March 25, 2005

Echoes of Broadway on an Old Clock

To the Editor:

After listening to the tunes of the David Rittenhouse clock on your Web site, I could not help but be struck by the first tune's motif ("A Mimic of the Sky," The Chronicle, February 4). It reminded me of the courier's song from 1776, entitled "Momma Look Sharp."

The composer of that musical, Sherman Edwards, spent years researching before composing the work. I wonder if he heard the Drexel University clock and incorporated the melody into his score, or if the tune