á
In colonial
America and up to about 1820 there are two important secular traditions to
follow: 1) straight folk music
(traditional songs, ballads, etc.) and 2) music associated with wars of
Independence: Revolutionary War,
War of 1812
Revolutionary Music:
á Ballads about the revolution, e.g.
William Billings Chester
(1778)
á Maryland Resolves: a ballad about the Boston Port Bill
á Another popular song type was Parody; this example is a ballad whose tune and
lyrics are derived from English traditional song, but American version is
parody.
á War of 1812: one well-known song is Star Spangled
Banner. Poem by Francis Scott Key
Folk
Music (not associated
with wars for independence). These
songs were often evolved by collective effort. Some can be traced back to
Europe, but were popular in Early America. Sometimes had political hidden
meaning or religious overtones
á
Folk songs
often has political overtones, e.g. a traditional New England folk song ÒA
Frog He Would A-Wooing Go.Ó
á
Another
example ÒThe FarmerÕs Curst WifeÓ
another traditional song, probably sung by lumbermen at end of day. In lumber
camp, singing was main form of entertainment
á
Folk music
was also used to keep people in line, e.g. telling stories of misfortunes,
e.g. Expert Town and Naomi
á
Broadside
Ballads: narrative
verses printed on one side of a folio-sized page. Subjects were politics, personalities, notorious crimes,
natural disasters
á Broadsides were sold in the streets,
bookstalls, at fairs
á Popular in England and America 16th -
19th centuries
á Usually only text was printed; intended
to be sung to a known tune that fits meter of words
á
Other Folk
Music: Instrumental Music,
esp. for dancing; often performed on single fiddle or guitar
á Square Dancing often performed this way; dance
movements are derived from 18th century English quadrille
á Fiddle Tunes often brought to America by French
Canadian lumberjacks: came to northern New England to work in lumber
camps. Also sometimes played by
servants, African-American or White.
Fiddle was a smaller, lighter instrument than modern violin; also had
louder, somewhat more strident sound. Tunes are derived from folk tunes from
France, Ireland, England, Scotland. Example is Knit Stockings
á Hammer Dulcimer music: a string instrument with courses
of strings stretched over a hollow wooden box with a hole in top.
á Glass Harmonica, an instrument invented by Benjamin
Franklin.