Old Towler

DESCRIPTION: "Bright Chanticleer proclaims the dawn" and dogs and huntsmen gather. "This day a stag must die." They drink, joke, and start the hunt. "Fleet Towler leads the cry." The stag is killed. "The huntsman's pleasure is no more. His joys were in the chase"
AUTHOR: Music: "Mr. Shield" (see NOTES)
EARLIEST DATE: 1789 (see NOTES)
KEYWORDS: hunting animal dog
FOUND IN: Britain(England(South))
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Williams-FolkSongsOfTheUpperThames, p. 61, "Old Towler" (1 text) (also Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO Wt 510)
Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO Mi 663
ADDITIONAL: A Select Collection of Songs (Newcastle Upon Tyne, 1806) ("Digitized by Google")), pp. 66-67, "Old Towler" (1 text)
Roud #1240
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 25(1415), "Old Towler" ("Bright Chanticleer proclaims the dawn"), T. Birt (London), 1828-1829; also 2806 c.16(200), Harding B 28(113), Firth c.19(108), Firth c.19(109), Johnson Ballads 536, Harding B 11(1839), Firth b.26(477)[many illegible words], 2806 c.13(233), Harding B 11(2832), Harding B 11(2833), Harding B 11(620), Firth b.28(9a/b) View 5 of 8, Harding B 11(2830), "Old Towler"; Harding B 28(265), "A Celebrated Hunting Song"; Harding B 28(70), "Old Towler, a Favourite Hunting Song"
NOTES [176 words]: Jim Dixon sends this note on the background of this song:
The song is sung by the character Ellen in Act 1, Scene 4, of the play "The Czar Peter" by John O'Keefe. A notation on the title page of the play says: "Performed at the Theatre-Royal, Covent-Garden, in 1789. - The musick by Mr. Shield." The entire play, including lyrics for several other songs, is included in "The Dramatic Works of John O'Keefe, Esq." Vol. 3. (London: T Woodfall, 1798). Lyrics of OLD TOWLER are on page 135.
The Levy Sheet Music Collection at Johns Hopkins University has 2 editions of the sheet music for OLD TOWLER, both undated, both attributed to "Mr. Shield."
One edition, published in Boston [USA], says: "Sung by Mr. Williamson at the Boston Theatre." The other edition, published in New York, says: "Sung by Mr. Tyler at the Newyork Theatre."- (RBW)
Amélie Addison tells me further that "'Old Towler' is from Czar Peter (1790) -- the production was a failure so the full score was never published, but that song was very well-received so was published separately." - RBW
Last updated in version 5.3
File: WT061

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