To Thread - Forum Home

The Mudcat Café TM
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=143370
7 messages

'Lyrics and Legends' early '60s TV show

15 Feb 12 - 11:04 AM (#3308912)
Subject: 'Lyrics and Legends' early '60s TV show
From: Desert Dancer

In the obituaries of folklorist Tristram P. Coffin, it is noted that he was involved with a television show, "Lyrics and Legends". There is not a lot out there about it, but this is what I have found. Are there any 'Catters with recollections? (Kytrad?)

~ Becky in Long Beach

http://www.jstor.org/stable/850273?seq=6
"A Brief List of 16mm sound Motion Picture Films on Folk Music and Folk Dance with Rental Distributors, Archive of Folk Song, Library of Congress"
Ethnomusicology Vol. 11, No. 3, 375-385, Sep., 1967
Page 380:
Lyrics and Legends. 15 programs, 30 min each, b&w, 1963.

Produced by WHYY-TV for National Educational Television in association with the University of Pennsylvania and the American Folklore Society. Distributor: Indiana.

Various topics in American folk music, with guest artists and discussants, and Tristram P. Coffin as host and discussant for all programs.

1. Mexican-American border songs. Filmed in Texas and Mexico, with guest participant Americo Parédes.

2. The roots of hillbilly music. Guest narrator d.K. Wilgus introduces Clarence Tom Ashley, Maybelle Carter, Mose Ranger, and the Walker family.

3. Sea songs. Filmed at mystic, Connecticut, with commentary by Horace P. Beck and performances by Frank Warner, Sam Eskin, and E. G. Huntington.

4. Square dance play-party. Dancing around Hazard, Kentucky, is demonstrated by the Ritchie family, Corbett Grigsby, and Marion Sumner.

Apparently George Pickow did all the filming, as noted in his obituary in the Irish Times, posted at Mudcat here.

kytrad (Jean Ritchie) referred to one of the episodes, posted at Mudcat in a discussion of "Travis picking", here:
We have an old film that my man George Pickow did, of Merle and Mose Reager talking and picking/singing together...I remember they had a sort of confusing conversation concerning "the thumb-lick with the thumb-pick," or "without the thumb-pick," and after the film was made, Merle told us they had after all come to the wrong conclusion! But it's down now on the film for all time... on the film, Merle plays and sings, "I Am a Pilgrim." This was in the early sixties. Also on the film are Clarence Ashley and his band including Doc Watson, and The Walker Family from Nobob, KY (residents have now changed the name of their p.o. to Summer Shade, KY. Some ladies' club was probably responsible). The name of the film was, "Hillbilly Music", part of a series called, "Lyrics and Legends." We still have a copy.

15 Feb 12 - 11:06 AM (#3308914)
Subject: RE: 'Lyrics and Legends' early '60s TV show
From: Desert Dancer

Forgot to link - the Tristram Coffin obituary thread is here.

15 Feb 12 - 12:39 PM (#3308973)
Subject: RE: 'Lyrics and Legends' early '60s TV show
From: Desert Dancer

The American Folklife Center in their Facebook post today on Coffin's death says that "Prints from this series came to the Library of Congress as part of AFC's Jean Ritchie and George Pickow Collection."

~ Becky in Long Beach

15 Feb 12 - 09:46 PM (#3309236)
Subject: RE: 'Lyrics and Legends' early '60s TV show
From: Nerd

Becky, this is true (I wrote that Facebook post), but I believe we only got two episodes: the Kentucky one with Jean Ritchie and one on Texas with Americo Paredes. The collection isn't fully processed yet, but those are the ones we know we have.

15 Feb 12 - 10:49 PM (#3309257)
Subject: RE: 'Lyrics and Legends' early '60s TV show
From: Desert Dancer

Thanks for the clarification, Nerd.

I was thinking that that listing in Ethnomusicology was of copies that were at the LOC, but maybe it was the the Archive of Folk Song that was the author of the list, pointing out the distributor they were available from.

I wonder if any other episodes are out there somewhere... they sure didn't show up online.

The only thing that looks like it might possibly be related that I get to come up from the LOC catalog is this:

LC control no.:         99569936
LCCN permalink:         http://lccn.loc.gov/99569936
Type of material:         Nonmusic Sound Recording
Main title:         Collecting folk songs. [Sound recording]
Published/Created:         N. Hollywood, Calif., Center for Cassette Studies, [197-?]
Related names:         Leach, MacEdward, 1896-1967.
Description:         1 cassette. 2-track. mono.
Publisher no.:         5235 Center for Cassette Studies,
Summary:         Dr. MacEdward Leach discusses the collecting of folk songs.
Notes:         Duration: 29 min.
        262 conversion.
        305 conversion.
Subjects:         Folk songs --Collectors and collecting.
Series:         Lyrics and legends
LC classification:         RYA 0030
Other system no.:         (OCoLC)ocm06048892
Quality code:         lcderive
        
CALL NUMBER:         RYA 0030
-- Request in:         Request in advance in Rec Sound Ref Center (Madison, LM113)

I'm going to pop off an inquiry to WHYY-TV to see if they have anything to say about them.

~ Becky in Long Beach

22 Feb 12 - 01:50 AM (#3311737)
Subject: RE: 'Lyrics and Legends' early '60s TV show
From: Desert Dancer

WHYY-TV's reply:

Thank you for contacting WHYY with your question. Unfortunately, these older programs are not archived for review or use. Sorry we are unable to assist you with your research.

I replied that if any of the programs should come to light, they should contact the LOC American Folklife Center.

~ Becky in Long Beach

12 May 14 - 07:10 PM (#3625569)
Subject: RE: 'Lyrics and Legends' early '60s TV show
From: GUEST,Patricia Coffin Fry

My father was Dr. Tristram Coffin, Tris Coffin the folklorist and UPenn professor who hosted the "Lyrics and Legends" tv show on NET. Dr. Leach, mentioned in the thread, was my father's mentor and UPenn colleague, and they co-founded the Folklore Dept. at UPenn, so this segment must have been part of the show.