"Mollie Darling" sheet music by W. Putnam - 1870s 1880s ?

[hatofthecat]

Any 19th century music buffs out there ?

Distant cousins of mine have given me a copy of the front of this piece of sheet music which my great great grand uncle owned (he wrote his name on the front).  He died in 1888.

I'd really like to hear what this sounded like or find the actual music but I'm running into a confusing conundrum 

Googling the song name just gives Will S. Hays as the author not W. Putnam as the cover states.  The "Christy Minstrel" performer name also turns up in the Hays listings though.  The Hays version apparently sold over a million copies.

Is it just a different version ?

cheers for any help, Pete

[Koromo]

The results from a Google search suggest that Will S. Hays was a lyricist.  Presumably W. Putman wrote the music to go with the lyrics.




Edited to add: Maybe not. Just found another image of it which says that the song was written and composed by Will S. Hays.

http://www.sheetmusicwarehouse.co.uk/sheetmusic.php?initial=m

[mazi]

If you search   Molly Darling   on youtube and scroll down the results an old version of this "popular Will Hays song" is there

mike.

[gaffy]

I wonder if "composed" could read across to "arranged", as in this extract from wikipedia describing arranging as:

"adding compositional techniques, such as new thematic material for introductions, transitions, or modulations, and endings...Arranging is the art of giving an existing melody musical variety"

The reason I ask is the word quadrilles on the cover sheet. The cover sheet acknowledges the Christy Minstrels, is it simply that Putnam "composed" dance music based on the original song?

[hanes teulu]

Have seen references to the singing of the song "Won't you tell me, Molly darling" and the song attributed to Hays (no initials)

Re the "Darling Molly Quadrilles" have seen several references (newspaper) to a Charles d'Albert as the composer of this piece of music (1870s).

[mazi]

I am a bit puzzled by the plurals, as in popular Christy minstrels melodies
and quadrilles in the plural, the quadrille is danced to a specific rhythm, maybe it is a few songs sung by the minstrels arranged as dance rhythm by Putnam, for use by pianists playing at dances.

dance "edits" of music are produced today.

mike

edit:  I think gaffy has alredy suggested this.
here is the youtube link for lyrics and melody

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsPRjRsRvRs

[hatofthecat]

Thanks for all the replies.  I think it probably is just a particular arrangement by W. Putnam of a popular song but I can't find anything about him 

Quadrille (singular or plural) just seems to refer to any traditional square dance of that time and "Christy minstrel" similarly appears to have become a generic term for the type of troupe rather than the specific original troupe of that name.

Pete

[hanes teulu]

Re "Charles d'Albert" the piece is always "Molly Darling Quadrille" (singular). Agree that "W. Putnam's" was probably a particular arrangement.

[Koromo]

The 19th century newspaper The Era which catered for the theatre/entertainment worlds in the UK has advertisements for performances of the Christy Minstrels from about 1860s to the 1890s. A review of a show in 1866 mentions Mr Putnam giving a harp solo and he is mentioned in association with the Christy Minstrels over the next few years

In 1872 another company, the Mohawk Minstrels, are being advertised with the "Musical Director, Mr. W. Putnam, the Great Harpist."

Below: from The Era dated 3 November 1872