The first two bars of Abt's famous choral work "Wenn die Schwalben heimwärts ziehn," here translated into English by the composer: When the swallows homeward fly. The quotation is on lined notepaper and embossed in the upper left-hand corner.

Franz Abt was a German composer whose prolific output for chorus is often noted for its simple, folk-like charm. An accomplished choral conductor of international fame, Abt regularly toured Europe and enjoyed an enormously successful tour of America in 1872.