The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Sheet music for the song titled 'Break the News to Mother', a song that was written and composed by Charles Kassell Harris. The cover of this copy features a colour lithograph of a wounded soldier being cared for by two other soldiers with another in the background bringing up a horse. Inside the back cover of this version of the sheet music is a copy of the melody and lyrics. This abridged version of the music was intended to be used for free in pantomimes. On the back cover is a list of thirteen patriotic songs, complete with the lyrics of their choruses. At the bottom of this list are the titles of two ballads, also featuring the lyrics of the associated choruses.
This version is described on the inside cover as a descriptive ballad. The lyrics tell of a soldier requesting that his mother be told the news that he won't be coming home from the war. The song went on to be performed by many singers including Alfred Hurley, Miss Maude Needham, Miss Flo' Chester, Miss Ella Dean, The Four Sisters Silcott and The Gotham Comedy Quartet.
One story behind the writing of this song states that the song was originally written about the death of a fireman who was trying to save a burning building. Another story states that it was inspired by the request of a dying Confederate drummer in William Gillette's 'Secret Service'. The song was published during the Spanish American War and re-published again during the First World War. Sometime between 1897 and 1899, this song was used in an illustrated slide show focused on a Union soldier. In 1919, the song was re-published again and became the title of a movie, 'Break the news to mother'.
Charles Kassel Harris was an American songwriter who is regarded as one of the early pioneers of Tin Pan Alley and also contributed to the development of the genre of sentimental ballads. Harris also produced songs for musicals and worked with Oscar Hammerstein II.
Towards the bottom of this page is a sound recording of this sheet music, or a parody, that was created as part of the Music and the First World War project. More information about this recording, including names of the performers, can be found on the catalogue record for the sound recording. A link to the catalogue record for the sound recording can be found at the bottom of this page, under the heading ‘Related objects’ where it can be identified with the prefix [sound recording].
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