Theatre was beyond the pocket of average working people, so they flocked to the music hall, or vaudeville as it was known in America. The biggest stars, performers like Marie Lloyd and Florrie Forde (who was born in Australia), were well known in both England and America. Because miners and the services they needed, popped up wherever gold was found, or rumored to be found, it is quite likely they would have known these songs. They might even have heard of Gilbert and Sullivan, whose HMS Pinafore opened in London, England, in 1878. It ran for 571 performances, the second-longest run of any musical theatre piece of the time and became a world-wide sensation. If you wish to listen to some of these old songs, many of them can be found on YouTube, particularly in performances from BBC TV’s ‘The Good Old Days’. SONG LIST. 1843 I DREAMT I DWELLED IN MARBLE HALLS – aria from The Bohemian Girl by Irish composer Michael William Balfe.
