George Washington - Music for the First President (4/5)

George Washington

1. The Drum (English c. 1780)
2. Fancy Minuet - Pierre Landrin Duport, 1792 (2:09)
3. Mount Vernon (Scottish? 1790s) 4:20
4. Lady Washington (British 1760s - American, 1778) 5:57
5. Good Morrow to Your Night Cap (Schottisch? 1740s lyrics by John O'Keefe, 1783) 7:53
6. Funeral Dirge - I. Decker, 1790s (10:09)

David & Ginger Hildebrand

The Drum

This song appeared on an English engraved song sheet in about 1780. the lyrics underscore the importance of music in recruiting, stirring up patriotic feelings, raising spririts and issuing commands in the army.

Fancy Minuet danced before General Washington, 1792

Pierre Landrin Duport (c. 1762-1841), dancing master and composer, left Paris three days after the fall of the Bastille. He arrived in Philadelphia in 1790, opened a dancing school and associated himself with Alexander Reinagle, manager of the City Concerts. In his repertory, Duport blended amateur and professional dancing, striving for theatrical standards of performance and content even when the performers were students in an assembly room. This minuet was probably for such an event and Duport included it with this title in his music manuscript now at the Library of Congress.

Mount Vernon

This curious tune appears in several manuscript collections and has three American country dances set to it. Music is by Penuel Clark.

Lady Washington

In the late 1760's, a love song beginning "Saw you my father" appeared in British publications. At some point after the battle of Monmouth (June 28, 1778) a new lyric beginning "Saw you my hero" appeared in America with the title "Lady Washington". It depicted Martha searching the battlefield for her hero, George. The original song was later included in Francis James Child's "English and Scottish Popular Ballads".

Good Morrow to Your Night Cap

William Shield appropriated an old tune "The Drummer" for this song, the second air in the popular opera "The Poor Soldier". This opera was first performed in London in 1783 and in America in 1785; Washington attended a performance in Philadelphia in January of 1791.

Funeral Dirge

Washington was buried at Mount Vernon in a private ceremony on December 18, 1799. According to the sheet music now in the Lester Levy Collection at John Hopkins University, this march by I. Decker was "adopted for & play'd by the Alexandria Band at the funeral of Gen. Geo. Washington". The title of "President" didn't stick with Washington. To most citizens he was forever "General Washington".

Category:

Music

Tags:

• washington
• american
• violin
• voice
• dulcimer
• flute
• patriotic
• historic