Home, Sweet Home; Songs about House and Home. Home, Sweet Home 1823 (this cover, 1866) Music by: Sir Henry Rowley Bishop
Lyrics by: John Howard Payne
Cover artist: unknown
It may be that this song ranks among a handful of songs that changed the world of popular music. Recognized almost universally, it is amazing to realize that the song has been in constant play for almost 200 years! Written for an operetta, Clari; or, The Maid of Milan , which was first performed at the Covent Garden Theater in London in 1823 it has far surpassed the memory of the opera and the composer and lyricist. In fact, though both Bishop and Payne were both noted in their times, both are almost entirely remembered only for this song. The melody was "borrowed" by Bishop from a Sicilian melody he included as a 'Sicilian Air' in a volume of (presumably not very authentic) National Airs edited by him in 1821. As was (and still is) often the case, Bishop reused the tune when composing the music for the opera Clari. | |
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