Home, Sweet Home

Henry Rowley Bishop (1787-1855)

The first Australian performance of Henry Rowley Bishop’s ‘Home, Sweet Home’ (from the opera Clari; or, The Maid of Milan) took place in the Sydney Amateur Concert Series in 1826. At the time, there was a vigorous public debate over the relative merits of Italian and English songs. Proponents of songs such as Bishop’s ‘Home Sweet Home’, felt that the simple directness of British music evoked a genuine depth of feeling that was missing in foreign (Italian and French) music. ‘Home, Sweet Home’ was performed by both sopranos Tempest Margaret Paul (Concert Five) and Harriet Jones (Concert Ten) in the Sydney concert series, reflecting its popularity.

Lyrics

Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home
A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there
Which seek thro' the world, is ne'er met elsewhere
Home! Home!
Sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home
There's no place like home!

An exile from home splendor dazzles in vain
Oh give me my lowly thatched cottage again
The birds singing gaily that came at my call
And gave me the peace of mind dearer than all
Home, home, sweet, sweet home
There's no place like home, there's no place like home!