[Sheet music]: There’s a Charm in Spring

by DICKENS, Charles, words by, and John Hullah, music by

$250 · Offered by Biblio

New York: Firth & Hall, 1847. Softcover. Very Good. Unknown edition. Folio. Two nested bifolia making eight pages. Music shop stamp on front cover, toning and offsetting throughout, and some light creasing, very good. For voice and piano. The front cover states, "Sung by Mr. Braham. in the opera *The Village Coquettes*. Performed at the St. James' Theatre." Unlike most sheet music associated with Charles Dickens, this song comes from an actual collaboration Dickens had with the composer, John Hullah. This song is from their comic opera, "The Village Coquettes." The show premiered in 1836 and ran for 19 nights in London before moving to Edinburgh where it was performed under new direction. The reviews were less than favorable and over time Dickens grew to agree with them, once stating that he "wouldn’t repeat [his productions] for a thousand pounds apiece," and he reportedly wished for his foray into theater (*The Village Coquettes* and a piece called *The Strange Gentleman*) to be forgotten completely (F.G. Kitton). *OCLC* locates only a single holding of this edition published by Firth & Hall (we know of two other editions thought to be published around this time) and it appears to be equally scarce in the trade,

• Publisher: Firth & Hall
• Year: 1847
• Binding: unknown

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