Annotation:Tyrolese Waltz
X:1 T:Tyrolese Waltz L:1/8 M:3/4 S: Hodsoll's Collection of Popular Dances No. 24 K:F C2|F>F A>A c>c|c>a f2 (3Acf|g2 bz (3Geg|f2 az C2| F>F A>A c>c|c>a f2 (3Acf|g2bz (3Geg|f4:| |:(3Afa|(3GBe g2 (3Gbe|(3Acf a2 (3Acf|(3GBe g2 (3GBe| (3Acf a2 C2|F>F A>A c>c|c>a f2 (3Acf|g2 bz (3Geg|f4:|
TYROLESE WALTZ. AKA - "Tyrolese Song of Liberty." English, American; Air and Waltz (3/4 time). England, Shropshire. F Major (Ashman/Moore): D Major (Kennedy). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The tune appears in Hodsoll’s Collection of Popular Dances No. 24, an undated manuscript of tunes with Napoleonic-era titles and country dance directions. It was printed in several early 19th century collections and tutors, such as Edward Riley's Flute Melodies vol. 2 (New York, 1817), A. Bacon's Bacon's Complete Preceptor for the Clarinet (Philadelphia, c. 1818), J.G. Klemm's New & Complete Preceptor for the Clarinet (Philadelphia, 1825), G.E. Blake's Introduction to the Art of Playing the Bassoon (Philadelphia, 1826), and Firth & Hall's Newly Improved Instructor for the Clarinet (New York, c. 1832), sometimes under the title "Tyrolese Song of Liberty". The latter title is the name of a popular song by Irish writer, poet and lyricist Thomas Moore (1779-1852) set to the melody (and dedicated to "Miss Rawdon"), sometimes appearing as "Merrily O!," issued on songsheets. Moore's words begin:
Merrily every bosom boundedth, merrily oh! merrily oh!
Where the song of fredom soundeth, merrily oh! merrily oh!
There the warrior's arms,
Shed more splendor,
There the maiden's charms,
Shine more tender:
Ev'ry joy the land surroundeth, merrily oh! merryily oh!
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Merrily oh! merrily oh! merrily oh!
It was also entered into a few period musicians manuscript collections, and Thomas Jefferson had a copy of Moore's song at Monticello, and, according to Mary Shelly, "Tyrolese Song of Liberty" was often sung by Lord Byron. Not everyone was pleased with the music: William Gardiner, publisher of sacred melodies by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven early in the 19th century, complained that "the nonconformists...have adapted trivial and unworthy tunes such as 'The Tyrolese Waltz' to sacred texts."
The Tyrol is the alpine area of Austria, a country that was an ally of England against Napoleon, a fact that may account for the appearance of the tune in period country dance collections.
