Far, Far from Home - 2nd South Carolina String Band

Far, Far from Home - 2nd South Carolina String Band

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Far, Far from Home - 2nd South Carolina String Band
  • John Brown's March - Far, Far from Home

  • Circus Jig/Jim Along Josie - 2nd South Carolina String Band

    Published in 1855 in Briggs' Banjo Instructor, “Circus Jig” and “Jim Along Josie” were popular minstrel banjo tunes of the day. In this episode, the banjo player begins tentatively picking out the tune and is soon joined by his band mates who begin to fill out the melody one-by-one, until all are...

  • Old Dan Tucker - 2nd South Carolina String Band

    In America of the early 1800s, nonsense songs were frequently written about larger than life characters. This tune, written by Dan Emmett and published in 1843 by Charles Keith Company of Boston, Mass. is a great example. The song was popularized by Emmett’s band, the “Virginia Minstrels,” and is...

  • The Girl I Left Behind Me - 2nd South Carolina String Band

    The origin of this folk song is lost to history. “The Girl I Left Behind Me” is claimed by both England and Ireland. It is said to date to the mid-1700s or even possibly back to the 1600s. The earliest known publication in print that lists the title and lyrics dates to 1791 in “The Charms of Melo...

  • O Lud Gals - 2nd South Carolina String Band

    This song’s sheet Music was published at Boston, MA by C. H. Keith in 1843. It included an endorsement “As performed by the Virginia Minstrels, words by Dan Emmett.” The sheet music does not mention the melody’s composer. However the melody’s author is mentioned in the preface of “White’s New ...

  • Rock The Cradle, Julie - 2nd South Carolina String Band

    Private John Dinkins, Co. C 18th Mississippi Volunteer Infantry described the march of Mc Law’s Division – including Kershaw’s South Carolina Brigade, of which the 2nd South Carolina regiment was one – towards the Battle of Sharpsburg/Antietam of 1862. Dinkins recalled, “The men moved along at a ...

  • Jenny Get Your Hoecake Done - 2nd South Carolina String Band

    Private John Dinkins remembered this song as “Sallie Get Your Hoecake Done” when he and the men of the 18th Mississippi sang and marched to the Battle of Sharpsburg/Antietam. However, in 1840 it was published under its minstrel stage title as “Jenny Get Your Hoecake Done” by Firth & Hall in New Y...

  • O Susanna - 2nd South Carolina String Band

    This very successful minstrel song was written by Stephen Foster in 1847 and published by Firth, Pond & Co. of New York in 1848. It was performed and popularized by the renowned “Christy Minstrels” and has gone on to be considered one of the most popular American songs ever written. Because of t...

  • Yellow Rose of Texas - 2nd South Carolina String Band

    The composer of this popular minstrel song is only identified as “J. K.” The sheet music was first published in 1858 by Firth Pond and Co. of New York. During the War Between the States the song gained widespread popularity with Southern soldiers. It was the favorite marching song of General Jo...

  • McLeod's Reel - 2nd South Carolina String Band

    This tune has often been called the original Virginia Reel. In this episode, we can see soldiers dancing together in the background, while others watch and clap in time with the music. We had included this scene because we wanted to try and capture the essence of what young Private David Holt of ...

  • Hard Times Come Again No More - 2nd South Carolina String Band

    Stephen Foster captured the mood of America in the mid-1850’s with this parlor song. The United States was experiencing a recession and Stephen’s home town of Pittsburg, PA was suffering from record unemployment. Compounding their situation in the summer of 1854, cholera struck killing 400 peop...

  • The Old Folks at Home - 2nd South Carolina String Band

    This song, also known as “Way Down Upon the Swanee River” was composed by Stephen Foster in 1851. He was commissioned by E.P. Christy to write a song for his popular band, The Christy Minstrels. Christy also paid Foster for the right to be credited as the song’s composer. Therefore, when the song...

  • Dixie - 2nd South Carolina String Band

    The Confederacy’s unofficial anthem was written by Dan Emmett and was originally titled "I Wish I Was In Dixie’s Land." Emmett composed Dixie in 1859, prior to the War Between the States, as a “walk around” for his band, Bryant’s Minstrels. The song premiered on April 4th 1859, at Mechanic’s Ha...