The Green Bag

I don't know why this popped into my head this morning (I'm not "hearing" music anymore, much, but that's a different story), but I'm determined to use my blog to record random thoughts such as this.

Some time ago in Chat, the tune for the songs above was discussed. I thought of a good way to remember the composer, and I'll bet this will tickle some memories for my sisters.

All four of us took piano lessons, and one of the first books of music we were introduced to had very simple tunes. ("Here we go, up a row, to a Birthday party." "Dolly, dear, Sandman's near. Soon you will be sleeping." Both tunes started at Middle C - first used C, D, and E; second used C, B, and A - intro to left hand playing!)

In that book was a song to the tune known familiarly as "The ABC Song" or "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." The words that accompanied that tune went like this:

"Papa Haydn's dead and gone,
But his mem'ry lingers on.
When his mind was filled with bliss,
He wrote jolly tunes like this."

Assuming the people who compiled the piano lessons book knew their history, it was Haydn who wrote that tune. Now you know. Have a lovely day.