Saturday frivolity, not research. But it does give a bit of insight into the fin-de-siecle publishing trade.
This came in a donation; we have the low voice version, but it was also available for high voice – that’s perfectly normal. Inside, there’s ukulele tab as well as the piano accompaniment, and instruction as to which notes you should tune the strings to. The publisher clearly thought he was onto a winner, and issued it in as many formats as he could think of. Just look! Oh, and he published it both sides of the Atlantic, for maximum exposure.
Just a trivial song, but it must have been a hit – in my family there are still memories of it being sung!
Karen McAulay, Musicologist 