The Flying Trapeze

The Flying Trapeze was written in 1867 by George Leybourne and Alfred Lee. Inspired by the celebrated trapeze artist Jules Léotard, the song became one of the great successes of the Victorian music hall era and helped popularize the image of the daring aerial performer. The song remained popular well into the twentieth century through recordings by artists including Burl Ives, Almeda Riddle, and Leon Redbone, carrying it from the music hall stage into the folk repertoire. The phrase “he’d fly through the air with the greatest of ease” remains one of the most recognizable lines to survive from the nineteenth-century popular song tradition. This performance is presented with voice and acoustic guitar. Song: The Flying Trapeze Written by: George Leybourne & Alfred Lee (1867) Inspired by: Jules Léotard Performance: Jason Paul, voice & guitar