In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree

In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree is a popular song dating from 1905. It was written by Harry Williams and Egbert Van Alstyne (music).

The meter of its chorus is in the form of a Limerick.

It can safely be characterized as a highly sentimental tune. Although the verses (seldom heard nowadays) provide further explanation, it is clear that the writer is singing about a lost love:

In the movie The Wizard of Oz, in the scene involving the talking apple trees who become angry with Dorothy for picking apples off them, the strains of this song are heard in the instrumental underscore.

Similarly, in Warner Bros. cartoons, for example, the tune was invoked in underscore sometimes, when trees were appearing on the screen.

Harvey Martin Snell Remembers Egbert Van Alstyne - Students Together At Centenary School: (Van Alstyne wrote "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree")

Egbert Anson Van Alstyne (composer of "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree" and other well-known songs of the World War I era) attended Centenary School and lived in Saverton township, Ralls Co, Mo., south of Hannibal, in his youth. Centenary School is located on the south bank of Fool's Creek approximately a half mile east of Centenary Methodist Church and cemetery. That is approximately 2 miles south of Saverton near Old Fort Mason and Clemens' Station. Egbert "Bert" Anson Van Alstyne - (b. March 6, 1878, Marengo, IL d. July 9, 1951, Chicago, IL. Van Alstyne was born on Washington Street on March 6, 1878, to Charles and Emma Rogers Van Alstyne, both descendents of early settlers in the Marengo, IL area. Egbert or "Bert" as he was called probably attended Centenary School in Saverton Township sometime between the time after his father's death in 1885 in Rockford, IL and his teenage years. Egbert probably attended Centenary Methodist Church at Centenary too due to his family's Methodist background.

Harvey Martin Snell (born July 3, 1876 in Centenary died Nov. 12, 1956) son of John Snell and Nancy Sinclair of Centenary, attended Centenary school with Egbert Van Alstyne and were school friends. Harvey told his family about their friendship and school days and later recalled the inspiration for Egbert's song 'In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree'. Apparently, Egbert received his inspiration for the song from an old apple tree that sat somewhere between Centenary School (next to Fool's Creek) and the large hill sitting just to the south of Centenary School. This story was told to Harvey's wife, Elsie Mae (McGee) Snell d. 1962, and their children including Dora Margaret (Snell) Glascock (died August 1, 2008), wife of Samuel Downing Glascock d.1990, both of the community of Centenary area in Saverton Township, Ralls Co, Mo. Finished in 1905 "In The Shade of the Old Apple Tree" was one of the biggest hits of the decade. (Harry H. Williams, lyrics Egbert Van Alstyne, composer). IN THE SHADE OF THE OLD APPLE TREE Egbert "Bert" Anson Van Alstyne

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