Double Lead Through

Originally a song, 'Légende de la Mère Angot', from Act I of the three act opéra-comique 'La fille de Madame Angot', written by French composer Charles Lecoq. The opera was first produced in Brussels at the Théâtre des Fantaisies-Parisiennes on the 4 December 1872. The piece caused a sensation in Britain where it ran for a consecutive five-hundred nights and then appeared in London in various forms as well as being extensively toured. Made famous more recently in England from the version which Cecil Sharp collected from William Kimber at Headington Quarry - also included on a 78rpm record issued by HMV in association with the EFDSS in 1947. It is still a great favourite with the French, and is still, apparently, played almost continuously in the Asterix theme park, south of Paris. (Hugh Rippon)

Recordings

Billy Kimber - Solo Concertina (His Master's Voice UK, B.9519), Jan 1947 10" 78 rpm https://youtu.be/Y6h9M-N_tJo