Sketch of Dickens in 1842 during American Tour. Sketch of Dickens's sister Fanny, bottom left |
I do not profess to have chronicled all the musical
references, nor has it been possible to identify every
one of the numerous quotations from songs, although
I have consulted such excellent authorities as Dr.
Cummings, Mr. Worden (Preston), and Mr. J.
Allanson Benson (Bromley). I have to thank Mr.
Frank Kidson, who, I understand, had already
planned a work of this description, for his kind
advice and assistance. There is no living writer
who has such a wonderful knowledge of old songs
as Mr. Kidson, a knowledge which he is ever ready
to put at the disposal of others. Even now there
are some half-dozen songs which every attempt
to run to earth has failed, though I have tried
to ‘mole 'em out’ (as Mr. Pancks would say)
by searching through some hundreds of song-books
and some thousands of separate songs.
Should any of my readers be able to throw light
on dark places I shall be very glad to hear from
them, with a view to making the information here
presented as complete and correct as possible if
another edition should be called for. May I
suggest to the Secretaries of our Literary Societies,
Guilds, and similar organizations that a pleasant
evening might be spent in rendering some of the
music referred to by Dickens. The proceedings
might be varied by readings from his works or
by historical notes on the music. Many of the
pieces are still in print, and I shall be glad to render
assistance in tracing them. Perhaps this idea will
also commend itself to the members of the Dickens
Fellowship, an organization with which all lovers
of the great novelist ought to associate themselves."
JAMES T. LIGHTWOOD
LIGHTWOOD, James T. Charles Dickens and Music. London: Charles Kelly, 1912.