Friday, February 26, 2010

HUM 221: Notes on Cherokee video

KEY CONCEPTS

harmony balance
http://www.cherokee.org/ adaptability

“How could the Cherokee, who did not want to live like the white man, adapt to a rapidly changing world?”

-- boarding schools

Language -- - “Cherokee” pronounced “Tsa-la-gi” … looks like “GWY” …

See website of Cherokee Nation (Oklahoma) at

http://www.cherokee.org/target=

HUM 221: Video on Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

We'll watch Cherokee: The Principal People (1998), a video hosted by Wes Studi, a full-blooded Oklahoma Cherokee actor, for North Carolina public television and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation. Here are some questions for you to ask yourself (AND TAKE NOTES SO YOU REEBER THE ANSWERS) so we can discuss them in class later.

A blurb for teachers in North Carolina says this video "reflects Cherokee identity from earliest origins to the present economic challenges. The Eastern Cherokee's strength in their arts, language, and culture today speak to their tenacious power of survival. Producer Ron Ruehl, the recipient of gold and silver ADDY awards and a Telly Award for excellence in video production, describes this documentary as the most important work of his career." (If you're planning to major in mass communications, and you really ought to consider it, you'll be interested to know the ADDY Awards are given by the American Advertising Federation for "creative excellence" in advertising. So Ruehl's work here is low-budget, but he's good.)

Here are the questions. Pay attention during the video. You will be given the opportunity to express yourselves in writing after we've seen it. A couple of things to watch/ listen for:
1. What familiar song did Cherokee Indians sing on the Trail of Tears?

2. How has the Cherokee culture changed over the years? What specific things did they learn from white American culture?

3. What steps are the Cherokee taking to preserve their heritage and pass it on to the next generation?

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

"Old Gray Mare', 'Out of the Wilderness' and variants (including 'Jine the Cavalry') ...

Widespread song that dates from before the Civil War. "The Old Gray Mare" is said by said by at least three writers (cited in Wikipedia) to be a reference to Lady Suffolk, who broke a speed record in the 1840s in Hoboken, N.J., when she was more than 10 years old (cf. the account in Suite101.com by freelance sportswriter BarbaraAnne Helberg). There's also "Here we sit like birds in the wilderness" and something about green, greasy gopher guts I'm trying hard not to remember. My hunch: The tune is catchy, and it was tricked out with all kinds of lyrics early.

Fiddlers' Companion lumps some of these songs, at least the ones that got into fiddle players' repertory, as "The Old Gray Mare (Came Tearing Out of the Wilderness" and has this on the "old gray mare" and "out of the wilderness" songs in general:

OUT OF THE WILDERNESS. AKA and see "Johnny Stole a Ham," "The White Horse [2]," "The Old Grey Mare (Came Tearing Out of the Wilderness)." American, Song and Dance Tune (2/4 or 4/4 time). USA, southwestern Pa. G Major. Standard tuning. AABB. The tune to the familiar ditty which goes:
***
The old grey mare, she ain't what she used to be,
Ain't what she used to be, ain't what she used to be.
***
Irwin Silber ("Songs of the Civil War") identifies the composer of this tune as J. Warner, who originally called it "Down in Alabam" (though of course he may have adapted a folk tune). Just prior to the Civil War one parody composed to it was called "Old Abe Lincoln Came Out of the Wilderness." Sources for notated versions: Hoge MS (Pa., 1944) and Marion Yoders (fifer and fiddler from Greene County, Pa., 1963) [Bayard]. Bayard (Dance to the Fiddle), 1981; No. 271, pg. 228.


Wikipedia has lyrics and a brief history. Including:
JINE THE CAVALRY!

CHORUS:
If you want to have a good time, jine the cavalry!
Jine the cavalry! Jine the cavalry!
If you want to catch the Devil, if you want to have fun,
If you want to smell Hell, jine the cavalry!


We're the boys who went around McClellian,
Went around McClellian, went around McClellian!
We're the boys who went around McClellian,
Bully boys, hey! Bully boys, ho!

CHORUS:
If you want to have a good time, jine the cavalry!
Jine the cavalry! Jine the cavalry!
If you want to catch the Devil, if you want to have fun,
If you want to smell Hell, jine the cavalry!
And this ...
Ol' Joe Hooker, won't you come out of The Wilderness?
Come out of The Wilderness, come out of The Wilderness?
Ol' Joe Hooker, won't you come out of The Wilderness?
Bully boys, hey! Bully boys, ho!

CHORUS








Also 2nd S.C. playing "Jine the Cavalry" audio only ... cf. this clip with sound on film, but shot from a distance.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Reader response paper - 'Blue Winds Dancing'

If you want to start reading ahead, here is a text of "Blue Winds Dancing" by Tom Whitecloud. Whitecloud was an Ojibwe Indian, the people we've been studying the last week or two, and I'll post more links in the next few days. The paper is called a reflective response, and we'll write a reader response on it over spring break.

We?

Did I say "we?"

I mean "you." You will write the paper over spring break.

And here's the assignment sheet. It'll be due right after the break, in other words on Friday, March 19.


Assignment: Reader Response Paper
"Blue Winds Dancing" by Tom Whitecloud

Read the short story “Blue Winds Dancing” by Tom Whitecloud and write a 1,000- to 1,250-word paper in which you analyze your response to the story and the specific things about the story that made you respond to it as you did. You will need to look up some information about Whitecloud and his tribal heritage, i.e. the Ojibwe or Chippewa people, for background. But I want your paper to be the product of your own independent judgment. [Please see Note on Plagiarism below.] You may use either MLA or APA documentation. Due the week of March 23-27, the week after spring break. Start by reading “Blue Winds Dancing.” As you do, ask yourself these three questions.

  • What about the story stands out in my mind?
  • What in my background, values and experience makes me react as I do? How does it compare to Whitecloud’s background and experience as a college student?
  • What specific things about the story trigger my reaction? Which specific passages speak to me? To what extent is the story grounded in Whitecloud's cultural background as a Chippewa Indian? To what extent is it universal? Does it transcend the boundaries of its culture?

Thinking about these questions will help you frame a thesis. For this paper, you have to narrow your topic. You might decide, for example, that Whitecloud describes the same feelings anyone has upon going off to college and returning home for a vacation. So you might say his story is universal, even though it is grounded in his memory of returning home for an Ojibwe dance. How do you feel about it? Another example: You might say when Whitecloud says the drum is the heartbeat of the universe, he is reflecting a common Native American belief about music, dance and drumming. How do you feel about it? There are literally hundreds of good directions you can take your paper. Whatever your thesis is, be sure to say how the story speaks to you. In writing your paper, follow this format:

  • Circumstances. Give a two- to four-paragraph introduction to your essay. Start by describing what's on your mind as you read the story, how you feel about it, what you had for dinner, what the weather's like, anything that sets the stage.
  • Background. Here's where you give the necessary information about the piece. You don’t have to dwell on this, but at least tell about Whitecloud’s background as an Obijwe who went away to college in California. The story is autobiographical, so this stuff matters.
  • Analysis. This is by far the longest part of the paper, and the most detailed. In many ways, it will read like other papers you’ve written in English and humanities classes. Since HUM 221 is a course in cultural studies, I also want you to address the following question: To what extent does Whitecloud deal with issues unique to his cultural heritage, and to what extent does he deal with universal issues - i.e. human nature? Does he transcend the boundaries of his own culture? As always, argue a thesis. Support your thesis by quoting passages from the story and analyzing how they affect your response. Remember, in college-level writing, an unsupported thesis is sudden death!


(I'm also linking to a sample reader response essay I wrote when I was teaching freshman English. It's about a country musician instead of a Native American author, but it shows how I use the "Circumstances," "Background" and "Analysis" headings to get into the paper. It also shows how I like to use a quote from the text and analyze the quote in my own words.)

Email me your paper at pellertsen@sci.edu as a Microsoft Word attachment to the email message. If you do not follow the content format stipulated above, or if I suspect plagiarism, I may be required to submit your paper to an electronic data base for computer-assisted analysis of its dependence on unacknowledged sources. By turning in the paper for a grade in the course, you expressly assent to such electronic monitoring.

Note on Plagiarism

My writing assignments are designed to be plagiarism-proof. If you follow the steps I list on the assignment sheet, they'll help you write a paper on which you exercise your independent judgment, come to your own conclusion and support it with evidence drawn from reading the story. If you don't follow the steps, I will stop reading your paper as soon as I realize you're not answering my questions. In that event, I may l return it to you with no grade and enter a zero (0) in my gradebook which will not be removed until you turn in a completed, original paper. If I suspect plagiarism, I am required to submit a full report to the Dean of Academic Affairs.

"Jenny Get Your Hoecake Done"

"Jenny Get Your Hoe Cake Done" (1840)
The Celebrated Banjo Song,
as sung with great Applause at the
Broadway Circus,
by
Joel Walker Sweeney, ca. 1810 - 1860

[Source: 020/003@Levy]

1.
De hen and chickens went to roost,
De hawk flew down and hit de goose
He hit de ole hen in de back
I really believe dam am a fac,
Oh, Jenny get de hoe cake done my dear,
Oh, Jenny get de hoe cake done.

2.
As I was gwain lond de road,
Past a stump dar wad a toad.
De tadpole winked at Pollewog's daughter,
And kick'd de bull frog plump in de water.
Oh, Jenny get de hoe cake done my dear,
Oh, Jenny get de hoe cake done, love!

* * *

6.
Massa un Misse promise me
When dey died to set me free,
Now dey both are dead and gone,
Left ole Sambo [haeing?] out corn
Oh, Jenny get de hoe cake done my dear,
Oh, Jenny get de hoe cake done, love!


Sheet music (three pages of GIF files in the Music for the Nation: American Sheet Music collection of the Library of Congress. First page is pix of Sweeney (?) in blackface.
Covered as recently as 1978 by Grandpa Jones (on an album with "I'm My Own Grandpaw" and "Five String Banjo Boogie").


2nd South Carolina String Band at a reenactment



Also 2nd S.C. playing "Jine the Cavalry" audio only ... cf. this clip with sound on film, but shot from a distance.

HUM 221: Gathering of Nations (including Cherokee nation)

As we move into the second half of the semester, we'll begin by looking at the website for a big national pow wow in Albuquerque. It's called the Gathering of Nations, and it is truly that, a gathering of dancers from the 500-plus Indians tribes or nations in North America. It will also serve as a transition to our study of the Cherokee and other Indian nations of the Southeast. Most of them were forced to relocate to Oklahoma, but their traditional homes were in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Tennessee and the Carolinas.

We'll start by reading the Gathering of Nations' pages on What to Expect - PowWow Fan Tips including this:
  • Pow wows are celebrations, social gatherings and friendly dance competitions. But, as with the sacred thread that runs through all of life, there are sacred traditions to be found in this coming together of people.

  • There is a circle in most dances, representing the circle of unity, the cycle of life. Dancers often follow the clockwise pattern of the sun.


We'll follow the link at midpage to the "Learn About Powwow Dancers Section" that describes the most common dance competitions.

We'll also read an essay called "Why We Dance" by MariJo Moore. She sums up:
Why we dance: To dance is to pray, to pray is to heal, to heal is to give, to give is to live, to live is to dance.
MariJo Moore is a poet from Asheville, N.C., and a member of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation ... the next group of people we'll study ... so her essay also serves as a transition to the Cherokee.

So does a story simply called "Amazing Grace" by Joe Liles. You'll see why. But before you follow the link, a little background. The Cherokee - written "Tsa-la-gi" in the Cherokee syllabary, or alphabet - live both in their traditional home in North Carolina and Oklahoma where they were forced to relocate on the Trail of Tears. Liles visited the Oklahoma nation.

For Friday, read that two-page section in our textbook on the Indian nations of the Southeast.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Sparky and Rhonda Rucker on WBUR-FM Boston

Streaming audio from show Friday, Nov. 9, 2007. Singing, good talk, background on the songs and call-in. Worth a listen.



Blurb from program host Tom Ashbrook:
Sparky Rucker grew up black in Knoxville, Tennessee, the son of a family of preachers and policemen who fell in love with the blues and then all of American folk and the stories of American history.

Rhonda Hicks Rucker grew up white in Louisville, Kentucky, trained to be a doctor, then fell in love with the blues harmonica — and with Sparky.

Now they travel America’s highways and byways with a wagon-load of American history and legend and song. And when they perform, Americans gather round, and listen again.

This hour, On Point: Sparky and Rhonda Rucker sing America’s story.

Nordisk Institut for Hymnologi | NORDHYMN

Website at http://www.teol.lu.se/nordhymn/forelasningar/index.html Centrum för teologi och religionsvetenskap [Centre for Theology and Religious Studies] at Lund University.

Välkommen till NORDHYMN
Nordisk Institut for Hymnologi er oprettet i 1988 med formålet at initiere og befordre tværfaglig forskning om salmen og den åndelige sang i de nordiske folks liv. Instituttet består af en styringsgruppe med et medlem fra hvert af de fem nordiske lande samt et sekretariet på to medlemmer. Sekretariatet har hjemsted på Institut for Kirkehistorie ved Københavns Universitet.


Links to PDF files of papers presented at meetings ...
  • Sigvald Tveit. Hymnody and Identity. Foredrag ved International Society for the Study of European Ideas. Universitetet i Bergen. 17.08.00 http://www.teol.lu.se/nordhymn/pdf/forelasningar/tveit.pdf. In English.

  • Peter Balslev-Clausen. Reformationstidens salmesang i Danmark: Kreativ kontinuitet og folkelig legitimitet. 30+ pages.

  • Sven-Åke Selander. Varför sjunger folk i kyrkan? Även i: ”Psalm i vår tid”. Årsbok för Svenskt Gudstjänstliv. Skellefteå: Artos, 2006.

  • Hannu Vapaavuori. Choral Singing and the Emerging National Cultural Identity in Finland during the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century

  • Turned up in Google search on Tveit's hymnody-identity paper: NORDHYMN Sven-Åke Selander. Projektbeskrivning: Luthers psalmer i de nordiska folkens liv. 1 augusti 14, 2003 ... - [ Translate this page ] File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat
    www.teol.lu.se/nordhymn/pdf/luther/beskrivning.pdf


Thursday, February 18, 2010

Bill Staines - 'Roseville Fair' - chords and a Nanci Griffith cover

Guitar chords available at AZChords.com... YouTube has covers by Nanci Griffith in concert in 1985, by Makem & Clancy on their album We've Come a Long Way, and - the version I like best on YouTube - an amateur English guitar player whose screen name is ichingiching.

But YouTube does have Bill Staines singing "River" in 2008 at the Iron Horse Concert Hall in El Dorado, Kan.

HUM 221: Midterm, study questions

Midterm • Humanities 221 • Spring 2010

Below are three essay questions – one worth fifty (50) points out of a hundred, and two shorter essays worth 25 points each. Please write at least two to four pages (500-1,000 words) on the 50-point essay and one to two pages (250-500 words) on each of the 25-point short essays. Use plenty of detail from your reading in the textbook, the internet and handouts I have given you, as well as class discussion, to back up the points you make. Your grade will depend both on your analysis of the broad trends I ask about, and on the specific detail you cite in support of your analysis. To be written in class Monday, Feb. 22.

1. Main essay (50 points). “All cultures,” according to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, “have developed over time their own myths, consisting of narratives of their history, their religions, and their heroes.” Myths also embody the values of a culture. One favorite American myth is the story of the “first Thanksgiving,” in which the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians shared a harvest feast in 1621. What values of American culture are reflected in the Thanksgiving myth and holiday? How do those values compare to the values of Native American cultures we have studied (e.g. Dakota, Alaska Native)? How are they the same? How are they different? What were the Pilgrim's values expressed in historical fact in 1621, in the legend as we tell it today? What were/are the Wampanoag people's values regarding Thanksgiving? What purpose does the myth serve in helping us sort out our values now as 21st century Americans? Be specific.

2A. Reflective essay (25 points). What have you learned about Native American cultures in this class so far that you didn’t know before? Consider what you knew at the beginning of the course and what you know now. What point or points stand out most clearly to you? What points are still confusing? What has surprised you the most – i.e. what have you learned that was really unexpected? In grading the essay, I will evaluate the relevance of your discussion to the main goals and objectives of the course; the detail you cite to support or illustrate your points; and the connections you make. So be specific! Always be specific.

2B. Short essay (25 points). On a separate sheet you will be given a copy of “Eagle Poem” by Creek/Muscogee author Joy Harjo. Text available on line at http://poetryoutloud.org/poems/poem.print.html?id=175881 ... Harjo's video is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8mEdBmC9Jo. Write a reader response in which you discuss: (1) your response to and interpretation of the poem; (2) what in your cultural background, taste, attitudes, etc., makes you feel that way about it; and (3) what specific passages in the poem seem to be grounded in Harjo’s understanding of Native American traditions but still convey meaning across cultural boundaries. What seems to you to reflect Native attitudes and traditions, and what is more universal? Be specific. At the risk of repeating myself, aways be specific.

Instructor: Pete Ellertsen, 211 Beata Hall pellertsen@sci.edu

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

HUM 221: Passing on Ojibwe (Anishanaabe) traditions, 'prayer in motion'

The largest group of Woodland Indians in the United States and southern Canada is known as the Anishanaabe or Ojibwe peoples, with 150 Ojibwe bands throughout the north-central United States and southern Canada. They are related to the Potawatomi. The Native Languages of the Americas website has links to several of these bands and tribes. "Ojibway history is interesting and important," say webmasters Orrin Lewis and Laura Reddish, "but the Ojibway are still here today, too, and we try to feature modern writers as well as traditional folklore, contemporary artwork as well as archaeology exhibits, and the issues and struggles of today as well as the tragedies of yesterday."

We'll concentrate on dance. Amateur journalist Neal Moore has posted to the CNN iReport website a feature story he shot at the Mii-Gwitch Mahnomen Days pow wow in 2009 on how Ojibwe traditions are handed down by the Leach Lake Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota.

Also we'll watch footage of a pow wow hosted by another Minnesota Ojibwe band, as ITASCA Community College Ojibwe instructor Larry Aitken explains the traditions involved. "Dancing in a circle is prayer in motion ... the heartbeat of Mother Nature," he says.


Pow wows are a fairly recent innovation. But dancing, specifically to the beat of a drum, has long been an important part of the religious and ceremonial life of the Ojibwe and other Woodland peoples. According to "Indian Country Wisconsin," a website put up by the Milwaukee Public Museum, a Drum Dance or Dream Dance
... ensured social cohesion and was carried out for special events such as marriage, divorce, and removal of mourning. More recently, it has become more of a social occasion, in which the cohesive aspects consist of singing, dancing, feasting, and visiting with friends and relatives. However, prayers and invocations of prosperity, good health, and brotherhood still accompany the ceremony.
The following footage is from the 2007 pow wow. It's a very small affair, apparently held in the community college gym. But notice how the MC draws spectators, including children, into those parts of the ceremony that are open to outsiders. His explanations to the kids also explain its importance to us.



A video by a student at Penn State called "Knowing the Ojibwe" combines footage of a pow wow on an Ojibwe reservation in Minnesota with an interview with Richard Morrison, a pipe carrier or traditional spiritual leader. Morrison explains some of the underlying spiritual foundations of Ojibwe culture. Morrison's religion was banned for a time during the 20th century, and important parts of it are not shared with outsiders. But he explains some of the ethical principles behind it in terms that are common to many of us. Watch for what he says at the end of his interveiw about what each of us can do in our own communities.

Something to think about.

Background If you want to know more about the Ojibwe, this short promotional video tells the story of Leech Lake Tribal College, a two-year college with a student body of 90% Native American students. Traditional modes of subsistence, especially gathering wild rice that grows in the lake; dance; and other cultural traditions are part of the curriculum.



A documentary about what life is like for young people living in the rural village of Kego Lake on the Leech Lake Reservation. Produced by the young artists of Kego Lake



second half

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

HUM 221: A glimpse of Potawatomi people today

Monday we learned about the "Trail of Death," a forced march during which a band of Potawatomi Indians passed through Springfield in 1838. For the rest of the story (well, for at least as much as we can cram into a 50-minute class period), we'll look at a couple of websites today. If nothing else, I want us all to come away from this course with a renewed sense that Native American cultures face challenges but are still vibrant today.

In response to my post on the forced march of the Potawatomi in 1838, a member of the Pokagon Band, a federally recognized tribe in Michigan, who identifies himself on line as "Pokagon Member" posted the following comment:
bohzo (hello)

I have and maintain a news site for the Potawatomi that might intrest you if you are looking for things regarding the "Trail of death."

Megwetch (Thank You)
David
He calls his blog "Native American Bode'wadmi: Pokagon Times" ... it is available at http://pokagon.blogspot.com/ and it offers a variety of information about the nine tribes of Potawatomi people that are now recognized by the governments of the United States and Canada.

So, David, if you happen to read this: Megwetch! I learned a lot from your website, and I think (hope!) my students will too.

We'll surf the website to get a feel for the variety of issues it treats, including boarding schools where Native students all too often were "educated" away from their heritage, and watch a video clip of a pow wow - a traditional dance contest - hosted last year by the Prairie Band of the Potawatomi Nation in Kansas (descended from the people who went through Springfield in the 1830s). If time permits, there's also an interesting 10-minute clip that explains how traditional Potawatomi youth workers teach children to make good life decisions about things like alcohol, sex and HIV in a decidedly non-traditional world.

Pow wows, the dance contests, are an important form of cultural expression for many Native Americans today. And the Pokagon Times blog's clip offers us a good introduction to them. Wisconsin's Forest County Potawatomi, another federally recognized band, have an excellent explanation of pow wows on their website. And we'll watch a very brief clip of the grand entry and veterans' fight song at a smaller 2007 Potawatomi Gathering pow wow in Forest County.

We will also look at the official website of the Prairie Band of the Potawatomi people and follow the link to the pages on their history and culture. When we look at the history of an Indian Nation, it's always a good idea to look at today's website and see what they're like today.

We can get a brief glimpse from three clips from YouTube.

Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation - Pow wow 2009 at Prairie Peoples Park (the rest of the Grand entry that was featured on Pokagon Member's blog). Following the vets are competitive dancers in Native regalia. Watch for the variety of costumes and dance steps as the elders, men's traditional and grass dancers, fancy dancers, women's traditional and jingle dancers (whose dresses are lined with jingles traditionally made of snuff cans), followed by more veterans, elders, spectators, children and a few guests of the dancers. The pow wow is a community event, and a dance like this in which everybody takes part is called an intertribal.



In the second, a "drum" called Midnite Express performs an Intertribal song at the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation powwow 2009. The singers gather around the drum and beat in unison. Note the dancers in the arena in the background.



In the third clip, the Prairie Band Powwow Men's Traditional Contest is shown briefly. Note the elaborate regalia and stylized dance steps.

Monday, February 15, 2010

'Come Out the Wilderness'

Megan Buchanan and Tony Norris of Flagstaff, Ariz., singing "Come Out the Wilderness" in a version Tony learned from an old black man with whom he worked some 40 years ago in Eastern Kentucky. Posted on an old-time Appalachian music YouTube channel by two-finger banjo player Fred Coon of West Virginia (now by way of Phoenix):


Other versions on YouTube by Jessy Dixon; Bishop Samuel Kelsey's congregation of Temple Church of God in Christ in Washington, D.C.; Saint Matthew's First Baptist Church in Laurel, Del.); Jehovah-Jireh Ministries of Alexander City, Ala.; and a Southern gospel version by Terry Blackwood, Lauren Talley and Kim Hopper.

Lyrics below taken from an "emerging umc 2" liturgy posted by the Center for Worship Resourcing, General Board of Discipleship, United Methodist Church
Musicians transition to another song. Leader 2 prompts the people. One sings the questions solo. Another leads the body's response.

One:
Tell me, how did you feel when you come out the wilderness
come out the wilderness, come out the wilderness?
Tell me, how did you feel when you come out the wilderness
leanin' on the Lord?

Another and all:
Well, I felt like cryin' when I come out the wilderness
come out the wilderness, come out the wilderness
Well, I felt like cryin' when I come out the wilderness
leanin' on the Lord.

One:
Did you tell anybody when you come out the wilderness?
come out the wilderness, come out the wilderness?
Did you tell anybody when you come out the wilderness,
leanin' on the Lord?

Another and all:
Yes, I told everybody when I come out the wilderness
come out the wilderness, come out the wilderness.
Yes, I told everybody when I come out the wilderness
leanin' on the Lord.

One:
Tell me, how did you feel when you come out the wilderness
come out the wilderness, come out the wilderness?
Tell me, how did you feel when you come out the wilderness
leanin' on the Lord?

Another and all:
Well, I felt like prayin' when I come out the wilderness
come out the wilderness, come out the wilderness.
Well, I felt like prayin' when I come out the wilderness
leanin' on the Lord.

One:
Tell me, how did you feel when you come out the wilderness
come out the wilderness, come out the wilderness?
Tell me, how did you feel when you come out the wilderness
leanin' on the Lord?

Another and all:
Well, I felt like shoutin' when I come out the wilderness
come out the wilderness, come out the wilderness.
Well I felt like shoutin' when I come out the wilderness
leanin' on the Lord.

Leader 1: Come out the wilderness.

All: We come, leaning on the Lord.
Copyright 2009 The General Board of Discipleship. These resources are offered under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Commercial Use 3.0 License. They may be freely copied, adapted and posted by any means, but not sold, provided reference to this license is included and credit given for the original materials to the General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church.

Discussion of the hymn and its provenance on the emergingumc blog at http://emergingumc.blogspot.com/ ... apparently the hymn, set to a different melody, is No. 416 in the United Methodist hymnal. The Methodist version is by an African American musicologist named William Farley Smith.

Links: 'Ain't I Glad I Got Out of the Wilderness'

http://www.stephen-foster-songs.de/amsong16.htm
mp3 file of a piano version

Down in Alabam’
(Aint I Glad I Got Out de Wilderness)
Words & music: J. Warner (?)
(published by Wm. Hall & Son, N. Y., 1858)

http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/down-in-alabam-original-minstrel-lyrics-.aspx
Down in Alabam ( Ain’t I glad I Got Out de Wilderness)

Old-Time, Breakdown. USA Words & music: J. Warner published by Wm. Hall & Son, N. Y.

CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes DATE: 1858.

RECORDING INFO: See: "Old Grey Mare, The”

OTHER NAMES: "Out of the Wilderness," "The White Horse." The original melody of the tune now better known as "The Old Grey Mare (Came Out of the Wilderness)," which begins: The old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be, Ain't what she used to be, ain't what she used to be- "Old Abe Lincoln Came Out of the Wilderness," "Johnny Stole a Ham," "Old Yeller Dog," "Old Blind Dog."

SOURCES: "The title appears in a list of traditional Ozark Mountain fiddle tunes compiled by musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph, published in 1954. A related tune is "Old Blind Dog." Arizona fiddler Kenner C. Kartchner remembered the tune as a hoedown in the Southwest, c. 1900." (Kuntz, Fiddler's Companion, http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc).

NOTES: "G Major. Standard. AABB The original minstrel version of "The Old Grey Mare (Came Out of the Wilderness)." It is likely that the tune is older than the 1858 date since it closely resembles a contemporary revivalist hymn--they may have had a common folk ancestor. Bayard (1981) calls it a good example of a popular tune which became traditional (or, if it was a traditional tune reworked by Warner, then a folk tune which became a popular one, which again reverted to folk form). Mark Wilson relates that a parody figured prominently in the famous Lincoln-Douglas campaign of 1860, probably the "Old Abe Lincoln Came Out of the Wilderness" version popular in Civil War times." (Kuntz, Fiddler's Companion, http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc).


http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=11138

Subject: Lyr Add: DOWN IN ALABAM
From: Q
Date: 28 May 05 - 12:30 AM
Lyr. Add: Down in Alabam
(or: Ain't I Glad I Got Out de Wilderness)
Melody by J. Warner, 1858

Subject: Lyr Add: DOWN IN ALABAM
From: Q
Date: 28 May 05 - 12:30 AM

Lyr. Add: Down in Alabam
(or: Ain't I Glad I Got Out de Wilderness)
Melody by J. Warner, 1858

Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
My old massa he's got the dropser, um,
he's got the dropser, um,
he's got the dropser, um,
He am sure to die 'kase he's got no doctor, um,
Down in Alabam'.

Chorus:
Ain't I glad I got out de wilderness,
Got out de wilderness,
Got out de wilderness,
Ain't I glad I got out de wilderness
Down in Alabam'.

Old blind horse come from Jerusalem,
Come from Jerusalem,
Come from Jerusalem
He kicks so high dey put him in de museum,
Down in Alabam'.

Dis am a holiday, we hab assembled, um,
We hab assembled, um,
We hab assembled, um
To dance and sing for de ladies and gentleum,
Down in Alabam'.

Far you well to de wild goose nation,
Wild goose nation,
Wild goose nation,
I neber will leab de old plantation,
Down in Alabam'.

"Ethiopian Refrain as sung by Bryant's Minstrels. Melody by J. Warner
harmonized and arranged by Walter Meadows."
Published by Wm. Hall & Son, New York. 1858.

This seems to be the original that spawned many parodies and folk variants, both black and white.



http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=31024 Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brave boys died, down in Alabam...

Subject: Lyr Add: GO IN THE WILDERNESS
From: raredance
Date: 18 Feb 01 - 11:09 PM

This song is from "Slave songs of the United States" by Allen, Ware and Garrison first published in 1867 (reprinted once in 1929 and again in the 1960's by Oak Publications, the latter with upgraded musical arrangements) Essentially the same song was printed more recently in "Slave Songs" compiled by Jerry Silverman (Chelsea House 1994)
GO IN THE WILDERNESS

If you want to find Jesus, go in the wilderness,
Go in the wilderness, go in the wilderness,
Mournin' brudder, go in de wilderness,
I wait upon de Lord.


CH:
I wait upon de Lord, I wait upon de Lord,
I wait upon de Lord, my God, who take away de sin of the world.


You want to be a Christian, go in the wilderness,
Go in the wilderness, go in the wilderness,
Mournin' brudder, go in de wilderness,
I wait upon de Lord.


similarly:

You want to get religion....

If you spec' to be converted (connected)...

O weepin' Mary...

"Flicted sister...

Say, ain't you a member...

Half-done Christian....

Come backslider...

Baptist member....

O seek, brudder Bristol...

Jesus a waitin to meet you in de wilderness...

rich r


http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=38269
Subject: Afro-American Hymnal


American Negro Songs, 230 Folk Songs and Spirituals, Religious and Secular. John W. Work, Dover Publications, Mineola, NY 1998. Orig. pub. Crown Publishers, NY, 1940. ISBN 0-486-40271-1.


INDEX OF SONG TITLES

Ain't I Glad I've Got Out of the Wilderness * * *

Friday, February 12, 2010

HUM 221: Potawatomi Trail of Death - questions for in-class discussion

Here are links to some resources on the Potawatomi Trail of Death, which ran through Springfield in the autumn of 1838 ... and on the Potawatomi people today, their culture and history. But first, a quiz. Post your answers as comments to this blog post:
1. At what restaurant in downtown Springfield did people eat lunch while they were retracing the Trail of Death in 2003? (Hint: Since then it has moved to the Vinegar Hill building south of the Illinois State Capitol). What was the point of commemorating the event?

2. Why was the Trail of Death called by that name?

3. What were the Indians promised if they looked presentable when they marched through Springfield? How were they received in Jacksonville? What was different about their passage through the two communities?

4. Who was Fr. Benjamin Petit? Where and when did he die? What does he tell you about Potawatomi culture of the 1830s? Why is he important to the story of the Trail of Death?
Now, here are the links ... in no logical order (unless Google has some logic to its directory that escapes me at the moment). You'll find answers to those questions on these websites.

The Prairie Band of the Potawatomi Nation has a map and a list of historical markers commemorating the Trail of Death. Look for markers near Springfield and nearby cities.

The Fulton County (Ind.) Historical Society's diary of the Trail of Death has a brief, but detailed account of the journey. Read it from start to finish to get an idea of the hardship involved. What do you make of the treatment the Potawatomi received in Springfield and in Jacksonville?

An educational project from Urbana School District 116 has several first-hand or primary sources on the Trail of Death. Read especially the story in The Sangamo Journal (which is misspelled on the website, incidentally). What does the Journal's description of the Potawatomi and their fear of the Cherokee tell you about white attitudes toward Indians during the 1830s?

Indiana's Fulton County Historical Society has posted an account of its commemorative caravan across Illinois in September 2003. The historical society's website also has accounts of the caravan in Indiana, Missouri and Kansas.

For the rest of the story, we'll also look at the official website of the Prairie Band and follow the link to the pages on their history culture. When we look at the history of an Indian Nation, it's always a good idea to look at today's website and see what they're like today.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

HUM 221: Iroquois confederation (People of the Long House), origins

Read the traditional account of the origin of the Iroquois Confederation also known as the Five (later Six) Nations or the People of the Long House (Haudenosaunee) on the Indigenous People website. Another version of the story is available on the Native American Lore Index Page website. Compare the tradtional stories to the historical accounts available elsewhere on the World Wide Web, and see what information you can find about a relationship between the Iroquois Confederation and the creation of a federal government in America after the Revolutionary War. Post your answers to the following questions:
  • Does the traditional story of De-Ka-Nah-Wi-Da (Peacemaker) and Hiawatha remind you of other legends? Which ones? What specific details remind you of other myths and/or origin stories?
  • How does the story of the Peacemaker, Hiawatha and the Iroquois compare to our Thanksgiving story as an origin myth?
  • What values of the Haudenosaunee people are reflected in the origin story? Be specific.
  • Historians have different opinions on how much Ben Franklin and the Founders were influenced by the Iroquois. Based on your reading, what do you think? Which viewpoint is most convincing to you?
  • What values of the Haudenosaunee people do you think are reflected in American democracy? Be specific.
Don't be afraid to think for yourself. As always, you'll learn more from your classmates than you do from me or the books we read.

Monday, February 08, 2010

HUM 221: Thanksgiving, a national origin myth and 'the whole Pilgrims-and-Indians thing'

Interviewed on young adult author Tina Nichols Coury's blog Tales from Mount Rushmore, Spokane/Coeur d'Alene author Sherman Alexie had this take on Thanksgiving ...
[Q.] What is your favorite dessert and why?

[A.] I'm not supposed to have sugar, but when I do I always go for pumpkin pie. It tastes great and I love the year-round irony of an Indian celebrating Thanksgiving.
What's ironic about that?

Let's find out.

But first, I want us to blog on the following question. Think of your family's Thanksgiving traditions, your in-laws' and/or those of other people you know. Is there anything unique about them? Any ethnic foods like pickled herring or Swedish potato baloney (no, I am not making that up) served with the turkey and cranberry sauce? What is the importance of having a non-religious holiday to celebrate family, food and (of course) football in a multicultural, pluralistic society? Why make such a big deal of Pilgrims and Indians sharing a feast in elementary school? What values are we celebrating that way? Post your answers as comments to this blog.

There's more to Thanksgiving than turkey and football, if you think about it. First, we'll look at how the holiday serves as an origin myth that "describe[s] how some new reality came into existence." That reality is America, and the Thanksgiving story also qualifies as a national myth because it is "an inspiring narrative or anecdote about a nation's past. Such myths often serve as an important national symbol and affirm a set of national values." In a 1995 article titled "A Folklorist's View of the Ubiquitious, Universal, Populist Turkey and Thanksgiving" by Esaúl Sánchez, folklore professor Roger D. Abrahams of the University of Pennsylvania is quoted as saying:
Other holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, are tinged with a connection to a church. But Thanksgiving is the holiday when people from any kind of persuasion feel that they can get together with their families and celebrate. It has succeeded in maintaining old-fashioned family values on one particular occasion.
Abrahams adds:
[Thanksgiving] has taken the place that the Fourth of July used to have. The parades and fireworks brought everyone together in terms of sharing the history. ... July Fourth celebrated a people's revolution. It doesn't do that anymore. Instead, Thanksgiving has become the all-American, inclusive festival.
Once we've explored how the Thanksgiving story affirms American values, especially as many of us learned it in school, we'll look at origin myths of some of the 500-plus Native American cultures in North America.

American Indians are very much a part of the Thanksgiving story. But their reactions to it are often complex, or, like Alexie's, ironic.

According to Bill Van Siclen, arts reporter for the Providence (R.I.) Journal, living history sites in New England like Old Sturbridge Village and Plimouth Plantation, where the Pilgrims settled, now try to reflect Native American attitudes and traditions into their programs:
In fact, a growing number of historic sites and museums now try to incorporate Native American viewpoints in their presentations of Colonial life and culture. And nowhere is that effort more visible — or more prone to moments of cognitive dissonance — than in programs and activities surrounding Thanksgiving.

“Sometimes it’s a challenge,” says Thomas Kelleher, a curator at Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Mass. “The traditional Norman Rockwell image of Thanksgiving is so strong that it can be hard to add anything new. But we’ve also found that people are also very interested in learning more about the history of the holiday, especially from the Native American point of view.”
But American Indian nations sometimes are more interested in their own identity. Says Van Siclen:
By contrast, you won’t find many Colonial-era displays at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center in Mashantucket, Conn. Part of the same complex that includes the mega-popular Foxwoods Resort and Casino, the museum exists mainly to tell the story of the Pequots, an Algonquian tribe that settled in what is now central and eastern Connecticut.

“We don’t really don’t do the whole Pilgrims-and-Indians thing here,” says Richmond, a member of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation who serves as the museum’s programming director. “Like any museum, we try to insure that the information we present is fair and accurate. But we also have our own perspective.”
So visitors to the Pequot museum learn about the profit, not pilgrims, and a variety of Native thanksgiving ceremonies.

On the Oyate website, is a useful analysis or "deconstruction" of Thanksgiving myth and historical reality by Judy Dow (Abenaki) and Beverly Slapin. We'll look at it in class. Does any of it surprise you? Oyate is "a Native organization working to see that our lives and histories are portrayed honestly." Like the Pequot museum, it has its own perspective.

Plimouth Plantation is a living history museum at Plymouth, Mass., the site of the Pilgrims' village, that uses rigorous historical research to reconstruct the lives of English settlers and the local Indians, the Wampanoag (wamp-a-NOH-ug) people. The directory of Thanksgiving Articles" on its website has by far the best explanation of how Thanksgiving got to be so important a national celebration -- click on "1. As American as Pumpkin Pie." By Karin Goldstein, Curator of Original Collections, it begins:
A November afternoon, 1910… Two immigrant factory workers are eating lunch. “Marcella,” says one woman to her friend, “why do we have this Thursday as a day off?” “I don’t know,” her friend replies. “Something about the chicken holiday.” This is how the mother of one Plymouth resident was introduced to Thanksgiving.1

This tradition of American culture must have seemed bewildering to newcomers. As reformers pondered how to teach new immigrants how to become good Americans, many looked to examples from the past. Since the early 20th century, the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving have been used to teach both new Americans and school children about American history and values. This is just one of many ways that people have looked at the holiday over time.
It's well worth reading. Also an explanation of "Native Traditions of Giving Thanks" by Nancy Eldredge, Education Manager of the Wampanoag Indian Program. It wasn't a one-shot deal, she says:
Thankfulness was woven into every aspect of Wampanoag life. If an animal was hunted for food, special thanks were also given to the Creator and to the spirit of the animal. If a plant was harvested and used for any purpose, or a bird or a fish, if an anthill was disrupted, gratitude and acknowledgement were given for the little ones’ lives. To this day it is the same with most Native people.

COMM 209:

For Friday:

Write a 500- to 750-word story about Andrew Belle, the singer who’s performing in the student lounge downstairs today.

Quote at least three people. Describe stuff. What’s it look like? Use the other four senses.

Make a “Quote-kebab” out of the story.

[cover songs by Trevor Hall]

HUM 221: Joy Harjo (in class)

Go on the Web, and see what you can find out about Joy Harjo. Post what you find as comments to this blog.

Here's a poem. And here's another version, with hypertext explanations (click on the red text). It's called "Remember,"


Here's a picture of Fourth and Central where the wind sang in Albuquerque

Sunday, February 07, 2010

Chicago Cubs / wisdom from a refrigerator door

The Roman philosopher Boethius said that adversity breeds character, but he didn't root for the Cubs.
-- The Chicago Sun-Times, Oct. 16, 2003.

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Dala horse placemats, table runner

Linked here so we can find the website again ...

Scandinavian Touch, PO Box 64, Lahaska, Pa. Runner and Placemat from Hantverksboden, Sweden (scroll down to "Runner or Placemat with Dala Horse/Kurbits" and click on link). 100% cotton, machine wash, tumble dry low (or line dry). Runner is 48 inches long. Placemat is 12 x 18 inch. White with blue border. Also matching 32 inch square cloth.

HUM 221 - assignment for Friday

Since the projector overheated and we weren't able to finish class today, I'm posting this as an assignment for Friday:

Write up a good first draft of your answers to the following questions, and be ready to turn it in to me. I want a paragraph of at least three or four sentences (more is better) in answer to each, with quotations to back up what you say. We'll also discuss your answers in class Friday and post some of your discussion to the blog.

In the poem “Deer Dancer” at http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15475, Muskogee poet Joy Harjo tells a story of a Native American woman who dances in a seedy bar. Compare and contrast her dancing with the information about traditional dance in “Traditional Navajo Deer Hunting Traditions” by Clifford Marks at www.sanjuan.k12.ut.us/bms/Issue3/NAVAJODeerHuntin.PDF ... if the link doesn't work, copy and paste the following into the address field of your browser:

www.sanjuan.k12.ut.us/bms/Issue3/NAVAJODeerHuntin.PDF

Answer these questions:
  • What does Harjo’s poem tell you about the dispossession of Native American peoples and cultures? What evidence of disposession does she mention? It can either be physical, comparing nature with the barroom, or cultural. Be specific.
    In what ways is the "stranger whose tribe we recognized, her family related to deer, if that's who she was," described in traditional Native American terms? In other words, quote any traditional language Harjo uses in describing her. Be specific.
  • What hope, if any, does Harjo offer for people who wish to reclaim their traditions? Quote freely. Be specific.

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Futures - 'Rosin the Bow' and 'St Patrick was a Gentleman'

Rosin the Bow

A song that's been all over the oral tradition, with vague Irish and English antecedents and variants used in Morris dances.

Be A Fifer! Learn to Play the Fife!
Ed Boyle, webmaster
http://www.beafifer.com/Rosin.htm

It has been sung for centuries in pubs and taverns throughout the English-speaking world, and probably in other languages as well. Often, tracing the origins of an obscure tune is much easier than one as popular as Rosin the Beau because of the many routes the latter has taken down multiple pathways. I have dated it to at least the 17th century as "The Gentle Maiden," and as "Rosin the Beau" to 1838.

The number of lyrics accumulated over the years can only be described as amazing, ranging from a song of murder and mayhem: "Down by the Willow Garden" to an endless variety of drinking songs. Probably because it was so easy to sing, many tasteless but humorous lyrics have also been created that can't be recounted here because this website is accessable to children.
Quotes four versions from William Henry Harrison's 1840 campaign and a couple of Henry Clay's and an abolitionist song of the 1850s, plus "Lincoln and Liberty Too."


The Fiddler’s Companion

© 1996-2009 Andrew Kuntz

_______________________________


ROSIN THE BEAU. AKA and see "Old Rosin, the Beau," "Mrs. Kenny('s)," "Acres of Clams," "My Lodging's in/on the Cold, Cold Ground." American, Waltz, Air and Contra Dance Tune; Irish, Jig; English, Morris Dance Tune (6/8 time). A Major (Ford, Joyce): G Major (Bayard, Laufman, Mulvihill, Wade). Standard or AEae. AB (Bayard, Joyce, Wade): ABB (Ford): AABB (Laufman, Mulvihill). The tune is used for a single step in the North West England morris dance tradition. Bayard (1981) notes the air was known to most fiddlers, fifers, and singers in Pennsylvania, as in many parts of the country. He identifies a melody by James Oswald which appears in his 2nd Collection (1740’s, pg. 25) as a 6/8 "Gigg," that is extremely close to "Rosin," and he wonders if this was the ancestral tune for the air, or if Oswald himself was influenced by an older air. Further, he says a tune called “Dumfries House” in Gow’s Complete Repository (3rd Ed., Part I, pg. 13) ascribed to John Riddle has a 2nd strain that equals "Rosin the Beau," and a Welsh harp tune in Bennett's Alawon fy Ngwlad also is quite close.
***
Regarding Irish versions, the Fleishchmann index (1998) gives that the tune was derived from a 17th century Irish tune in 6/4 meter called “On the Cold Ground;” that tune, however, is English, attributed to Matthew Lock from the play The Rivals. O’Neill (1922) remarks: “The name ‘Rosin the Bow’ has clung to the writer's memory since childhood, and the tune, like the song about ‘Old Rosin the Bow’ (a nickname for the fiddler) may have passed into oblivion, had not the melody been fortuitously found recently in a faded miscellaneous manuscript collection long discarded by (Chicago Police) Sergt. James O'Neill. A version of it I find is printed in Joyce's Old Irish Folk Music and Songs (1909).”
***
The title appears in a list of standard tunes in the square dance fiddler's repertoire, according to A.B. Moore in his History of Alabama, 1934. The title appears in a list of traditional Ozark Mountain fiddle tunes compiled by musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph, published in 1954. Sources for notated versions: "Copied...from a MS. evidently written by a skilled fiddler with much musical taste, from Limerick, but the name of the writer nowhere appears" [Joyce]: Hogg (Pa., 1948) [Bayard]. Bayard (Dance to the Fiddle), 1981; No. 620, pg. 546. Ford (Traditional Music in America), 1940; pg. 56 57 and pg. 127 {discord version} (lyrics included, pg. 56 57). Joyce (Old Irish Folk Music and Song), 1909; No. 352, pg. 162. Laufman (Okay, Let's Try a Contra, Men on the Right, Ladies on the Left, Up and Down the Hall), 1973; pg. 15. Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 15, pg. 122. O’Neill (Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody), 1922; No. 99. Wade (Mally’s North West Morris Book), 1988; pg. 24. Rounder 7059, Alex Francis MacKay with Gordon MacLean – “Gaelic in the Bow” (2005). Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40126, Rodney Miller – “Choose Your Partners!: Contra Dance & Square Dance Music of New Hampshire” (1999).

* * *

OLD ROSIN THE BEAU. See also "Rosin the Beau," "Rosin the Bow," "Mrs. Kenny('s)," "Cill Cais (Church of Cais)" [pronounced 'kill cash']. English, American; Jig, Air and Waltz. G Major. Standard. AABB. The tune "Old Rosin the Beau," or "Rosin the Beau," has a varied and extensive history and has served a number of functions. On the minstrel stage it was one of the frequent songs of the character Mr. Corn Meal, a creation of the white blackface performer Jim "Daddy" Rice, who based his version on that of a street singer he heard in New Orleans. As a dance tune it was cited as commonly played for Orange County, New York, country dances in the 1930's {as "Old Rosin the Bow"} (Lettie Osborn, New York Folklore Quarterly). Jarman (Old Time Fiddlin' Tunes); No. or pg. 16. Kennedy (Fiddlers Tune Book), vol. 1, 1951; No. 99, pg. 49. Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 1; pg. 29. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; pg. 100. Sweet (Fifer’s Delight), 1965/1981; pg. 23. Fretless 119, Rodney and Randy Miller‑‑"Castles in the Air" (played as a waltz).


From Inaugural Exhibition List of Objects in G.W. Blunt White Building, Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic, Conn.

Cabinet 3 / Shelf 1 - Early American rowing / American clubs and associations
One of the greatest public spectacles of the early 19th century in New York, drawing a crowd of as many as 50,000-100,000, was the 1824 race between four New York Whitehall watermen in the “American Star” and four British sailors from a visiting warship. The American victory was so celebrated by the people of the city (see symbolic print) that when Lafayette made his farewell tour later that year, the winning boat was presented to him (it is today the oldest Whitehall in existence). An engraving of a victorious figure emerging from the waves, the first boat-racing image published in the United States, memorialized this event.

The earliest boat clubs, dating from at least the 1830’s, are notably represented by the sheet music written in their honor. The 1837 silver pitcher won by the Erie Boat Club for a 5-mile race is the oldest team sport trophy in America. Stereoviews made of the 1859 and 1860 regattas in New York Harbor may be among the first photographs of American team sporting events.

Sheet music: (a) 1831 New York Boat Club. “My Bark is My Courser.” Printed by John B. Pendleton in New York. [NRF/F-S]; (b) 1836 “Light May the Boat Row/ Written by Jonas B. Phillips/ dedicated to the/ Amateur Boat Club association by J. Watson”; (c) 1840 “Arouse Ye Gay Comrades” to the Tiger Boat Club. written by Thomas Power. composed by Jos. Philip Knight./ Boston. MSM 2005 xred 2005.110.170 (TEW?); (d) 1846 “Mahopac Lake Waltz” “Club Boat Gazelle/ to The Amateur Cornet Club, by Allen Dodworth./ New York; (e) 1865 “Waverley Galop de Concert Composed and Dedicated by Konrad Treuer to the Waverley Boat Club of New York City”; and (f) 1875 “Triton March” “To Commodore Charles Glaze. Triton Boat Club Newark N.J. Composed by Charles I. Bolles.”
* * *
Cabinet 4 Shelf 1 The Schuylkill River and Navy
The oldest (1858) rowing association in America, the Philadelphia-based Navy and Boathouse Row include some of the most notable rowing clubs in the U.S. The river has featured not only much of the country’s prominent racing, including the 1876 Centennial Regattas, but also the oarsmen memorialized by the great rowing artist Thomas Eakins.
Sheet music “Old Rosin the Beau ... Favorite Comic Song Dedicated to the members of the Falcon Barge by the Publisher. Philadelphia, 1838”
Friends of Rowing History, National Rowing Hall of Fame & Rowing History Exhibit. 2001. http://www.rowinghistory.net/exhibit.htm

The lyrics to "Old Rosin the Beau" are ubiguitous. Here's a set from Brobdingnagian Bards, a Celtic website.

The Session website for traditional Irish music has a writeup with several (mostly recent) variants including "When Ireland lay broken and bleeding / Hooray for 'The 'Men of the West'" and a song about what purports to be Brian Boru's condom. As follows:

THE ANCIENT AND OLD IRISH CONDOM
(Celtic Pride)
(Tune: "Rosin the Beau")
I was up to me arse in the muck, Sir,
With a peat contract down in the bog
When me shovel it struck something hard, Sir,
That I thought was a rock or a log

'Twas a box of the finest old oak, Sir,
'Twas a foot long, and four inches wide
And not giving a damn for the Fairies
I just took a quick look inside. ...<.blockquote>And so on ...

St Patrick was a Gentleman

Lyrics, chords (in C) and an embedded version by the Wolfe Tones in Irish Songs Lyrics With Guitar Chords By Martin Dardis at http://martindardis.com/id283.html

Tab with chords also available at http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/ ... go to the collection of Irish Song with lyrics and easy chords, St. Patrick at http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/irish-folk-music/irish%20songs/st_patrick_was_a_gentleman.htm

A couple of threads in Mudcat Cafe, one especially good one headed "Tune Add: Patrick Was a Gentleman" at http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=12290 has this:
According to Helen K. Johnson's 'Our Familiar Songs, and Those That Made Them', 1881 (with considerably better notes than in most books of that ilk). The song originally consisted of 3 stanzas written by Henry Bennett and a Mr. Toleken of Cork, in 1814, and they sang alternate lines of it in a mmasquerade. Mr. Toleken slightly later added another stanza, and 2 stanzas are of unknown origin (but are obviously early ones). (Commencement of verses follows; numbers are those in her text)

Joint:
1: Saint Patrick was a gentleman
2: There's not a mile in Ireland's isle
5: The Wicklow hills are very high

Toleken's:
6: Oh! was I but fortunate

Unknown origin:
3: Nine hundred thousand vipers
4: No wonder that those Irish lads
I don't expect to see it nailed down much better than that. The tune we hear now, by the way, is "Maggie in the Woods." See Digital Tradition at http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiPATGENT;ttPATGENT.html ... in D!

Monday, February 01, 2010

Website with D, G and A major scales

For convenient reference. Website is written for guitar players and explains things mostly with guitar tab, but it has useful note-by-note scales relating the notes to positions on the staff for dummies. [Also keys of C and E major.]

Also a primer on the steps in a blues scale ... 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7 1 [flatted third, fifth and seventh].

HUM 221 - in-class Monday

Which of the two pictures of Custer’s Last Stand (Battle of Little Bighorn) on pp. 30-31 of our textbook, in your opinion, is more realistic (true to history)? Why?

Write a paragraph (at least three or four sentences) to explain. Post your answers as a comment to the Hogfiddle blog.