ASCH 340 [201-203] UNITED NATIONS - FOLK SONGS
Folk Songs of the United Nations

Wallace House was born in Saint Peter Port, Guernst, in the Channel Islands. When he was nine
years old his family migrated to Toronto, Canada where he began his musical education as a boy soloist in the Anglican Cathedral choir. He studied with Franxis Coombs of the Toronto Conservatory of Music and during this pereiod, sang in many grand opera choruses and in productions of operetta under the baton of Reginald Stewart. He became interested in the theatre and joined the acting company at Hart House of the University of Toronto where he was leading performer for some years before coming to New York. Broadway found much use for his talents as actor, didrector, stage manager and music consultant.

Mr House had learned many beautiful English, Scottish and Welsh ballads from his parents and during his life in Canada he added the songs of that country to his repertoire. At the same time, he was making extensive research in other fields of folk music. Upon coming to the United States, he collected many cowboy, mountain and Negro ballads among numerous other American folk songs, both in New York and while travelling around the country. One night Mr. House was in the home of a friend where people from many countries had gathered together. National differences showed strongly, and a certain reserve seemed to permeate the whole group. Then someone started to play a guitar and sing in his native tongue. In a few minutes they were a mass of friendly people. The guitar passed from hand to hand and the men of Mexico shouted for the songs of Greece, and the men of Russia
cheered for the songs of the Scots. The friendly soul of man emerged in the songs of the people.
From that day on Mr. House was determined to learn the songs of other nationalities-to find out why those men and women became happy, sympathetic and understanding all at once. He began to collect songs from friends and acquaintances who had come to this country from far away lands and amassed an amazing collection of folk songs which now number the the thousands and represent over thirty-six different countries.

Mr. House has performed these songs in concert, on the radio, in theatre and for educational institutions. He has accompanied many famous dancers and is now teaching at Columbia and New York Universities. He is considered authentic among national groups and an authority from the educational standpoint. As staff instructor at New York University on the subject of Folk Song he inaugurated the first course of its kind in this country. Using the guitar as a basic accompanying instrument
because of its universal minstrel quality and its value as a support as opposed to the competitive character of the usual melodic instruments. Mr. House made accompaniment an integral part of the interpretation and performance of Folk Song. From the guitar it was only a short step to all other stringed instruments of the same family, and to the many interesting and varied native percussion instruments which are a colorful part of the presentation of nearly all folk music.

Folk songs, contrary to belief are composed. This doesn't mean that the composer is known or remembered or was one person. But they did have to possess an origin, a beginning, either with one person or with a group of people. Of course they have been changed in transmission from one person or generation to another. They are built around the life of the people. The songs of the people are outbursts of creative emotions. hey have something to say and say it as directly as possible.
The importance of this music lies in the meaning, its power for emotional enthusiasm, its establishment of courage. Cleverness plays but a small part in its native performance, sincerity a very large one. In performance the singers always stress spirit and color and the dramatic element. They are more closely allied to actors than to vocalists, they have no thought for correct tonal qualities, except as they apply to the dramatic needs or mood of a song. The type of voice used for each national division of song is determined by the needs of that particular people.

A great part of the beauty of any folk song is the speech quality of the language. In the construction of folk songs, words and music are interdependent and usually composed together. Therefore, it is most important that the songs should be sung in their native language or dialect. This is not as difficult as it would appear. One doesn't have to speak the language to sing it.

However the English translations are arranged to be sung to the recorded melodies, retaining as much as possible the spirit of the original native songs. Twelve United Nations are represented in this Asch Record album. These songs were chosen for their most typically international qualities, good melody and rhythm and story; irresistible even to those not familiar with the language. These are the songs people fight for.
   WALLACE HOUSE
ASCH set 340 [201, 202, 203]    3x10" 78RPM notes, text/translation on covers and bound-in
FOLK SONGS OF THE UNITED NATIONS
WALLACE HOUSE, GUITAR AND SINGING

UN-201 A (243) RUSSIA - SONG OF THE BLACKSMITHS-kuznitze
UN-201 B (238) GREECE - BY THE SEA=Katou Sto Yalo
UN-202 A (240) POLAND - LET'S ALL DRINK-Pyi M Vshistsi
                CZECH - TOVACOV
                UKRAINE - ANN THE BEAUTIFUL-Honja Moladitchka
UN-202 B (242) MEXICO - LITTLE NIGHT OWL-Tocolote
UN0203 A (241) ENGLAND - AN ACRE OF LAND
                WALES - HOB Y DERI DANDO
                SCOTLAND - THE BRASS O' BELQUHIDDER
UN-203 B (239) AUSTRALIA - WALTZING MATILDA
                CANADA - BOAT SONG
                NEW ZEALAND - MAORI FAREWELL.