I suppose it’s fairly common knowledge that Thomas Arne is the composer of the British national air “Rule, Britannia,” which was originally heard as part of his masque “Alfred” in 1740.
What is perhaps less well known is that he also wrote the national air of Elmer Fudd, “A-Hunting We Will Go.” The maddening ear-worm was conceived for a production of John Gay’s “The Beggar’s Opera” in 1777. I am happy to report that no animals were harmed in the writing of this song.
Ironically, it turns out that the singing of the British national anthem, “God Save the Queen,” has been identified as an expedient way to rid oneself of earworms, those insistently memorable melodies that continually repeat in our heads until it seems we will teeter over into madness.
https://www.npr.org/2012/03/12/148460545/why-that-song-gets-stuck-in-your-head
Join me for a keyboard concerto by Thomas Arne, on the anniversary of his birth, among my featured works today from 4 to 7 p.m. EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.