|
|
|
|
|
Sing & Tell A Program of Songs Related to History & Literature
We all love a good story, and when a story is enhanced by music it adds an emotional component. This educational and entertaining program is an eclectic collection of folksongs and stories covering a diverse range of subjects. Some examples are: The Mann Gulch fire where young firefighters died in the summer of 1949, which was described by Norman MacLean in his book, Young Men and Fire; the philosophy of Julian of Norwich, a 14th century English mystic and the first recorded woman writer; Rudyard Kipling's "The Smugglers' Song", relating to the Golden Age of smuggling in England; the Greek myth of Persephone and the Pomegranate; the story of the workers at Willow Run, where the B-52 bomber was built; and the battle for Sicily in WWII. Though most of the songs and stories are about serious subjects, some are more light-hearted, such as "Hang on the Bell, Nelly", a modern take on the "Perils of Pauline" stories from the early days of silent film. Some songs have choruses for audience participation. Each song is prefaced by a description of the historical event or work of literature to which it relates. Click on the player below to hear a bit of song ... This is my favorite music format, putting songs into historical context. It adds an emotional dimension that makes the lives of people from the past more real to us. Folk music is the musical genre that does this most effectively, because the songs come from real people singing about their own lives. The diversity of folk music is absolutely amazing - name a subject and you can bet there's a folk song about it. It offers a running commentary on life. Often a song will pique my curiosity about a subject, and then I research it. The songs in this program are examples of that, and I hope that hearing them will inspire the audience in the same way. The length of this program is adjustable. See the Fees page for options. |
|
