Stephen Foster's THE GLENDY BURK by Tom Roush

Though not as popular as 'Oh! Susanna' or 'Camptown Races,' this Foster 'plantation melody' was a big minstrel hit in the 1850's and 1860's. This relatively unknown Stephen Foster song with many others are included on my CD 'Down Among the Cane Brakes' which is now available

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[Lumotaku]

You are amazing mr Tom. May i suggest you check out a song from the 1880s It's called Twilight is stealing. I don't know who wrote it. Its a really good song.

[MusicOfTomRoush]

@Lumotaku Great suggestion! I never knew that "TWILIGHT IS STEALING" even existed. It IS a great song. After doing some research, I found that there's a good story behind the poem in which the lyrics were taken from and set to music in 1877. You will probably see me posting my own arrangement of it before year's end. Thanks Again

[stlgtrace]

Huzzah!

[sutherlandjoan]

Glendy Burke (note the spelling) was my Grandmother's Grandfather, on her mother's side. He was a real go-getter, a merchant, plantation holder, and this song was named after the paddle boat which was named after him. He was a temporary mayor of New Orleans, lost his second fortune during the Civil War, was a lay minister of the Church of the New Jerusalem. His daughter Modesta was my Grandmother's mom.

[Lumotaku]

@MusicOfTomRoush

Thank you!.My mother used to sing it to me as a lullabye so i searched for it on the internet Then when going through my grandmas books(shes 89) i came across her mothers poetry collection. It was clipplings taped and glued to an old sears catalog that had horses bridles and such in it. Twilight is stealing was in there. Someone finally posted an old version on youtube and I had no idea it was a blue grass song!.

[sutherlandjoan]

@azvol You know, Ken, I'd like to know more about the Church of the New Jerusalem where Burke was a lay minister, because it made a big impression on the women of the family. Modesta, Glendy Burke's daughter, married a man named Beverly Carradine who was himself a Holiness Minister, and I imagine that she did that partly because B. Carradine had a similar "spiritual" style to her father. My mother - their granddaughter- married a Canadian evangelical religious leader too, but a Canadian!

[sutherlandjoan]

@azvol I just stumbled on your comments Mark. It is totally amazing what we can find online. I just wish I knew a bit more about him apart from the family connection!

[markalmlie]

having foster's original writing and photos really made this video! great work!

[azvol]

@sutherlandjoan Thank you for sharing, Joan. I just "rediscovered" an old album my mom gave me when I was ten years old (48 years ago!)....Songs of the Civil War, by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Glendy Burk(e) is one of the songs on the LP. I didn't know the story behind the song, so Google'd it and wandered on to You Tube. So he was your great-great Grandfather. Amazing what one can discover online. Ken

[rockgor]

Hey! That's very interesting about Glendy Burke.

One of my ancestors was a Mississippi river pilot. He left that job

to join the Union Army.

Tnx 4 the cheerful post. One of my favorite Foster tunes.

[Astrodan2600]

grand just grand! thank you