{"id":14171,"date":"2022-01-05T14:54:18","date_gmt":"2022-01-05T14:54:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=14171"},"modified":"2022-05-12T08:30:07","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T08:30:07","slug":"once-more-in-the-dear-old-land","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/once-more-in-the-dear-old-land\/","title":{"rendered":"Once more in the dear old land"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Dark and gloomy was the day<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1885<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>Felix McGlennon<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN34908<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Harry Melville<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>None that I am aware of<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Dark and gloomy was the day when from Erin I'd to part,\nAs the good ship sailed away dark and gloomy was my heart;\nBut home visions to me came as we ploughed the angry sea,\nAnd my heart so fondly yearned for the day when I should be\u2014\n \nOnce more in the dear old land, once more in old Ireland:\nO'er the wide, wide world I've roamed, but my heart still turned to thee; Once more in my native land, once more in my sireland,\nLoveliest island that Heaven e'er smiled on, dear Erin, the gem of the sea.<\/em>\n\nVaried scenes I gazed upon, over land and over sea,\nBut where'er I chanced to roam, Erin, I was true to thee:\nOne thought cheered my lonely heart, one thought chased each care away \nWeary years might o'er me roll, still I hope to be some day\u2014 \n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
This is one of a number of Irish songs and sketches produced by Felix McGlennon<\/a> in the early part of his career for Irish-American performer Harry Melville<\/a>.  The first printed record of it being performed that I can find is in Scotland in June 1885 – later in the year Melville also performed it as part of a four week appearance at Sam Collins Hall in London. It seems to have been added to an earlier dramatic monologue called Outcast for Life<\/em> which Melville performed regularly in the mid-1880s. The notices mention that the monologue included scenic effects by Felix McGlennon and others..<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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June 27, 1885; The Era<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
According to WorldCat surviving copies of the sheet music were published in Boston in 1893<\/a> and London in 1903<\/a>. In the UK and Ireland it appeared in a number of broadsides, in America it was published in several cheap collections of songs published by the Wehman Brothers<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n