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Posted by: Stephanie Hall
June eighth is World Oceans Day, and an opportunity to look at a few examples of folksongs that relate to the interconnection between humans and the sea from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day. In this recording, available via the link, James H. Gibbs of Nantucket, Massachusetts sings an untitled song about sperm whaling, …
Posted in: African Americans, Animals, Folk Music, Folksong, Massachusetts, Stetson Kennedy
Posted by: Stephanie Hall
The tradition of a national celebration of Mother’s Day in the United States grew out of reactions to the aftermath of the Civil War. Poet, suffragist, and author of the lyrics of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” Julia Ward Howe attempted to unite women in the cause of peace, beginning with her “Appeal to …
Posted in: Charles Lafayette Todd, Folksong, Holidays, John Lomax, Robert Sonkin, Ruby Terrill Lomax, Sidney Robertson Cowell
Posted by: Stephanie Hall
May Eve, April 30th, and May Day, May first, have long been part of the celebration of spring in Europe. The flowering of fruit trees and sowing season were important to agriculturalists in the hope of a good harvest. Lambing, kidding, and calving season had passed, so animals could be allowed out to more remote …
Posted in: Dance, Folk Music, Folksong, Holidays, May Day
Posted by: Stephanie Hall
Jewish vocal music culture in the United States reflects the variety of the many different parts of the diaspora from which the Jewish immigrants originally came, as well as different song traditions among Jewish denominations. This essay will examine some of the Jewish folksongs curated by the Recorded Sound section, the Music Division, and the …
Posted in: Folksong, Jewish American History, Jewish Americans
Posted by: Stephanie Hall
For Women’s History Month, I thought it would be interesting to highlight some examples of interviews with women and girls in American English Dialects: The Center for Applied Linguistics Collection. This online collection is one of several dialect collections in the American Folklife Center archive. With a little digging, such collections can yield exciting examples of …
Posted in: African Americans, Foodways, Holidays, Languages and Dialects, Native American History, Oral History, Women's History
Posted by: Stephanie Hall
Folklorist John Wesley Work III lived in an extraordinary time in the development of African American music. He was in college as the Harlem Renaissance began. African American composers were developing traditional blues into elite compositions and the piano became an instrument for new styles such as jazz and boogie-woogie. Work, like his brother Julian, …
Posted in: African American History, African Americans, Folk Music, Folklorists, Folksong, John Wesley Work III
Posted by: Stephanie Hall
On Friday, February 21, the American Folklife Center will host a discussion and screening of clips from the upcoming film premiere of “This Ain’t No Mouse Music!”: The Story of Chris Strachwitz and Arhoolie Records with the filmmakers Chris Simon and Maureen Gosling. Please join us from 12:00 noon to 1:30 pm in the Whittall …
Posted in: AFC Events, Folk Music, Folksong
Posted by: Stephanie Hall
For Presidents’ Day, take a look at the new presentation The Library of Congress Celebrates the Songs of America. [1] This article will provide links giving you a start. George Washington had songs written for him while he was a general. An example is “General Washington,” which was printed on a single side of a …
Posted by: Stephanie Hall
For Valentine’s Day, let’s examine love songs in the light of historical changes of the early twentieth century, through the new presentation The Library of Congress Celebrates the Songs of America. As the nineteenth century gave way to the twentieth, love underwent many changes: young people wanted relationships without much involvement from parents and elders, …