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Cyril Scott: 'The Father of British Modern Music'
Cyril Scott, whose writings we have had occasion to quote from
several times in earlier pages, was another multi-talented composer
who may have drawn his inspiration from the great body of Adepts
known as the Great White Brotherhood. Certainly Scott himself
believed that he did. His 1933 publication, The Influence of
Music on History and Morals (Rider & Co., 1933) was an
important and pioneering venture in its study of the inner power
of music and was one of the first books in modern times to renew
people's thinking and awareness on the subject. Yet what is perhaps
even more fascinating than the book itself is the background and
life out of which it was written. For the life-story of Cyril
Scott serves well to show us just to what great a degree esoteric
sources have influenced the art and artists of our day. Cyril
Scott was born at Oxton in Cheshire on 27 September, 1879. We
are told that by the age of two and a half he was able to pick
up tunes by ear and perform them on piano, and could also improvise.
Not, however, until he arrived at the ripe old age of seven did
he receive instruction in how to read and write musical notation.
Perhaps not surprisingly, by the time he had matured Scott had
developed into a virtuoso pianist. A. Eaglefield Hull, the musicologist
and general editor of the Waverley Music Lover's Library, once
wrote of him:
Last night I was spellbound at the nonchalant ease with
which he played through his superb Piano Concerto from
the full score MS., rippling along (as I flung the pages
over almost continuously) with truly astonishing gifts
of technique, touch and reading; whistling the while flute
and violin melodies, and vocalizing horn parts in a peculiar
nasal tone, like horn notes forced through mutes. Where
and how did he attain such tremendous powers? (Cyril
Scott: The Man and His Works, Waverly Book Co., n.d.)
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More than for his playing, however, it was as a composer that
Cyril Scott gained a wide reputation in Great Britain and on the
Continent during the early twentieth century. His works included
symphonies and other orchestral pieces, choral compositions, a
number of pieces of chamber music, and a very large number of
songs and works for solo piano. Strangely though, his music is
little known today strangely so, since during his day he
was mentioned in the same breath as artists such as Vaughan Williams,
Arnold Bax, Percy Grainger and Claude Debussy. A. Eaglefield Hull
said
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around 1920 that Cyril Scott was, 'undoubtedly the richest harmonist
we [the British] possess'. (Ibid.) In Debussy's estimate, Scott
was, 'one of the rarest artists of the present generation'.
Besides possessing the aforementioned talents, Cyril Scott was
also an accomplished conductor, a lecturer, a translator, and
a writer on music. In addition to this, at the age of 21 he began
writing verse, and became well known thereafter as a poet. His
first published collection of verse, The Shadows of Silence
and the Songs of Yesterday, (Liverpool: Donald Fraser, n.d.)
came out during his early twenties, and reflected what was
then his rather pessimistic outlook of agnosticism. The second,
The Grave of Eros and the Book of Mournful Melodies, (Liverpool:
Donald Fraser, n.d.) was written during what he later called,
not altogether seriously, his 'decadent' phase. However, he went
through this phase only half-heartedly, and without conviction.
This phase was to end abruptly upon his discovery of Theosophy
and Indian philosophy. Indeed, it would be difficult to conceive
of a more graphic example than the life of Cyril Scott following
his finding of the ancient wisdom in order to demonstrate the
close relationship that has often prevailed in modern times between
esotericism and music.
According to Scott himself, he was eventually contacted directly
by the Great White Brotherhood, and intimately sponsored and guided
by them in the production of much of his mature musical and literary
works. Already hailed by Eugene Goosens as the 'father of British
modern music', Scott now turned also to the writing of books;
books on esotericism and alternative medicine. He was, too, the
author of the series of three 'Initiate' books, which are still
very well-known among esoteric circles. These were penned anonymously
by Scott, using autobiographical material given to him by an unnamed
poet. The first of the three, The Initiate, Some Impressions
of a Great Soul (London: Routledge, 1920) describes
the poet's encounters in England with a high initiate of the Brotherhood
who accepted the poet as his disciple. The second book, The
Initiate in the New World, (London: Routledge, 1927) follows
the spiritual career and teachings of the initiate in the United
States, and in the third volume this initiate of the Great White
Brotherhood again returns to the British Isles, after many years
of absence.
Some have doubted the veracity of these three immensely readable
and steadily popular books, considering them to be fiction. But
certainly Scott himself maintained that the books are factual
accounts of episodes in the life and teachings of the great soul
about whom they were written. Before continuing, what attitude
should we take in regard to Scott's belief that he received direct
contacts
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from the Great White Brotherhood? Though the original material
upon which the 'Initiate' books were based was not Scott's, nevertheless
he revealed later in life, when the anonymity of the books had
been seen through, that he too had been a disciple of the initiate;
indeed, that he was also a protagonist in the second and third
books. And, he said, after the events described in the books he
still continued to receive contacts from Masters of the Brotherhood.
Did it, then, all happen just as Scott said that it did?
Ultimately, each of us must decide for ourselves on that point.
It does seem impossible to believe that Scott would have been
deliberately untruthful: throughout his life, his absolute sincerity
and needle-sharp sanity were plainly evident. It is on the question
of whether or not he was ever misled that we must at this point
suspend judgement either way. On the one hand, it is not unknown
for individuals who have received some contact from the
Masters to later get carried away or misled by others into believing
that these contacts are continuing when they are not. Yet on the
other hand, there is no doubt but that at least some of Cyril
Scott's beliefs were founded on solid ground. (And I do not say
that they all were not.) For example, several of the disguised
characters portrayed within the 'Initiate' books now stand revealed,
and all recounted by Scott concerning them has proved genuine.
'David Anrias', for one, an astrologer and Theosophist in the
books, was Brian Ross, who at one time worked for Annie Besant
in India during her time as President of the Theosophical Society.
But to return to Scott's experiences themselves. The initiate,
according to Scott's account, was as impressive an individual
as one could imagine. Even as Voltaire described Saint Germain,
the 'wonderman of Europe', the initiate of Scott's books also
seemed to be 'a man who never dies, and who knows everything'.
Though he rarely demonstrated them, his spiritual powers by which
he could influence the material world around himself are said
to have been quite superhuman. But the most important aspect of
the Initiate books from the point of view of our present line
of investigation is that in the States this individual
called Justin Moreward Haig, or "JMH", in the books
was conducting regular meetings of his chelas, many of
whom were prominent people in their various lines of work, and
who included among their ranks, musicians, poets, artists and
writers. The point being that most among mankind are unable
or unwilling to accept the reality and existence of the Brotherhood,
and are in any case not infrequently incapable of absorbing the
Masters' pure
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teachings in the form that they are given out. Therefore, besides
the giving forth of their pure and undiluted words, the Masters
have often taken the course of training disciples to step-down
their message and vibration. In the broadest sense, this is literally
a stage in the stepping-down of the frequencies of the Word. The
disciples then promulgate through their line of service the principles
of ethics, morality and spirituality, as well as any more specific
concepts which the times might demand for the betterment of the
race. But they do so without usually ever revealing the Source
of their initial inspiration. In this way, many chelas of the
Brotherhood have worked throughout history in the arts,
the sciences, and also as politicians and as the great, moral
leaders of men. Many a famous and important episode of history
such as the American Revolution, which we discussed earlier,
to name but one has an entirely different and unrevealed
story behind it if the truth were but known: the story of the
causes behind the effects; the story of the Adepts of the Great
White Brotherhood and those historical figures who were, unbeknownst
to the world, their chelas. This has a most important bearing
upon our study of the secret power of music. For the story of
the great music of ancient times, and also that of the Western
classical tradition of what actually inspired it and of
where much of it really came from is one which goes
completely unsuspected by all but the few.
And yet, a hint of this story of the ages can perhaps be gathered
from the life and writings of Cyril Scott.
Following his encounter with esotericism, Scott was never the
same person again. Oriental philosophy, Theosophy and the practice
of yoga and meditation became his absorbing interest in life.
Immediately, from this moment on, succeeding compositions entered
into the realms of mysticism and Orientalism. From his pen there
now came musical works such as the Hindu-style Jungle Book,
the darkly magical Sphinx, Lotus-land, the Chinese
Songs, and many more. His third volume of verse, The Voice
of the Ancient, (n.p.: J.M. Watkins, 1910) displayed
a radical change in subject matter and emotional effect, as did
succeeding volumes. Scott's raison d'être as an artist
in any medium was now absolutely goal-oriented towards the highest
purpose and aim in life the spiritual path.
Where would Scott have taken his stand in relation to the subjects
we have discussed in this book, about the use and misuse of the
power of music? With regard to the artistic directions of the
fellow- composers of his generation, Scott made his position quite
clear. In a hard-hitting but well-argued criticism of the avant-garde,
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The Philosophy of Modernism in its Connection with Music,
(n.p.: Paul, trench, Trubner & Co., 1920) Cyril Scott
compared the Modernists to a man who sets out on a walking tour
with the intention of never, under any circumstances, setting
foot upon an established road. In keeping to such a rigid doctrine,
the Modernist thereby finds not freedom, but the ultimate bondage,
since he is not free to retain these well-tried and proved principles
which are the very foundation of beauty and sublimity in music.
(The Modernists Scott often, in fact, preferred to call 'Monsterists'!)
True freedom, Cyril Scott argued, lies with the composer of the
Romantic class, who is able to keep to the established paths,
or not, as he chooses.
Now it is evident from the second Initiate book that 'JMH' 's
circle of chelas included literary and other artists of world
repute. The individual who supplied his own autobiographical material
to Scott as a foundation for the books, is himself described as
both a poet and a composer. (In the books this is the first-person
narrator, disguised under the name of 'Charles Broadbent'.) Then,
at least two other composers are referred to, one of whom we now
know to have been Cyril Scott. This fact, that Scott himself was
one of the circle of chelas in America for a time, is confirmed
in an addendum on the subject of the Initiate books which is to
be found in the 1935 edition of Scott's An Outline of Modern
Occultism (London: Routledge, 1935). It seems that Scott
must have been the individual referred to as 'Lyall Herbert',
since this is the only composer who turns up in both the second
and the third Initiate chronicles; and according to Scott's own
addendum referred to above, he himself does appear in these volumes.
The various artist-chelas of 'JMH' are said to have been under
the guidance of the Brotherhood of Adepts of East and West, the
role of the composers being to bring forth a God-aligned music
for the furthering of the evolution of the race. It can be seen
therefore, should we choose to accept the account, just how direct
an influence on the music of the world the secret guiding hand
of the Brotherhood can prove to be.
As for the individual named in the books as 'Lyall Herbert',
probably identifiable as Scott himself, it is worth noting that
at one point during the final volume, The Initiate in the Dark
Cycle (London: Routledge, 1932), a Master says to him: 'And
you, you will write a new kind of music as well as a book
on the subject for which you will receive special preparatory
training at a Master's hands.' This calls to remembrance Scott's
path-breaking book, Music, Its Secret Influences Throughout
the Ages (n.p.: Aquarian Press, 1958).
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Yet regardless of who 'Lyall Herbert' really was, there is one
passage involving him which never ceases to fascinate. For at
one stage this well-known English composer is taken, as is 'Charles
Broadbent' the poet, to the abode of a Master in the English countryside.
(And we should note that in his addendum Cyril Scott, writing
as Cyril Scott, refers to this Master and his estate in
the South West of England in such a way as to indicate first-hand
knowledge.) Here, 'Herbert' and 'Broadbent' are specially prepared
to clairaudiently hear a celestial music from superphysical realms
of existence. And then:
From far away I heard the strains of an
organ with which was mingled the sound of voices so pure
and ethereal as to suggest the chanting of a celestial
choir, wafted on a peaceful evening breeze. The music
was unlike any music I had heard before; it was subtle,
yet melodious, sweet, yet devoid of all sentimental lusciousness;
at one moment powerful and awe-awakening, at another soft
and tender as the caress of an angel's hand.
'My Brother Koot Hoomi playing on His organ ... and the
voices you hear are those of the Gandharvas ... Listen
well, and remember, for one day you shall give forth such
music to the world ...'
It was Sir Thomas who had spoken, and his words were addressed
to Lyall. The music continued for a while, then gradually
faded away, and there was another silence.
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This passage is by no means quoted here for the mere purpose
of recounting a thrilling or controversial tale. Rather, the account
serves well to indicate just how strongly guided many great musicians
may have been, though the world has not known it, and how close
to our everyday life these guiding powers have at times approached.
Though there would not be room to include them all here, there
exist quite a number of such accounts, in which mortals appear
to have been the beneficiaries of a parting of the veil, during
which they heard a celestial music of indescribable sublimity.
Sometimes the individuals concerned have been spiritual seekers;
sometimes they have been known composers of acknowledged stature.
To refer briefly to two of the more widely-quoted episodes: Robert
Schumann wrote music at a late stage in his life which he said
was dictated to him by angels, a claim which his wife believed,
stating after his death that, 'It is in the music of Robert Schumann
that the
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angels sing.' Though the critic could also point to Schumann's
mental instability, the same can in no way be said of Handel,
who felt that his Messiah, one of the greatest pieces of
music ever written, had likewise been revealed to him. During
its composition he felt the very gates of heaven had been opened
to him, and he was able to see and hear the other-worldly chorusing
of superphysical and divine beings. As he later declared: 'I think
I did see all Heaven before me and the great God Himself.' It
is recorded that the experience of penning the work moved him
so greatly that tears flowed with and blotted the ink. Considering
both the towering stature and timeless perfection of the work,
as well as its length, weight is added to the claim that it was
revealed to him, and that he did not have to strive painstakingly
to put it together himself, by the startling fact that it was
written in but three short weeks, and during one of the most trying
periods of his life. The concept of 'revealed music' is not often
given consideration during our present materialistic age, yet,
whatever its explanation, it seems to be a very definite phenomenon,
and one deserving of further study. In this respect, we must not
forget either that in both traditional religious and modern esoteric
literature there is also the concept of there being two sides.
That is, the good and the evil. Suppressing a slight shudder,
we can recall again those mysterious words of Stravinsky about
The Rite of Spring: 'I heard, and I wrote what I heard.
I was the vessel through which Le Sacre du Printemps
passed.' As for our own day, more than one esoteric authority
has claimed that virtually all of the lyrics of the more heavy
rock bands are unconsciously received as dictations from malicious
discarnate entities a claim which becomes not quite so
unbelievable when one pays close attention to these lyrics, to
see just what exactly it is that is being said. For example:
UghAhhh. [A poetic start! D.T.]
Can't help feeling strange.
The moon is up I think I'm gonna change.
You're so smooth and tender.
A livin' breathin' dream.
I'm listen' for your scream.
I'm almost human; I'm almost a man,
I'm almost human.
'Almost Human' Kiss
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The male rock star, Alice Cooper, says that he took the name
after contacting a discarnate called Alice Cooper during a seance,
and that it is the discarnate who partly takes over his actions
and singing on stage. All said for the sake of publicity? Our
answer probably depends on just how real, or else how non-existent,
we consider the non-physical dimensions to be. Certainly the idea
of evil entities bringing forth new and disruptive forms of music
through their human channels receives a number of mentions in
early Christian literature. St Chrysostom, for one, said that:
'lest demons introducing lascivious songs should overthrow everything,
God established the psalms'. Rarely, however, has the process
of musical revelation (from one 'side' or the other) been so candidly
described as in Scott's book.
Meanwhile, concurrent with the episode of the musical revelation,
Cyril Scott was at work upon the book which was first released
in 1933 under the title, The Influence of Music on History
and Morals. Unlike the Initiate books, this one was released
under Cyril Scott's own name. In 1958 an updated edition came
out, being the still-available Music, Its Secret Influence
Throughout the Ages. Only in this second edition did Scott
reveal his belief that both editions of the book had been inspired
upon him by numerous and detailed discussions with Koot Hoomi
Lal Singh, one of the great Adepts who had also been behind the
formation of the Theosophical Society in the last quarter of the
nineteenth century.
After a long and fruitful life during which he truly pioneered
the reawakening of man's awareness of the secret power inherent
in all music, Cyril Scott passed from this world in 1971. And
yet, after all, to quote his own lines:
What are the world's foolish toys, and death 's ephemeral
sorrows,
Seeming endless, yet by the Endless, fleeter than lightning's
flashes. (The Voice of the Ancient)
Needless to say, many among the mainstream of the music world
looked askance at these 'eccentricities' of Scott's; his talk
of 'Masters', his books on alternative medicine, esotericism and
the like. Further, it has been suggested that his decline in popularity
after the heady days of his young maturity, when some felt him
to be the father of British modern music, must be directly related
to this 'dissipation' of his talents.
But in an autobiography published at the age of ninety (Bone
of Contention, Aquarian Press, 1969), Scott discounted this,
and claimed that esotericism, and in particular the Masters who
guided
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him, had been one of the major inspiring factors behind his creative
output. Indeed, at the age of sixty-five he had made his own personal
decision to bring his years of composing to an end; but the Masters,
he says, had urged him to continue, which he did until the end
of his life. (At the Masters' own request, Scott recounted, the
first work he next completed was his third opera, Maureen O'Mara.)
Certainly it must be said that whatever the source of his inspiration,
these revelations of Scott's are of major importance in again
demonstrating the reality of the influence of esotericism upon
music. Whatever our own standpoint with regard to Scott's unusual
claims, that he believed them makes the great influence
of esotericism upon his music undeniable. That a modern composer
of such significance should have felt himself to be in rapport
with the legendary Great White Brotherhood is a quite extraordinary
fact. And who can say that among Cyril Scott's many compositions
there are not those which are indeed his transcriptions, to the
best of his ability, of the music inspired upon him by the Master
Koot Hoomi, and which are the direct reflections of the music
of the spheres?
It was once said of Scott that he was a hundred years in advance
of his generation. Perhaps this gives a hint as to the meaning
of the later decades of his life. For while the critics, music
publishers and performers generally ignored both his early and
later work, and while he more than once felt discouraged and ready
to throw in the towel, he was prevailed upon by those he believed
to be his Guides to continue composing up until the last. This,
even though the works went largely unpublished and unperformed.
In the autobiography Scott states that from the Masters' point
of view 'the first thing is to get the work written; the rest
if needs be can wait sometimes even as long as till after
the composer's death'. True it is that many of the most famous
works of today's concert hall repetoire were almost totally unknown
during the lives of those who brought them forth. Take most of
the works of J.S. Bach (revived in the 1800s) or the 'Unfinished'
Symphony of Schubert (discovered as a discarded manuscript after
his death) for example. If Scott's work was indeed, as it came
forth from his pen, a hundred years in advance of his generation,
it may therefore be most interesting to observe the course of
events concerning it in years to come.
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[Republished on Alpheus with permission of the author]
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