Theodore August Metz (1848-1936) was born in the Hanover of King Ernest Augustus and died in FDR’s America. Having trained as a violinist, Metz emigrated and eventually found work as conductor for a touring minstrel show.
Metz’s claim to cultural immortality rests on his composition, in 1897, of a tune that has achieved anthemic status in the United States: ‘There’ll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight’. This song, with lyrics by Joe Hayden, was featured in The Florodora Girl.
