Popular Songs of Nineteenth Century America

by Richard Jackson

Book Overview

Titles: • All quiet along the Potomac tonight • Adeste fideles • Ain't I glad I got out de wilderness (down in Alabam) • America • The Arkansas traveler • Aura Lea • The battle cry of freedom • Battle... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486232700
• ISBN13: 9780486232706
• Release Date: January 1974
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 290 Pages
• Weight: 1.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 9.0" x 12.0"

Customer Reviews

American History Through Song

The best of the best of songs that the 60+ generation remembers hearing as old songs in their childhood, and that younger generations have been exposed to through movies, cartoons, documentaries and the like. There are many more sappy tunes than of other varieties, but life was hard in the 19th century in the United States. Still, there are some outstanding highlights. These include civil war songs like When Johnny Comes Marching Home and Battle Cry of Freedom, the witty Arkansaw Traveler (that's how they spell it) and the smarmy Man On the Flying Trapeze, plus favorites of later generations like Turkey in the Straw (in its original mildly-offensive ethnic format), Grandfathers Clock, and one that all Three Stooges fans will know, Listen to the Mockingbird. You would be hard pressed to find a similar collection elsewhere that includes the original verses AND unaltered lyrics, and financially pressed to duplicate it on your own. Besides, this is a new book that won't flake off onto your keys like old sheet music. Get the book. Then you can write me later to thank me for the endorsement!!

Fascinating collection!

A collection of sheet music for popular songs of the 1800s, this book is interesting for more than just playing the songs. The covers of these beautiful songsheets are all reproduced, occasionally including such information as the cover to "Johnny Get Your Gun," which states "Ethiopian Song and Chorus, Originated and Sung by America's Popular Comedians, Sheffer and Blakely, and Written For Them by F. Belasco."The table of contents (and the songs themselves) are organized alphabetically by title, and includes who wrote the words, the music, who the publisher was, and the date and location of publication. I was interested to see how many hits Oliver Ditson & Co of Boston had -- the equivalent of our record "singles" today. They were the first publishers of "Jingle Bells," "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Tenting On the Old Campground," "Sweet By and By," "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny," and "Oh, My Darling Clementine," all of which are included here.There is a five-page introduction, with general information about music and music publishing of the 1800s, and at the back of the book, notes on each song. There is also a bibliography of sources Mr. Jackson used to write the introduction and notes. (Richard Jackson was the Head of the Americana Collection for the Music Division of the New York Public Library when this collection was published in 1976.) Otherwise, this book is page after page of piano-vocal music. The arrangements would not be very difficult for an advanced piano student, and most people who've had some training could learn to play at least some of the songs. A particular favorite is "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" which has a lively introduction I've not seen before, and directions on when the words are to be sung by a soloist or the chorus. "Vive la compaignie" includes four-part harmony, and several other songs include more than one line.Other favorites of mine include "The Flying Trapeze," "Lorena," "Long, Long Ago," "Silver Threads Among the Gold," and "Whispering Hope."The arrangements are different from what we are used to hearing, and, like all good folk music, give a certain insight into the hearts and thoughts of the people of those particular times.Well worth the relatively low cost . . .