One hundred years ago next May "Home, Sweet Home," was sung in public for the first time. he melody came in the second act of an opera called lari, or the Maid of Milan," produced at Covent Garden. The libretto was written by a wandering American actor, John Howard Payne, and the music was composed by Sir Henry Bishop. The opera died and was soon forgotten, but the centenary of the imperishable song if bequeathed to the English-speaking world is to he observed here. Leading musicians have expressed hope that the anniversary would be observed by singing the song at concerts throughout the world
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.