Some Songs Analysis

Henry Ainsworth- ‘Old Hundred’ (1562/1612) This song has a strophic form and is considered a Psalm tune. Psalmodies were scriptures from the book of Psalms that were turned into metrical Psalms. The song was first published in Geneva and it led to Henry Ainsworth creating his own version of Psalm 100. This piece was straightforward, so they believed it would be best to use for congregational purposes. To this day it is still used in Protestant churches for worship. The Isaiah Thomas Singer- ‘Praise Ye the Lord’ (1980) ‘Praise Ye the Lord’ is part of the classical genre. This piece has the traditional organ playing throughout like most songs had back in the early ages. It is easy to recognize the time period it correlates to due to the sound of the voices in an opera, choir-like tone and like I said the organ playing.

I enjoy seeing where church music has derived from a piece like this to what it has become at this current time. John Newton– ‘Amazing Grace’ (1779) This song has a pentatonic melody that uses only five of the seven notes. The characteristics of this particular song shows relation to folk tunes. I have heard this hymn for as long as I can remember. Anyone who has the slightest correlation or knowledge of hymns knows the most traditional and well-known hymn ‘Amazing Grace.’ The beauty of this song is, it has carried on for many years and artists have even covered this original, such as Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, and even Barack Obama. William Billings – ‘Chester’ (1770) Just like the ‘Old Hundred’ this song as well has a strophic meter, it also has a duple meter. This hymn talks about how there is to be no fear, for we shall trust in God. I can only think when I read these lyrics that it heavily reminds me of the verse in the Bible, John 3:16. A lot of what gets taught within a church setting, at least for me, is all about putting our trust in God and to have no fear for what is to come. Daniel Read- ‘Sherburne’ (1785) I am beginning to notice that many songs from this period have a strophic form and or a duple meter. As you can tell, yes, this fuging tune does indeed have both of those traits.

This song shows more of a story than the others may perceive. Its lyrics talk about how they all sat down and then an angel came down and all glory was shown. It is almost similar to a psalmody because it is telling a God like story, it’s difference is that the psalmody is straight out of the actual Bible itself and this may not. Secular Music in the Colonies and the New Republic John Dickinson- ‘The Liberty Song’ (1768) This broadside ballad has a verse and chorus form along with a duple meter. This song tells a story but is sung in a particular way. Similar to when you, maybe just me, are doing things and you sing what you’re doing in a singing like matter. We aren’t singing the best we’ve ever sung but we are still changing our voices from talking to talking with a tune in our voice. Philip Phile- ‘Hail Columbia’ (1793) This song has an AABB form, also known as binary. Hail Columbia has a march rhythm, as for that’s is exactly what genre it falls under. Although it is considered a march, it doesn’t have that traditional march sound to it with drums and loud notes. It is rather soft and gentle with more orchestra like instruments. For example, I can hear flutes and French horns being played. I like hearing this non-loud and vigorous march for a change.

Henry Bishop, John Payne ‘Home Sweet Home’ (1823) ‘Home Sweet Home’ was a song in an opera named Clari. It was written to express the emotion of the heroine after she had come home from being abducted. It is believed that this particular song it was helped the opera to be successful. When you listen to the lyrics you can only feel how much you appreciate home and everything that comes with along with a home. Now, I wonder if the Wizard of Oz got ‘there’s no place like home from this piece. Anonymous- ‘Money Musk’ (1700s) The form in ‘Money Musk’ is as follows aabbcc, a three repeated four-bar strain. This song falls under the country dance tune. It indeed is easy to recognize that it’s a dance tune when you listen to it. When I heard this song is reminded of square dancing and cracker barrel. The violin type of instruments and fast pace truly gives it that country dancing feel. Leroy Anderson- ‘The Irish Washerwoman’ (1946) The ‘Irish Washerwoman’ is known as a traditional Irish jig. It’s has a repetitive refrain and increases in tempo. This jig is familiar to many Irish descents and the British Isles.

It sounds like a common song you would think of when Irish music comes to mind. I envision lots of dancing being involved when this song is played during events. When I looked over the lyrics for this piece I saw that there was a lot of rhyming involved. For example, the first two lines read, ‘When I was at home I was merry and frisky, my dad kept a pig and my mother sold whiskey.’ Before, During and After the Civil War Anonymous- ‘Am I a Soldier?’ (unknown) This song has a strophic meter with an unknown meter. What is known, is that this song fell under the traditional African American lined hymn genre. This song has a slow tempo, with many singing along with the leader song. The way I think of it is when you go to tell a story and someone else was also there at the same time this story took place, so you both tell the story at the same exact time. In better words, this song has a jumbled feel to it. However, its message is all about whether or not you’re, or there, a follower of the Lord.

Dan Emmett- ‘De Boatmen’s Dance’ (1843) This song follows a verse and chorus form with a duple meter. This minstrel song feels rather similar to the purpose of a march. I say that because marches tend to have a message on what they plan to do or what they have done. ‘De Boatmen’s Dance’ has a message about rowing and making it to shore and what to do. For example, there is a lyric that state ‘high row de boatmen row, float down de ribber, de Ohio. It is more of a way, it seems like, to pass time and what helps them push through to make it, due to its upbeat rhythm and tempo. Stephen C. Foster- ‘De Camptown Races’ (1850) This song has a verse-chorus form, along with a duple meter. This piece is also a minstrel song as well. For some reason, this songs tempo and placing of sound with words strongly reminds me of Yankee doodle dandy and with that being said its melody is rather rememberable. It has been noted that the lyrics of this piece imitates the negro dialect. John Sousa- ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever’ (1897) This march has a long march with a duple meter. When I think of a patriotic march to celebrate the fourth of July, this song and style of march are exactly how I envision it to be heard. Sousa is well known for the marches he has written and composed.

When I listen to this song I hear so many instruments like horns, drums, and tambourines. It is especially fitting that it sounds patriotic because it is performed by the U.S. Marine Band. John P. Webster- ‘Sweet By and By’ (1867) This gospel hymn remains to the verse and chorus form with a duple meter. When I heard this song, I thought it was listening to ‘God Bless America’ at first. I’ve come to find out that ‘Sweet By and By’ has the same verse and chorus format. It’s odd in a way because this song does talk about the land of America and being thankful for our father above. Antebellum America Walter Dignam- ‘Helene Schottische’ (1863-64) This piece has a varying repeat form of ABA’. When you listen to this song you can tell right away it’s dancing music. I imagine a ball with many men and women dressed up dancing in an elegant way, similar to how they do in the classic Disney movies. It has moments of being soft and mellow and then at certain points it crescendos to louder and decrescendos to quiet again. Louis Moreau Gottschalk- ‘The Banjo: An American Sketch’ (1855) This song is a character piece with a binary form. It has a lot of emphasis on the pentatonic scale. In correlation to the last piece it also shows that crescendo to decrescendo throughout the song, this is clearer to see since it is played on a piano. ‘The Banjo’ is imitating the act of banjo picking. You would think it would be hard to pick up on the mimic of banjo picking on a piano, however, if I close my eyes, I can hear exactly how it does sound like the playing of a banjo.