The oddities, an entertainment by Charles Dibdin, transcribed and engraved with accompanying notes

The popular songs of Charles Dibdin represent a vibrant, prolific musical culture in late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century England—one that is sometimes overlooked in favor of a more continental Eurocentric narrative in mainstream musical scholarship. Dibdin’s entertainment, The Oddities (1790), played a significant role in his financial and popular success late in life. The biting social satire in many of the songs—providing period commentary on race, class, gender, and hypocritical prudes—may account for some of this, as may his popular gift for melody. However, although some of the songs from this entertainment have maintained a place in song repertoire, there is no extant print-ready edition of The Oddities to have been published since the nineteenth century. This project seeks to provide that edition for scholarship and performance, and hopes to encourage interest in the study and performance of Dibdin’s songs, thereby furthering performance of popular English song of the period. The songs of The Oddities are tuneful, mostly strophic character pieces appropriate for use in recitals and pastiche productions, and will prove especially useful for voice teachers seeking material for English-language singers and aspiring singing actors.