Music in Early North America America’s Musical Landscape 6th edition Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved 1

Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods Late 1720s: Public concerts began to be performed in some of the larger American cities Simple and popular pieces were performed Consisted of marches, dance tunes, program music, folk songs, popular songs from contemporary theater Program music– Instrumental pieces purporting to imitate sounds of nature or to “tell” a story Programmatic battle pieces, imitating the sounds of a battle, were popular Yet for most of the eighteenth century, Americans showed little interest in formal concert music Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 2

Music in Everyday Experience American music included home music work music music for entertainment music for dancing In rural areas work activities were social gatherings with singing, music, dancing barn raisings maple sugaring corn husking Music is Contagious Painted by William Sydney Mount Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 3

Music in Everyday Experience: New Orleans New Orleans music must have been rich and varied due to the cultural diversity of its inhabitants African Native American Caribbean French Spanish Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 4

Music in Everyday Experience: Sheet Music and Instruments Late 1700s: Music publishing was an important business Sheet music for amateur musicians was popular Simple vocal and piano pieces were called “household music” More Americans had violins, guitars, oboes, flutes, keyboard instruments including Harpsichords Virginals—Small and often elaborately decorated Fortepianos—The predecessor of the piano, but smaller and more delicate; produced varied dynamics as its name implies Children and young women learned music by taking lessons from immigrant professional musicians Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 5

Music in Everyday Experience: The Contributions of Servants Talented African American and white servants were hired and expected to play music African Americans sometimes supplied music for Social dancing Dancing schools Taverns Formal balls The favored instrument to accompany dancing was the fiddle—smaller and lighter than today’s violin, with a louder and more vibrant sound Fiddles: Used for the barnyard or ballroom Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 6

Music in Everyday Experience: Prestigious Musical Amateurs American amateurs became increasingly active Many joined musical societies in larger cities Musical societies presented instrumental or choral music mostly written by European composers Professional foreign musicians often joined with the amateur performers for their concerts which lasted three or more hours Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 7

Music in Everyday Experience: Prestigious Musical Amateurs The first performances in America of important European symphonic and choral works were given by Moravian musicians whose music and performances were of the highest quality who were amateurs only in the sense that they composed and performed for enjoyment, not for money who attracted audiences from long distances including Benjamin Franklin and George Washington Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 8

Prestigious Musical Amateurs: Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) Jefferson was an amateur violinist who participated enthusiastically in music activities and believed that the arts were meaningful only as they bore relevance to everyday life; i.e., must be practical to be worthwhile (a common belief of early Americans) Jefferson believed the musical arts to be an essential part of the human experience Jefferson enjoyed playing duets with Patrick Henry Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 9

Prestigious Musical Amateurs: Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) Franklin played guitar, harp, and his popular invention, the armonica or glass harmonica; wrote verses for favorite tunes He warned Americans not to cultivate taste for the arts before they were able to produce art Considered Europeans to be musically superior Complained that America had no musicians of European caliber The glass harmonica consisted of a series of hollow, hemispheric glass bowls or bells, each with a short neck. The glasses are mounted on a horizontal spindle, each fitted inside the next largest with a finger width of brim exposed on which to play. The performer keeps the spindle turning through a trough of water by working a pedal, producing a delicate sound by rubbing the wet rims of the glasses with the fingers. Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 10

Prestigious Musical Amateurs: Songs in Early America The first secular songs published in America were by Europeans, many from England, and usually were associated with theater But while the singing school masters wrote religious songs to teach students, other amateur Americans began to write secular music Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 11

Prestigious Musical Amateurs: Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) Francis Hopkinson, first secretary of the Navy, signer of the Declaration of Independence, was the first American to write art songs An art song is intended for concert or recital performance The song text is a high quality poem by a known poet The expressive music is to enhance the poem’s meaning Performed in original language so as not to mar translations American art songs were suitable for amateur musicians Hopkinson’s art songs were European in style But his songs had texts often based upon American subjects Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 12

Early American Theater Musical theater became popular in some areas during the 1730s European professional musicians performed in concert halls and theaters Theatrical performances made these musician/composers’ music popular and provided them with a living These professionals provided performance and educational opportunities previously denied colonial Americans Early centers of theatrical music activity included Charleston, North Carolina Williamsburg, Virginia Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 13

Early American Theater During Wartime 1778: Continental Congress decreed that “frequenting Play Houses and theatrical entertainments has a fatal tendency to divert the minds of people from a due attention to the means necessary for the defense of their country and preservation of their liberties” Congress banned all theatrical performances at that time Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 14

Early American Musical Theater Grew in Popularity… As interest in music and the theater moved north to New York and then Philadelphia Philadelphia dominated the music scene Theater patrons included George Washington Overruled the Quakers’ disapproval of theater Declared that theater elevated one’s manners Yet audiences in cheaper seats (called the gallery) were rowdy, yelling at performers, demanding favorite songs, vocally criticizing the performance, tossing bottles and fruit onstage and into the pit Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 15

Early American Musical Theater Offered a Potpourri of Entertainment Performances, often four to five hours, included A main drama Plus a shorter, lighter, often comic piece Music was added even into nonmusical plays Musical entertainment occurred between the dramatic pieces and after the comedy A march played at the end as the audience left to attend a nearby dance Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 16

Early American Musical Theater: Composers in America 1781: A short musical play credited to Francis Hopkinson may have been America’s earliest original musical theater work But Hopkinson probably just set new words to existing music Foreign professionals dominated the American popular music stage, significantly affecting the development of music in America17 Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 17

Early Bands 1777: Washington issued an order requiring military music be provided to American troops The first American military bands were established at that time Consisted of drums and small flutes called fifes Called fife and drum corps Many of the members were African American These bands had uses including announcing Beginning and end of the day Mealtimes and activities Commands on the battlefield that could not otherwise be heard over musket fire Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 18

Early Military Bands: History Colonial military bands began to develop to be like European bands 1792: American laws standardized the formation of American military bands to resemble European models Included woodwinds, brass and percussion 1798: President John Adams signed into law the creation of the United States Marine Corps Included thirty-two drummers and fifers, drum major, fife major Added later: Two horns, two clarinets, bassoon, bass drum 1801: This band performed for Jefferson’s inauguration 1830: Brass instruments became significant members of military bands due to improvements to these instruments (valves added) Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 19

Early Bands: New Orleans Eighteenth-century New Orleans had its own strong musical heritage Military bands played a prominent role Black musicians, slave and free, provided music for balls and parades Blacks dominated the transition of the military funeral parade to a civic custom First Battalion of Free Men of Color’s band included people identified as Creole-of-Color = Partly European, active in French-dominated city culture Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 20

Listening Example 16 Yankee Doodle (excerpt) Anonymous “Yankee Doodle” was a favorite tune played by American military bands to entertain the public First appearing in print in 1782, the British first sang the song to make fun of the Yankees, who later adopted it as their own, adding countless verses of text Yankee Doodle (excerpt) Anonymous Listening guide page 65 Tune: Origin of tune and meaning of title are unknown Meter: Duple Form: Strophic Hear the high-pitched fifes carry the tune, while drums mark the rhythm with distinctive beats and rolls Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 21

Part 1 Summary The earliest North American music was that of American Indians Ritual, dance, ceremony, work Songs sometimes accompanied with percussion instruments flute Contemporary Native American music reflects traditions and new styles, some borrowed New songs remain a potent source of power in American Indian culture Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 22

Part 1 Summary: Beginning in the Sixteenth Century Europeans came to settle in the New World Native Americans in Florida and Southwest missions learned Roman Catholic music and European secular music German and English speaking Protestants established permanent settlements in America Brought hymns, psalm tunes, folk and other secular music The first book printed in America was a psalter, the Bay Psalm Book Slaves sang work songs and other songs of African custom European Americans sang ballads and played fiddle tunes Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 23

Part 1 Summary: Singing Schools Early efforts to improve singing in New England’s churches led to the forming of singing schools Singing school masters composed their own tunes Singing school masters became the members of The First New England School of Composers Their music was uniquely American William Billings, Daniel Read, and others composed Psalm tunes, hymns, fuging tunes, patriotic songs for singing school, church, home Part 1: Music in Early North America Summary 24

Part 1 Summary: Eighteenth Century Secular Music Americans’ musical tastes became more secular and varied Music supplied entertainment at home, at concerts, and theater People learned to play instruments and sing Musical societies formed to perform instrumental and choral music Amateurs performed in recitals and composed songs and keyboard music Moravians composed music of unprecedented complexity and quality among other early American compositions Part 1: Music in Early North America Summary 25

Part 1 Summary Concluded Public concerts and musical theater had become a popular form of entertainment by the middle of the eighteenth century European musicians were involved with early American theater European musicians adapted popular European plays and ballad operas to suit the less sophisticated American taste Band music became increasingly popular Fife and drum corps, as well as military bands Played public concerts Performed military functions Part 1: Music in Early North America Summary 26

Image Credits Slide 3: “Music is Contagious,” painted by William Sidney Mount (1808-1868) ©COREL Slide 7: “Eighteenth-century chamber music concert” ©CORBIS Slide 20: “Taylor, the Drummer Boy of the 78th United States Colored Infantry Regiment, Poses Proudly With His Drum” ©CORBIS Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 4: Secular Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods 27 27