| Sue, get a copy of "Here's To The Women" by Hilda Wenner and Elizabeth
Freilicher, Syracuse University Press 1987, ca. $20.-. The subtitle is
"100 Songs for and about American Women". That should get you started,
at least.
What do your friends mean by "woman's folk songs"? Sung by women?
About women? Written by women? Any of the above? All of the above?
For example, Carolina Oliphant was a shy scotswoman who wrote songs,
mostly scots-nationalist, that are still immensely popular today, two
hundred years later...and most people still don't know she was the
author, they think the songs must have been written by Robert Burns!
Would your friends be interested in her?
Besides songs written by women such as Lady Nairne, there are a lot of
songs _about_ women that may or may not have been written by women.
For instance, Mary Brooksbank wrote a song about her years in the jute
mills that has passed into the tradition: "Ten and Nine" (referring to
a woman's weekly wage at the time, 10s 9d). On the other hand, in the
middle of the last century an irish man whose name slips my memory in
the moment wrote "The Spinningwheel Song" that has a lovely, gentle,
evocative tune and tells the story of a young woman escaping her
grandmother so she can go courting. "The Rose of Allendale" is one
that I'd guess from the words also comes from the last century, though
its authorship is apparently now lost; it's very romantic and has
gained popularity in Ireland after reviving in Scotland where it may
have come from (sounds more sassenach, t'me, though). Another one from
that time is "Grace Darling", about a young woman who led a lifeboat
rescue when experienced sailors were too afraid to go out.
I could go on for awhile, especially if I knew what's wanted, but the
person you really want to talk with, Sue, is Holly Hendricks (super::);
she is an avid folkie, did an internship at the Library of Congress
folk archives, has written papers, and just a few weeks ago co-hosted a
radio show on the subject. She could put you right.
=maggie
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| I guess what they are looking for are songs about women and their deeds
rather than songs that are just written by women. Of course, it would
be nice if they were written by women about women. That would be
ideal. I will pass along the title you gave me as well as those who
have responded by mail. Everything helps at this point since we have
just begun to look. The group that will be performing them are a
really superb group of musicians and singers from the Rochester, N.Y.
area. One is my step-sister and she sings like a bird. The lead
person in the group plays and teaches several instruments in addition
to singing and has made several tapes and CD's with her husband. So
this time, she wants to do something that she hasn't done before about
women and their bravery, etc. The songs can be American or any other
folk songs from around the world. I would hazard a guess that a blend
of songs would be appropriate since she already has done folk songs
from around the world - some about women and some not. Does this help?
Sue
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| WADN, `Walden Radio' in Concord, Mass. (in Damon Mills Square) plays
only contemporary folk music. The station is clearly run for love,
not money. Perhaps they could help.
Ann B.
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|
There's a song I love called "lullaby for a weary world". It's by T.J.
Burnside, and it won a Filk Award a year or two ago (Filk Songs are
often like folk songs with a science fiction bent, but this one is just
a nice folk song). The song is on a tape called "Please Stand By", by
a group called "Technical Difficulties", the name of a 3-woman group
she (T.J.) is part of, and the tape comes from Fesarius Publications,
74 Madison Avenue, Wakefield, MA 01880.
Some of the lyrics are as follows:
"Make me a cradle
To rock my weary world
Make me a gentle voice
To soothe her when she weeps
Make my arms strong enough
To hold her when she wakes
And make me a lullaby so sweet and fine
That I can sing my weary world to sleep"
-Jody
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