The historians (John Wall Callcott)
Music files
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- Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2007-08-24). Score information: A4, 2 pages Copyright: Personal
- Edition notes: Please click on the link for preview/playback/PDF download. This edition comprises both a modern realisation, and a statement of the piece in its original specialised format.
- Editor: Jonathan Goodliffe (submitted 2004-01-11). Score information: A4, 1 page, 68 kB Copyright: CPDL
- Edition notes:
General Information
Title: The Historians
Composer: John Wall Callcott
Number of voices: 3vv Voicing: TTB
Genre: Secular, Partsong
Language: English
Instruments: A cappella
First published:
Description: This catch won a Catch Club Prize Medal in 1789, commemorating the rivalry between the first two English histories of music. Both were first published in 1776 and public opinion split between preferring the work of Sir John Hawkins (academically sounder, but less socially adroit) and that of Charles Burney, who enjoyed impressive social connections. In the hocket, the disguised lyric is revealed as "Sir John Hawkins; How d'ye like him? Burn his hist'ry!"
This is the same work as "Sir John Hawkins' History of Music". The latter edition reproduces the music in modern score format as it is intended to be sung. [N.B. It doesn't. See the discussion page on that work sheet]
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
Have you Sir John Hawkins’ hist’ry?
Some folks think it quite a myst’ry,
Sir John Hawkins,
Some folks think it quite a myst’ry.
Music filled his wond’rous brain;
how d’ye like him, is it plain?
Both I’ve read and must agree
that Burney’s hist’ry pleases me,
Burney’s hist’ry pleases me.