Catch That Catch Can

"Catch That Catch Can" is a collection of musical catches compiled by John Hilton and published in 1652. Catches are a type of perpetual canon, similar to rounds, where multiple voices sing the same melody but enter at different times. They were particularly popular in England during the 17th and 18th centuries. The texts of catches were often humorous or risqué, with the interplay of voices sometimes creating new, bawdy meanings. While the term "catch" might derive from the Italian "caccia" or refer to singers "catching" the tune, the genre's popularity peaked after the English Restoration. This collection is distinct from Joseph Heller's famous novel Catch-22.12