[Sheet music] Would You Believe It?

Accession Number RC10818
Collection number Sheet Music Collection 333
Collection type Published Collection
Record type Item
Item count 1
Object type Sheet Music
Maker Ayer, Nat D
Grey, Clifford
Place made United Kingdom
Date made 1918
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Copying Provisions Copyright restrictions apply. Only personal, non-commercial, research and study use permitted. Permission of copyright holder required for any commercial use and/or reproduction.
Description

Sheet music for the song titled 'Would you believe it?' with lyrics written by Clifford Grey and music composed by Nat D Ayer. This song featured in the theatrical production 'Yes, Uncle!' and was originally performed by Leslie Henson and Davy Burnaby. This copy was published by B. Feldman & Co in 1918. On the back cover is a publisher's advertisement of the first page of 'Ninny Nonny No', which also featured in the production of 'Yes, Uncle!' and was written by Grey and Ayer.

This song is a duet written as a series of questions and responses. The lyrics describe a number of humorous anecdotes.

This copy of the music originally belonged to Private Ernest Alfred Nicholls and features his name at the top of the front cover. It is part of a collection of sheet music that was donated to the Memorial in 1971, and is symbolic of the concerts, theatre and other musical performances that Australian soldiers took in whilst on leave in London during the First World War.

Towards the bottom of this page is a sound recording of this sheet music, or a parody, that was created as part of the Music and the First World War project. More information about this recording, including names of the performers, can be found on the catalogue record for the sound recording. A link to the catalogue record for the sound recording can be found at the bottom of this page, under the heading ‘Related objects’ where it can be identified with the prefix [sound recording].