I do not profess to have chronicled _all_ the musical references, nor has it been possible to identify every one of the numerous quotations from songs, although I have consulted such excellent authorities as Dr. Cummings, Mr. Worden (Preston), and Mr. J. Allanson Benson (Bromley). I have to thank Mr. Frank Kidson, who, I understand, had already planned a work of this description, for his kind advice and assistance. There is no living writer who has such a wonderful knowledge of old songs as Mr. Kidson, a knowledge which he is ever ready to put at the disposal of others. Even now there are some half-dozen songs which every attempt to run to earth has failed, though I have tried to 'mole 'em out' (as Mr. Pancks would say) by searching through some hundreds of song-books and some thousands of separate songs. Should any of my readers be able to throw light on dark places I shall be very glad to hear from them, with a view to making the information here presented as complete and correct as possible if another edition should be called for. May I suggest to the Secretaries of our Literary Societies, Guilds, and similar organizations that a pleasant evening might be spent in rendering some of the music referred to by Dickens. The proceedings might be varied by readings from his works or by historical notes on the music. Many of the pieces are still in print, and I shall be glad to render assistance in tracing them. Perhaps this idea will also commend itself to the members of the Dickens Fellowship, an organization with which all lovers of the great novelist ought to associate themselves. JAMES T. LIGHTWOOD. LYTHAM, _October, 1912._ I truly love Dickens; and discern in the inner man of him a tone of real Music which struggles to express itself, as it may in these bewildered, stupefied and, indeed, very crusty and distracted days--better or worse! THOMAS CARLYLE. CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. DICKENS AS A MUSICIAN 1 II. INSTRUMENTAL COMBINATIONS 23 III. VARIOUS INSTRUMENTS: FLUTE, ORGAN, GUITAR (AND SOME HUMMERS) 36 IV. VARIOUS INSTRUMENTS (_continued_) 56 V. CHURCH MUSIC 69 VI. SONGS AND SOME SINGERS 83 VII. SOME NOTED SINGERS 112 LIST OF SONGS, &c., MENTIONED BY DICKENS 135 INDEX OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 164 INDEX OF CHARACTERS 165 GENERAL INDEX 169 LIST OF MUSIC TITLES, &c., FOUNDED ON DICKENS' CHARACTERS 172 LIST OF WORKS REFERRED TO _With Abbreviations Used_