Here’s a short piece I put together in honor of today being the 100th Anniversary of the end of World War I:
11-11-18: Appalachian Dulcimer Players In World War I
https://heritagedulcimers.wordpress.com/articles/appalachian-dulcimer-players-in-world-war-i/
David Bennett <><
https://athensdulcimerclub.wordpress.com
Bell To Toll at the 11th Hour, the 11th Day, of the 11th Month at Limestone County Courthouse…
It’s been 100 years since the signing of the Armistice Agreement, the Treaty of Versailles on November 11, 1918 at the 11th hour that ended World War I, the “Great War” also known as the “War to End All Wars”…
for more see http://www.visitathensal.com/news-blog/wwi-100th-anniversary
David B <><
https://athensdulcimerclub.wordpress.com
Since there is no jam this Thursday you might be interested in this!
Fiddlers, Banjo Players, and Strawbeaters: Alabama’s Early Music
Thursday at 5 PM – 7 PM
Athens-Limestone County Public Library
603 S. Jefferson St, Athens, Alabama 35611
In her presentation, Cauthen will discuss the early fiddles of Alabama, the musicians who played them and the popularity of this music in their communities. Discussions will also surround the pivotal role played by African Americans in developing the music at the roots of today’s bluegrass and country music. Cauthen will demonstrate use of the banjo, “straws” (a technique in which broom straws or knitting needles were beat on the strings as the fiddler played) and guitar in backing up the fiddle. Her talk will be made especially interesting by the presence of fiddler Jim Cauthen, who will demonstrate fiddle tunes that have been specifically mentioned in historical writings, slave narratives and early newspapers of Alabama. The audience will hear musical styles and tunes that are seldom heard today—and will have the opportunity to ask questions and share their perceptions of the differences in this music and the modern country music that are based upon it.
David Bennett <><
https://athensdulcimerclub.wordpress.com
We’ve made some updates to the schedule you’ll want to check out. If there are others let us know.
ANNOUNCEMENTS & SCHEDULE
https://athensdulcimerclub.wordpress.com/announcementsnotes/
As you know once a year we encourage everyone to re-read the “About Athens Dulcimers” page. We all need reminders from time to time of our rules of the road and basic etiquette. https://athensdulcimerclub.wordpress.com/about/
Those of you who know Jon know that this past year he and Betty moved to Florida. The other day I saw on the Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer website (fotmd.com) that Sunday he was having a dulcimer meeting down his way to measure interest in maybe starting a dulcimer gathering so I sent him a shout out and received this reply:
Hi David,
I thought of you today while reviewing the Athens web site. Great job there.
I am no longer building dulcimers. #939 was last. The tools were sold to Tom Lee who hopes to start building the Sweetstrings dulcimer. My first attempt of measuring interest in the dulcimer here in our community (Arlington Ridge) was limited to only 3 of us but the snowbirds are just starting their return. There are several clubs near us and I played with one of them last Saturday for a local folk festival. We live only about 15 miles from where the Mt Dora festival is held.
So Betty and I are enjoying life in central Florida and plan to continue traveling across the U.S.
Please say hi for us to the folks there.
———————————
By David Bennett
2 October 2018
If you’ve ever played with the Athens Dulcimers you know that one of the many tunes we like to play is “The Bells of St. Mary’s.”
Even before I joined the group, some ten years ago, I was somewhat familiar with the tune as I’d heard it every Christmas watching the 1945 Bing Crosby movie by the same name.
Feeding my appetite to learn the history of yet another tune I did some snooping. One of the things I found out about the song is the original tune predates the Bing Crosby movie and although the song is sometimes associated with Christmas because of the movie, it is not a “Christmas song” per se as you’ll see by the lyrics below. The lyrics in the 1945 Bing Crosby movie were written by a nun specifically for the movie (and even those lyrics are not about Christmas). We certainly play it year-round in Athens, Alabama.
The original song was popular when it was first published in 1917. The music was composed by A. Emmett Adams (1889-1938) and the lyrics were written by Douglas Furber (1885-1961) following a visit in 1914 to St. Mary’s Church, Southampton, England, where they heard the recently installed bells. The song also became a major hit in the United States despite having been originally rejected by the publishers.
The first structure of St. Mary’s Church is nearly 1,400 years old, dating back to the first Saxon settlements of the 7th century, and was later a major collegiate church during the Middle Ages. As you can imagine the church has gone through many changes and rebuilds through the centuries.
Regarding the bells, a ring of eight bells was first installed in 1914 having been brought to St. Mary’s from the Southampton Docks railway station in a horse-drawn procession. In 1934 two more bells were added.
In World War II, during a blitz in November 1940, incendiary bombs destroyed the church and damaged the tower and bells. The damaged bells were taken away for safe-keeping. After the war the bells were recast in 1945 from the metal of the originals and restoration was completed in June 1948. The rebuilding of the rest of the church was begun in 1954 and completed a little more than two years later 1956.
Here is a 1920 Edison recording by Lewis James published in 1921 I found on the Smithsonian website. The lyrics are a little different than what I have below, but the tune is the same. It’s still interesting to me to hear a recording that is nearly a century old. https://memory.loc.gov/natlib/ihas/service/edrs/50722l.mp3
Here’s a more modern version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv9eMRaYR0c
The following are what I believe to be the original lyrics:
The Bells of St. Mary’s
The bells of St. Mary’s at sweet eventide,
Shall call me, beloved, to come by your side;
And out in the valley, in sound of the sea,
I know you’ll be waiting, yes waiting for me.
REFRAIN:
The Bells of St. Mary’s, ah! hear, they are calling
The young loves, the true loves, who come from the sea;
And so my beloved, when red leaves are falling,
The love-bells shall ring out, ring out, for you and me.
At the porch of St. Mary’s I’ll wait there with/for you,
In your/my soft wedding dress with its ribbons of blue;
In the church of St. Mary’s, sweet voices shall sing,
For you and me, dearest, the wedding bells ring.
REFRAIN:
The Bells of St. Mary’s, ah! hear, they are calling
The young loves, the true loves, who come from the sea;
And so my beloved, when red leaves are falling,
The love-bells shall ring out, ring out, for you and me.
Bells Of St. Mary’s Tabs:
(0) 000000 11 222222 44 555555
6+6+ 777777 55 444444 22 333333
4 3 222222 00 111111
(0)(0) 000000 11 222222 44 555555
6+6+ 777777
44 77 6+6+ 55 44
77 6+6+ 55 44
7777 8888 75420
Video (slow): Bells of St. Mary’s by Allatooners Dulcimer Ensemble https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9V3FdBlI48
Video (faster): The Bells of St Mary at the 2016 Cumberland Gap Dulcimer Gathering (closer to how we play it in Athens, Alabama) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grM5qETsjXI
David B <><
https://athensdulcimerclub.wordpress.com
Last night Roy Yeager, son of Enos Yeager, sent me this photo of Enos playing is broom dulcimer on Hee Haw.
For more about dulcimer maker Enos Yeager see
https://athensdulcimerclub.wordpress.com/dulcimentaries/dulcimentary-articles/enos-yeager/
David B <><
https://athensdulcimerclub.wordpress.com
