There are musicians who hold that what are termed National characteristics in music are due solely to the peculiarities of the languages, instruments, and scales used in different parts of the world, and that therefore the style and characteristic phrases of a national music are not the outcome of the character and peculiarities of a nation. They tell us that the deeper feelings of mankind are alike all the world over, and that consequently the peculiarities of national music are only national in the narrow and superficial sense of the word, and are therefore unworthy of adoption by composers of distinction. It will be my endeavour to show, however, that the many distinct peculiarities found in the music of various nations have a deeper significance than is commonly supposed. Whilst of course the same emotions are common to all mankind, some nations, owing to their surroundings and vicissitudes, experience certain emotions more frequently than others, and such emotions finally leave their permanent imprints on the whole nation and form what is called a national character. I need hardly say that, viewed from this standpoint, the subject is a very comprehensive one. It embraces the physical and mental peculiarities which distinguish the different races of mankind; the history of the sub-division of races; the resultant character and temperaments produced by the mixture of races; their gradual formation into nations; the alterations in language consequent on its corruption and development; and the effect of climate on religion, mode of thought, customs, and institutions. Obviously I can but touch on these points, but I trust with sufficient clearness to show their relative importance. As my subject is somewhat complex, I should like first to explain what I mean by the terms “race,” “nation,” and “character.”