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What was sung in Ontario in 1860's?
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Subject: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: Marion Date: 05 Jun 02 - 07:03 PM Hello all. I'm trying to get a gig at a pioneer re-creation village in Toronto that's supposed to be set in the 1860's, playing "period music". I know lots of fiddle tunes that are old enough, but I'd like to sing with my guitar too. I'm thinking Child ballads would fit the bill, but if anyone has any specific suggestions as to songs that were popular in Ontario, or were pop hits at the time, I'd love to hear them. They say the villagers would be of English, Scottish, Irish, and Pennsylvania Dutch descent. I'm starting another thread on the Pennsylvania Dutch thing, since I don't know anything about their music. What about Stephen Foster? Would his stuff be appropriate? Thanks, Marion |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: Jon Bartlett Date: 05 Jun 02 - 07:26 PM Yes, a bunch of what are now called "Child ballads" were certainly sung, amongst a bunch of other stuff. The first question I would ask myself were this my gig is "the music of what class?". What was sung by the Dutch burgher and the English bourgeois would differ somewhat from what was sung by woods workers, farm labourers, teamsters, etc. Singing to the guitar I think post-dates this era, certainly as regards what we would now call "folk" songs. The whole of the tradition in those days would have been unaccompanied song (whether Child ballad, lullaby, shantyboy song...) and I suspect the bourgeois music would have been piano-, recorder- or lute accompanied. I think Ontario in this regard would parallel most places in settled North America, with significant differences only in places with an independent tradition, such as Newfoundland, Quebec and the more remote areas in the Applachians. Good luck in your researches! |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: Rick Fielding Date: 05 Jun 02 - 08:53 PM "The Poor Little Girls of Ontario" is a neat old song. If not exactly 'period' (I'm not sure) it's sure close. Wade Hemsworth (among many others) has recorded it. Cheers Rick |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: MMario Date: 05 Jun 02 - 08:57 PM Rick - you don't happen to have the tune for that, would you? it's one of the "missing tunes" |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: Rick Fielding Date: 05 Jun 02 - 09:19 PM Jeez, Mario, lemme think. I sang it about 15 years ago NOT using the Wade Hemsworth tune. It was part of a stage show about Canada's history, and they just gave me an arrangement on paper. I'll try and remember....but a lot of brain cells have dribbled out since then. Cheers Rick |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: The Walrus at work Date: 06 Jun 02 - 09:16 AM Marion, For ""recent immigrants" from Britain, "Cheer Boys, Cheer" may well have been amongst their repertoire, after all, it was THE "hit" sog of the Crimean period and relates to emigration to Canada "...The star of Empire glitters in the West..." (PM me if you want those lyics). Walrus
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: wysiwyg Date: 06 Jun 02 - 09:21 AM I'm kicking myself. Surfing around the last few days I saw a couple of really good websites about Canadian folk music, and wouldn't you know, I didn't bookmark them. If I get a chance to review my History file (omigod) and they turn up, I'll pass them along. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: GUEST Date: 06 Jun 02 - 09:23 AM Walrus, Why not just post the lyrics here? |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: greg stephens Date: 06 Jun 02 - 09:24 AM Well I dont know much about Ontario, but John G Bartletts statement about recorders and lutes there in 1860 sounds to me about as likely as Fender Stratocasters and Yamaha keyboards. |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: MMario Date: 06 Jun 02 - 10:08 AM Cheer boys, Cheer from pdmusic.org there were a number of variants based on it that came out of the War between the States. |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: IanC Date: 06 Jun 02 - 11:11 AM Marion The really * hot * popular music of the day was anything sung by Jenny Lind. She performed across the USA and Canada during 1850-1852 (for example, she performed at St Laurence Hall, Toronto soon after it opened in 1851. Sheet music of her songs sold like hotcakes for decades afterwards (rather like Beatles records). The Levy Collection has sheet music for (e.g.) the following titles
Jenny Lind Songs, No. 1 Thy Blessing, Dearest Mother as well as loads of others such as
Jenny Lind's Bird Song Levy also has a number of more "Traditional" songs sung by Jenny Lind, such as
Comin' Thro' The Rye May be of some use.
Cheers! |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: wysiwyg Date: 06 Jun 02 - 02:35 PM These may be of interest. Is THIS the place you are talking about? Maybe one of us could e-mail them as a research fan and ask about the music! Also, the EVENTS OF THE DECADE page there gives some clues about what the music might have been about. Best might be, contact Jay Edmunds & Karen Taylor of the band FLAPJACK. (E-mail Karen Taylor and tell her Susan in PA, from Clarion Folk College and e-mails since then, said hi.) You can also see them perform in September at The 2002 Turtle Hill Folk Festival in NY state. See Canadian Lumberjack Songs. Look for information about: Fowke, Edith. "Songs of the Northern Shantyboys." Forest History 14 (January 1971): 22-28. On nineteenth century Canadian lumberjack songs. Apparently PUMP ORGANs were popular, see the notes with this one... There are some resources referenced at History, British North America. In the US, see the popular songs of the day HERE and HERE. These are American Civil War songs and period music, many of which would have been familiar to people all round the world by the end of the 1860s. How Authentic Should Period Music Be? Not right on topic, but it looks like a great sitethat explores the Celtic culture on which the survival of the traditional Cape Breton music depends: Traditional Cape Breton. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: mousethief Date: 06 Jun 02 - 02:39 PM #1 hit from that time: "TIMMMMMMM BERRRRRRR!" Alex |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: sian, west wales Date: 06 Jun 02 - 03:08 PM Poor Little Girls is in "Singing Our History" (Edith Fowkes and Alan Mills), Doubleday Press. "The Penguin Book of Canadian Folk Songs" (Comp. by Edith Fowkes) has all the notes you might need - including dates of collection - in the back. Of course, in that period, there were a lot of political comment songs going around (i.e. "I'll be a Tory, in Upper Canada") back in the good old days when politics were a blood sport. I know "I'll be a Tory" has been recorded, but I don't know by whom. Rick, is / was there a group called Muddy York? If so - it's them. sian |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: Leeder Date: 06 Jun 02 - 04:24 PM Muddy York was Ian Bell and Ann Lederman. Hasn't been extant for lo! these many years. They made one LP, I expect unavailable. I sent Ian an email; he'd be an ideal person to get in on this discussion. He has a number of recordings of old Ontario music. |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: Jon Bartlett Date: 06 Jun 02 - 04:29 PM Yes, Greg Stephens, you're probably right: lutes and recorders are a bit early for 1860. Trust an unaccompanied singer to get that wrong! "Poor Little Girls of Ontario" relates to the opening of the Canadian West and the abandoning of eastern girlfriends for western opportunities: so 1860's a tad early for that: it's more like post-1885 after the CPR completed its main line. Edith Fowke is the standard collector for anglo-Ontario, and Germain Lemieux for francoontarien, folksong. Fowke's books (Traditional Singers and Songs from Ontario, Canada's Story in Song, Folksongs of Canada, Penguin Book of Canadian Folk Songs)are everywhere; Lemieux's will require more of a hunt. Yes, Muddy York is a group. |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: Dicho (Frank Staplin) Date: 06 Jun 02 - 04:30 PM The pioneer days were over in Toronto. Sounds off-the-mark, but go to the threads on American Civil War Songs and get those not concerned with politics, patriotism and war. All of the old pop songs of the day in the USA were popular in Canada- Stephen Foster songs such as I Dream of Jeannie, others composers works such as Aura Lee, Lorena, Listen to the Mockingbird (older but ever-popular), etc. Ian C has the right idea. Don't forget the minstrel songs, the tours played Toronto. Add some Irish Loyalist and Scots songs. I frankly doubt that there was much of Child heard there. Some French but not too much. This was Confederation time; there might be a song or two about that (these songs often ponderous unless sung for comic relief). |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: MMario Date: 06 Jun 02 - 04:35 PM I found reference to a "Cheer Boys, cheer, The Confederation Song" - which makes sense given that it seemed to be a popular tune at the time. but I couldn't find lyrics. |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: GUEST,Barry T not at home Date: 06 Jun 02 - 04:50 PM You might find a few suitable tunes in my Canadian Tunebook. I agree with what others have said, namely that what would have been popular in that decade would be the popular songs of Britain and the U.S., especially those published in sheet music form for playing 'in the parlour'.
Though the following songs would not have been 'chart-toppers' in the 1860's, I suggest them for your pioneer village gig, because each is a song written during or prior to that decade about a place or event in Southern Ontario. Better still, each has a story behind it that you could relate to your audience, be it big or small. In effect, you would be singing history lessons!
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: GUEST,Barry T not at home Date: 06 Jun 02 - 04:52 PM I knew I'd blow that coding. Sorry 'bout that. Only the word popular should be italicized! :-( |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: GUEST,Marion Date: 07 Jun 02 - 11:25 AM Thanks for all the great help everybody. I'll start looking around with those. It's nice to know that Stephen Foster is time-appropriate, because it would be nice to do some songs that the tourists would know. Susan, I'm speaking of Black Creek Village, not Upper Canada Village. They're basically the same thing, but in different places. Thanks for all the links. Rick, Poor Little Girls of Ontario is actually one of the ones I was thinking of. I heard it on some "Folklore of Canada" CD. Jon Barlett, I know that accompanying myself with guitar wouldn't be that "period" (and I think I may feel a little silly dressed up as a pioneer playing "Four Marys" on my shiny Taylor acoustic-electric) but I don't know if I have the guts to do more than one song with naked voice. Ian, Barry, your suggestions sound really interesting too. I'll take a look. Marion |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: Leeder Date: 07 Jun 02 - 11:36 AM Are they asking for someone in costume singing songs "in character", or would they accept a modern person interpreting songs from the period? If the latter, you have much less problem. |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: GUEST,Marion Date: 07 Jun 02 - 01:08 PM MMario, you asked about the tune for Poor Little Girls of Ontario. I've just found sheet for it in a book (Reflections of Canada, Volume 2) and it notes: "Although the version shown here uses the melody of Yankee Doodle, the song was also sung to the tune of Little Brown Jug." Marion |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: GUEST,Kirsten M. Schultz Date: 26 Jun 02 - 01:00 PM Hello, This is a huge question, of course, so I may have to answer it over several messages. My specialty is secular song in the US to 1865, so I have an American perspective. From my experiences at the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto and attending some conferences on music of North America, research on music in Canada (as in the US) concentrates on the 20th century. That does not mean that there has not been some excellent research on music of earlier centuries, but the emphasis has been more on recent music and musicians. I suspect that more work on the 19th century has been accomplished on music in the US, but this will have to be confirmed by a search of secondary sources. Upper Canada, like the US, would have drawn much of its mainstream music traditions from the British Isles. In the US, it was not until the period of the 1820s-1840s one sees that secular song was developing an independent style, although that literature is still heavily indebted to British styles. The popularization of blackface performance (songs, dances, jokes, sketches) during that period lead to the publication of songs ("Jump Jim Crow", "Old Zip Coon") which were the first to be considered truly American in style. The birth of the minstrel show in 1843, the increasing success of American performers (not just minstrels), the growing success of singing schools, and the spurt in the growth of the music publishing industry during the 1840s further supported the development and popularization of a body of songs considered "American". So, by the 1860s, the US had been experiencing a 20-year boom (with some economic interruptions) in the composition, performance, and publication of music by its citizens. Since performers from Britain, the Continent, and the US followed the same general touring routes in North America, one has to realize that an opera troupe, a violin virtuoso, minstrel troupe, or singing family, and other types of professionals routinely crossed north and south of the Candian border as part of a tour. So, Upper Canadians in towns and cities on or close to this route could have seen American and European performers well before 1860. I am not sure about Canadian performers, although I know Calixa Lavallee toured with an American minstrel troupe before and after the American Civil War. From seeing a bound collection of sheet music in Toronto, I know that at least one Toronto publisher imported American sheet music. The works of both British and Americans, as well as a few local pieces would have been on the shelves of sheet-music retailers in the middle of the nineteenth century. However, I would want to see more Ontario collections and know more of the relationships of the local publishers and retailers with non-Canadian publishers before making any any real judgments about what was widely available to Ontario's sheet-music consumers. Knowing when and where immigrants arrived and where they settled should give you a physical sense of what musical influences were present and able to interact with each other. When did the Germans (or Irish, Scots, or any group) come? Were they Catholics or Protestants? Where did they settle? Did they integrate quickly with the British settlers, isolate themselves from them, or do something in between the two extremes? Were most wealthy, or poor, or somewhere in between? Would you be musically literate (able to read music and therefore able to use sheet music and similar publications), or musically-illiterate (either able to read and therefore use text-only publications like broadsides and songsters, or illiterate and relying only on oral transmission) Developing your historical persona would help you decide what music that person might have been reasonably been exposed to, from friends and family, to seeing public performances. It would help you decide what type of instrument you might be expected to own, or whether you would own one at all. Well, this is already quite long, so although I feel I have barely scratched the surface on this topic, I will end this message. Cheers, Kirsten |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: Peter T. Date: 26 Jun 02 - 02:02 PM Excuse my ignorance, but is there a "hillbilly" music for Ontario -- I am thinking of some of the remoter settlements (the backblocks of Collingwood, Peterborough, the outskirts of the Ottawa Valley, etc., which I can remember from the 60s as being pretty isolated and rough, especially when the snow came), or did everyone come too late for such a tradition to develop its own songs? yours, Peter T. |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: GUEST,K. Schultz Date: 26 Jun 02 - 03:41 PM I feel one has to integrate knowledge about the inhabitants and the types of music they were and may have experienced with what we have of their music, if you are going to pull off a respectful presentation of music of a certain locale during a certain period. That's why you should know things like literacy rates, access to education, the state of the transport and mail systems, whether there was a local newspaper or a nearby bookstore, work rhythms, climate, etc. to help you decide what kind of repertoire your person would likely know and perform. Age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, and class would all affect what you might or might not sing. If you lived in or close to Toronto, you might have access to the theaters, or perhaps outdoor concerts, or music in taverns, hotels, brothels, or on the streets from street musicians, serenaders, and military parades. You probably would know the latest songs as sung in the theaters or available at music stores, bookstores, or news depots. Some of the recent literature would be American Civil War songs, or pieces from British music hall, but you might only integrate a few new songs into your own repertoire. Someone in the rural areas would probably not have the same diversity of sources from which to learn songs, but that does not mean that one could not have a large collection of songs that one knew. Family and friends might sing as they worked, or after the day's labor was over. Impromptu celebrations, harvest festivals, quilting bees, barn-raisings, sleighing parties, etc., could all provide opportunities for musical entertainment and for sharing knowledge. Newspapers might provide lyrics in the "poetry corners" and so might journals and magazines. A few might even print scores of songs and dances on their pages, as _Godey's_ did on occasion. Periodicals would also have ads which told one where they could buy or order music. A general store might carry some music, or perhaps broadsides or songsters. People visiting towns and cities also might be sources of songs. The most common instrument was the human voice, but obviously certain instruments were favored as accompaniments to singing or in the performing of arrangements of songs. Again, class, gender, ethnicity, wealth, and age would influence which instruments an individual would likely own. A young, middle- or upper-class young woman or man might accompany themselves with a piano, reed organ, or Spanish guitar (smaller and shaped differently than the "modern" acoustic guitar and probably using fingerstyle technique). Young men would also be likely to learn the violin/fiddle or flute (probably with 1-8 keys). Fiddle again would be a safe choice for men in rural areas, where a woman might use her voice alone, or the less expensive reeg organ or guitar. The above examples are based on my knowledge of British settlers, so one might find different instruments preferred by, say, German, French, or African-Canadian settlers. Of course, people did not always use the most popular instruments, or refrain from using an instrument associated with someone of the other gender, but IMHO it is best to show what was typical for the period and the particular persona one is portraying, in order to give an audience a more accurate imprssion of music-making in the past. Well, I must close for know, but I hope to bring some more concrete information in future posts. Personally, I'd be thrilled if someone who is a scholar of music in pre-Confederation Canada would step in to enrich, contradict, or otherwise add to this thread. :-) Becuase, as I stated in my earlier post, I am looking through the lens of the 19th-century US. Cheers! |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: GUEST,Just Amy Date: 26 Jun 02 - 04:26 PM Wow! This thread is great. The only song I can think of is "Riding on a Donkey" about loading timber on ships in the Great Lakes. It is to the tune of "Hieland Laddie." Chorus is: Hey ho and away we go, donkey riding, donkey riding Hey ho and awsy we go, riding on a donkey. |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Date: 26 Jun 02 - 09:36 PM Depending on where in Ontario, thre would have been lots of people singing in Gaelic. |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: Marion Date: 29 Jun 02 - 02:04 PM Hi Kirsten, and thanks for going to the effort of giving such thorough replies. I must admit that I'm not as committed to authenticity as you might hope - I want the music I choose to be accessible enough that I can get the gig and play it without learning a whole new repertoire - but I'll take what you wrote into consideration when choosing and introducing songs. You mentioned U. of T.: are you still studying there, and interested in finding people to play folksongs with? If so, I'm living in Toronto now; feel free to PM me if you decide to become a Mudcat member (which I certainly hope you do, regardless of whether or not you get in touch with me). Peter, as for your question about Ontario hillbilly music; I've been led to believe that Ottawa Valley fiddling is a distinctive style and repertoire. Unfortunately, not much of the part of my life that I've been into music has been spent in the Ottawa Valley (which is where I'm from). What I'd like to know is: how much of a tradition of black Canadian folk music is there? I know some of the spirituals speak of taking refuge in Canada (like Follow the Drinking Gourd); are any of the spirituals Canadian in origin? Marion |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: wysiwyg Date: 29 Jun 02 - 02:33 PM Maybe Flapjack's "Canadian Bush Swing" IS "hillbilly Canadian." ??????? ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: GUEST,Marion Date: 18 Sep 02 - 04:25 PM What was sung in Ontario in the 1860's for Christmas? Marion |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: Willie-O Date: 18 Sep 02 - 09:17 PM Peter, there is certainly Ottawa Valley hillbilly music (awful term). And we're still makin it up as we go along. Drop by sometime and I'll innerduce ya ta my naybur. W-O |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: gwonya Date: 19 Sep 02 - 12:38 AM Thanks to all for such great contributions to a subject dear to my heart. I'm not nearly as informed as I'd like to be but do live in a home in Scarborough which is 150 years old. My house was previously occupied by a musical family and I was fortunate to lift a few floor- boards during renos and discover hand written sheet music some of which we've since framed and hung in our bathroom. Off the top I can say we found Sweet Betsy From Pike and Nearer My God To Thee (which I believe the band played on the sinking Titanic). These tunes may be post 1860's Ontario but I thought I'd pass along this anecdote which I've always been kind of proud of. We have a copy of a map of our (Ontario) neighborhood which is dated 1861 - and our "farmhouse" is present. I'm not sure about the exact age of the place - but we love it and honestly...I've instruments in every room. |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: Jimmy C Date: 19 Sep 02 - 01:25 AM Marion, Here is a list of Canadian Folk Songs and Tunes, I came across a while ago. I don't know how to do the "Blue Clicky Thing" but I hope this helps.
If you search for Great Canadian Tunebook it should get you there. The Great Canadian Tunebook Traditional, Folk and Patriotic Favourites In Midi Format Read Me Non-stop Auto Play Download the entire tunebook (1.8 mb) Ah! Si mon moine voulait danser! [ Lyrics ] À la claire fontaine [ Lyrics ] À la claire fontaine (Version 2) [ Lyrics ] The Alberta Homesteader [ Lyrics ] Alouette! [ Lyrics ] As I Wandered By The Brookside [ Lyrics ] Auprès de ma blonde [ Lyrics ] Ave, Maris Stella [ Lyrics ] Version 2 [ Lyrics ] Acadian National Anthem The Bad Girl's Lament [ Lyrics ] A Ballad of New Scotland [ Lyrics ] The Banks of Newfoundland (Version 1) The Banks of Newfoundland (Version 2) [ Lyrics ] The Banks of Newfoundland (Version 3) [ Lyrics ] The Banks of the Pembina [ Lyrics ] La Bastringue [ Lyrics ] The Battle of the Windmill [ Lyrics ] La belle s'est endormie (Acadien) [ Lyrics ] Berceuse Acadienne (Acadian Lullaby) [ Lyrics ] Black Velvet Waltz The Blooming Bright Star of Belle Isle [ Lyrics ] Le bonne homme et la belle femme (Reel) Bound Down For Newfoundland [ Lyrics ] Bright Phoebe [ Lyrics ] Canadian Folk 'Overture' Un Canadien Errant [Lyrics ] Cape Breton Jig Carrion Crow [ Lyrics ] C'est l'aviron [ Lyrics ] The Chapeau Boys [ Lyrics ] Chevaliers del la table ronde [ Lyrics ] Chief Douglas' Daughter [ Lyrics ] Citadel Hill [ Lyrics ] The Cobalt Song [ Lyrics ] Donkey Riding [ Lyrics ] D'où viens-tu, bergère? [ Lyrics ] Do You See That There Bird? An Emigrant's Daughter [ Lyrics © ] En roulant ma boule [ Lyrics ] Évangéline [ Lyrics ] Farewell to Nova Scotia [ Lyrics ] A Fenian Song [ Lyrics ] La feuille ronde The Fish Of The Sea [ Lyrics ] Foulerie Acadienne: Ronde de l'avoine / J'aime la bouteille / Mon pèr' m'a fait bâtir maison [ Lyrics ] Le Général Dickson [ Lyrics ] The Ghost Lover [ Lyrics ] The Grand Hotel [ Lyrics ] The Greenland Disaster [ Lyrics ] L'homme à deux femmes The Huron Carol (Jesous Ahatonhia) [ English ] [ French ] In Canso Strait [ Lyrics ] An Inuit Lullaby The Island Hymn [ Lyrics ] I's The B'y [ Lyrics ] Jack Was Every Inch A Sailor [ Lyrics ] J'entends le moulin [ Lyrics ] Jim Whalen [ Lyrics ] The Kelligrews Soiree (Lyrics by John Burke) [ Lyrics ] Lady Margaret [ Lyrics ] Land of the Silver Birch [ Lyrics ] The Log Drivers' Waltz © ...with the kind permission of the composer Wade Hemsworth (SOCAN) [ Lyrics ] Lord Franklin [ Lyrics ] Lost Jimmy Whelan [ Lyrics ] Love is Easy [ Lyrics ] Lovely Molly [ Lyrics ] Lukey's Boat [ Lyrics ] The Lumber Camp Song [ Lyrics ] The Maid From Tidehead [ Lyrics ] The Maid On The Shore [ Lyrics ] The Maple Leaf Forever [ Lyrics ] My Dear Mary Anne [ Lyrics ] Montmarquette's March Nous voilà tous rassemblés [ Lyrics ] O Canada (National Anthem) [ Lyrics ] Ode to Newfoundland [ Lyrics ] Old Piney Woods [ Lyrics ] Òran Do Cheap Breatainn (By Dan Alex McDonald c1917) Partons, la mer est belle [ Lyrics ] (Acadien) Peter Emberley [ Lyrics ] The Prairie Settler's Song [ Lyrics ]
Sets The Gaspé Reel / The Mouth of the Tobique / Mother's Reel The Cricket Set: The Cricket Dancing / The Crooked Leg / Return of the Cricket © David Chiasson 2000 (Used with permission) Pretty Little Catherine / Alouette Reel / West Point Reel Mabou Coal Mines / The Old King's Reel / The King's Reel Whalen's Breakdown / The Crooked Stovepipe Cape Breton Wedding / Hamish The Carpenter / The Big Coffin Reel Quadrille Française / Quadrille Indian / Quadrille de Chez Nous Reel de St. Blandin / Reel de St. Jean La Chaîne de Reel / Reel des Sucres (Jigs) Ronfleuse Gobeil / Valleyfield Reel / Reel St. Siméon Guilmetre's Waltz Clog / Lacroix's Waltz Clog The Farmer's Reel / Doucette's Reel / The Highlandman's Reel Reel à Joe Bibienne / Cheticamp Reel Ottawa Valley Reel / The Miramichi Fire (Reels) Lots of Fish in Bonavist' Harbour / I's the B'y Reel à Bedou / The Acadian Breakdown The Prince Edward Island Wedding Reel / The Herring Reel http://members.shaw.ca/tunebook Barry Taylor, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Last updated 15 Sep 2002
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: Bo Vandenberg Date: 19 Sep 02 - 03:15 AM I remember from Class at York with Edith Fowke that she said that by somea counts fully two thirds of the songs she collected from Ontario were Irish. Sigurd |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: Peter T. Date: 19 Sep 02 - 08:34 AM Sorry about "hillbilly", couldn't think of a better term. What struck me at the time -- in the 60's -- was that the roads were coming in to parts of Ontario that had dirt roads or less before, and there were people in shacks and up on hillsides doing what you would expect people in Appalachia to do. Very isolated, but also religious, and prone to barn dancing, etc. What I couldn't remember was ever meeting anyone who played an instrument or sang local songs -- there was the occasional piano in the better off houses. Certainly they were virtually all Scots-Irish. They would be snowed in 3-4 months of the year. I wondered if they had emigrated to North America too late in the cycle to start their own mutation of the earlier songs -- the kind of thing you get in Nova Scotia, or much earlier, in Quebec. It sounds, after all this, as if (apart from the Ottawa Valley), I was mostly right. yours, Peter T. |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: Rick Fielding Date: 19 Sep 02 - 12:40 PM Great story Gwonya. Heather and I also live in Scarborough (at Kingston rd. and Fallingbrook)...do we know each other? Since we moved here we've bumped into more folk musicians than you can shake a stick at! Cheers Rick |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: Mooh Date: 19 Sep 02 - 02:30 PM Point of interest...Canada Post issued a set of postage stamps in 1993 to commemorate four folksongs. The Alberta Homesteader, The Raftsman, The Bear Dance, and I'se The B'y. There was a nifty little booklet with words and music which accompanied the plate block and first day cover. For the life of me I can't find mention of specific dates, but I think these might be contemporary with the 1860s, at least enough to be known. I'se The B'y is likely from Newfoundland of course but would have travelled to Ontario. The Alberta Homesteader is closely related to the Irish Washerwoman and The Greer County Bachelor, at least according to Edith Fowke, which makes the tune much older than the 1870ish words. The Raftsman was already known in 1878 in Quebec. I have no history of The Bear Dance, but am curious. Peace, Mooh.
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: gwonya Date: 19 Sep 02 - 04:17 PM Hi Rick We've met two or three times. We played a few tunes together at Cheryl Gaudets home about 10 years ago and then soon after at the Free Times Cafe. We also picked a tune or two together at the 12th Fret awhile back. I'm the left handed/upside down picker - name of Steve. I'd love to check out that yard sometime neighbor! You would also be welcome over here of course. Come on over one night with the Mrs. We'll light a fire and pick on some wide plank pine floors. I have lots of dulcimers, a regal dobro, a few guitars, my openback and a new piano and lots of Trad. CDs... I know you'd feel at home.I live on Port Union Rd. My place was built by a fellow named Thomas Adams who was actually actively involved in the War of 1812. There's an interesting story or two about that guy. He was known by some as "The American Dutchman" Come on by sometime and I'll show ya! Have you heard from Cheryl? She stopped by about 4 years ago. You probably know she's living in Nova Scotia now. (I've lost her number unfortunately). She's a fine player and a great singer. We played Lunenberg and the Atlantic Folk Festivals together which was a real treat for me. Steve 416 995 0228. |
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Subject: RE: What was sung in Ontario in 1860's? From: GUEST,Terry McDonald Date: 21 Oct 02 - 06:54 AM Thanks - found it! |
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