This song is familiar/popular enough to have made its way into the Broadway musical "The King and I" in a certain format. The tune evokes the sense of sentimentality for home that is a dream for many, a reality for some. Even the life of its composer didn't match the hopes of the song itself. … Continue reading Home! Sweet Home!
Category: Music
Grandfather’s Clock
Today I come to the song that started the whole series: Grandfather's Clock. This is the song on the toy clock my son discovered Thanksgiving Evening that led to this review of all these wonderful pieces of times yore -- namely 19th Century American music. Published in 1876, this song was one of the most … Continue reading Grandfather’s Clock
Goober Peas
As my Aunt Olive reminded me when I called her this week and thanked her for giving me Popular Songs of Nineteenth-Century America back in 1977, today's song was one that my Grandfather Lightfoot enjoyed singing quite a bit. She also reminded me that goober peas, known to us today as peanuts, were fairly plentiful, … Continue reading Goober Peas
The Flying Trapeze
Betsy said this song is a sad song with a happy melody. It is probably a song that is more well known than some from the era, but I am not sure that people know the full story that it tells. There are several things about this song that would be different if it were … Continue reading The Flying Trapeze
Dixie’s Land
The lyrics to this one were written for a minstrel show, and thus are laden with a lot of negro dialect. The original sheet music included five verses, shown below, most of which I am unfamiliar. It seems that the first and last are the most common today. The lyric of the middle verses, and … Continue reading Dixie’s Land
Prancing through De Camptown Races
Today I continue my series on 19th century American folk songs, taken from Popular Long of Nineteenth-Century America complete with original sheet music. Today's song is Gwine to Run all Night or De Camptown Races One of the interesting things about these songs, is the piano settings given for them. Most people today from a … Continue reading Prancing through De Camptown Races
Beautiful River
Another one of the songs it my 19th century American Song book is this Religious Favorite. Written By Rev. Robert Lowry, minister at Hanson Place Baptist Church, this song was sung by 40,000 children in Brooklyn during a parade. While his most famous creation, he was not especially proud of it, preferring All the Way … Continue reading Beautiful River
A Toy and a Song Book
The family was sitting around on Thanksgiving Evening, after hosting the extended family Thanksgiving dinner. My son was in the playroom digging through an old toy chest, looking for stray Lego pieces he was missing, when he came across a toy he was unfamiliar with. It was a windup clock that played a song, old … Continue reading A Toy and a Song Book
Santa’s arrival at Bass Pro opens the Christmas season
The Christmas season began, officially for me, today, with Santa's arrival at Bass Pro. This year, as for the past several, I helped to welcome Santa as a member of Carolers of Note, the premiere professional caroling group in Kansas City. We sang carols for those waiting for Santa from 4-5 p.m. -- taking requests … Continue reading Santa’s arrival at Bass Pro opens the Christmas season
Into the Woods
Fairy Tales tell interesting stories. Interesting morals. But what happens after their end? Stephen Sondheim conjectured some interesting continuations, and some interesting ethical questions in "Into the Woods." Disney is releasing a new movie adaptation of the Sondheim play. Not knowing much, I have heard enough to know that they have made some serious changes. … Continue reading Into the Woods
At The Rainbow 