Synopses & Reviews
The musical capacity of the negro race has been recognized for so many years that it is hard to explain why no systematic effort has hitherto been made to collect and preserve their melodies. The public had well-nigh forgotten these genuine slave songs, and with them the creative power from which they sprung. These are the songs heard . . Upon the Mississippi . . . wild and strangely fascinating. -from the Introduction The authors lived during the nineteenth century and recorded the music of the slaves from what was actually heard on plantations during, and immediately following, the Civil War. Dramatic and melodious songs like
Synopsis
The musical capacity of the negro race has been recognized for so many years that it is hard to explain why no systematic effort has hitherto been made to collect and preserve their melodies. The public had well-nigh forgotten these genuine slave songs, and with them the creative power from which they sprung. These are the songs heard . . Upon the Mississippi . . . wild and strangely fascinating. -from the Introduction The authors lived during the nineteenth century and recorded the music of the slaves from what was actually heard on plantations during, and immediately following, the Civil War. Dramatic and melodious songs like Come Go With Me, Hold Out to the End and The Lonesome Valley speak truthfully of the slave way of life-the hardships, the spirituality, the community. In this edition, directions for singing and musical scores are provided, thus accurately preserving the original intonations and rhythms of these songs that are an integral part of the nation's history.
Synopsis
"The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart, and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by tears."
-Frederick Douglass
"It is hard to explain why no systematic effort has hitherto been made to collect and preserve slave] melodies. The public had well-nigh forgotten these genuine slave songs, and with them the creative power from which they sprung. These are the songs that are still heard upon the Mississippi . . . wild and strangely fascinating."
-from the introduction
Many haunting melodies were created during the nineteenth century. For the slave population, song was a balm to the soul that was more acceptable than tears. Incredibly, their songs became exceedingly favored by the general population in 1861, due to an educational mission to the Port Royal islands. William Allen, Charles Ware, and Lucky Garrison recognized the genius and creativity behind these songs and decided to commit them to paper.
The Slave Songs of the United States provides directions for singing and musical scores to accurately preserve the original intonations and rhythms of these songs. Also discussed are the intricacies of the language and variations of pronunciation. In preserving these songs, the authors were preserving an integral part of the nation's history.
Synopsis
During the 19th century, the authors recorded the music of the slaves from what was actually heard on plantations during, and immediately following, the Civil War. Direc-tions for singing and musical scores are provided.