Trivia: The Irishman

The following paragraph is found in the Original Soundtrack of Becoming Jane:

Special thanks to the Jane Austen Memorial Trust at Chawton, Hampshire for permission to study the surviving music books and manuscripts which once belonged to the Austen family. Particular thematic reference is made to 'The Irishman' (anon) in tracks 3 and 18...


In the OST, tracks 3 and 18 are respectively Bond Street Airs and A Letter; both are played during scenes principally involving Tom Lefroy. The Irishman is an original piece of music obtained from a music book belonging to the Austen family and now on display in Chawton House (where Jane Austen lived from 1809-1817). It is possible that the music book was used by Jane to play pieces on the piano for her family’s enjoyment. It is also speculated that Tom Lefroy may have given her this book. Therefore, when creating the soundtrack, ‘The Irishman’ was taken into consideration as thematic reference. The melody is particularly apparent when listening to ‘Bond Street Airs’. Visit Jane Austen’s Songbook at www.amazon.com or www.cduniverse.com for accessible track samples.