6/50 Petites Musique in Burr Walnut Case
Serial no. 1321; Circa 

Bought at auction September 2023.
​Possibly attributed to Mermod or Mojon Manger.
Very good, condition when received, but with the usual tarnish and dirt. 
​See it in the workshop

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Tunes - Scottish and Irish folk melodies

1. Home Sweet Home Originally from the 1823 opera Clari, or the Maid of Milan, this became one of the most famous songs of the 19th century. It was so sentimental that it was reportedly banned in Union Army camps during the American Civil War because it made the soldiers too homesick and prone to desertion.

2. The Last Rose of Summer An Irish poem by Thomas Moore set to a traditional melody. It is a meditation on loneliness and the passage of time. It gained worldwide fame after being incorporated into Friedrich von Flotow’s opera Martha (1847).

3. Those Evening Bells Another Thomas Moore classic, subtitled "A Russian Air." It was inspired by the bells of St. Petersburg and became an "anthem of nostalgia" across Europe. The lyrics describe the bittersweet feeling of hearing church bells and remembering friends who have passed away.

4. Ye Banks and Braes One of Robert Burns’ most famous lyrics, written to the tune "The Caledonian Hunt's Delight." It is a "complaint" of a woman whose lover has been unfaithful, contrasting the beauty of the River Doon (the "banks and braes") with her own internal sadness.

5. The Blue Bells of Scotland Though often thought of as an ancient folk song, it was actually popularized by the actress Dora Jordan around 1800. It tells the story of a young woman questioning where her "Highland laddie" has gone (he has gone to fight for the King).

6. Auld Lang Syne The world’s most famous song of "times gone by." Robert Burns sent the poem to the Scots Musical Museum in 1788, claiming he had "taken it down from an old man’s singing." It remains the definitive anthem for New Year’s Eve and endings.

Auld Lang Syne

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Unfortunately the spring ratchet has broken, so this is back in the workshop for an early fix in 2026