce rather chaotic results, the more so because his output is unusually great. But frequently it produces results that are altogether admirable. To singers he is known chiefly through his ‘Songs of the East.’ These are published as cycles, as follows: Songs of Egypt, Songs of India, Songs of Persia, Songs of the Seraglio, Five ‘Ghazels of Hafiz,’ lyrics from ‘Ferishtah’s Fancies,’ Songs of China, and Songs of Japan. The exoticism of these many songs is rarely genuine and Bantock’s facile technique extends over them all to make them seem rather too much alike for the good of his reputation. But the _effect_ of exoticism is frequently attained with rare skill and the musical standard is kept far higher than is usual in this class of music. Bantock’s powerful technique, which is obviously influenced by Richard Strauss, is to be studied to advantage in many of these songs, especially the more pretentious ones. From the Songs of Egypt we should mention the majestic ‘Invocation to the Nile,’ the mystical song ‘The Unutterable’; and the poignant ‘Lament of Isis.’ Of the Hindoo songs that of the Nautch girl is ever memorable for its effect of fierce physical motion. The songs from Persia include two of high quality, the ‘Drinking Song’ and the ‘Hymn of the Ghebers.’ Let us further pick out, as among the best, the Persian Love Song from the ‘Songs of the Seraglio’; and the ‘Shah Abbas’ and ‘Mahirab Shah’ from ‘Ferishtah’s Fancies,’ the last remarkable for its expression of physical pain. The songs of China and Japan are in no way unusual. Nor are the six Jester Songs, though they sometimes catch the joy of life in engaging fashion. But Bantock has one very ambitious work, the cycle of fragments from Sappho, which is sufficient to put him in the front rank. It is hard to describe the richness of the technique he has lavished on this work. We should find it difficult to name anything similar to it in its peculiar emotional intensity. The best that Bantock has to show of his art (his instrumentation aside) is all to be found in this remarkable group of songs. Every one of them is admirable, as is also the very long introduction. But one remembers especially the opening number, the ‘Hymn to Aphrodite,’ dramatic and passionate; the painfully beautiful song, ‘The Moon Has Set’; the masterful description of ‘Peer of the Gods’; and the profuse musical richness of ‘In a Dream I Spake.’ Possibly these songs will in later years be judged too pretentious. But while the judgment is still unmade we must regard with the highest respect the musician who has done this thing in the musical conditions that have prevailed in England.