NursingHome:FolkSongsScript

ScriptbyBeckaFrostandAndreaBrandley

ANDREA:Folksongshaveexistedforhundredsofyearsandweretraditionallypasseddown
orallyfromgenerationtogeneration.Folksongsareoftenseenasanexpressionofthelifeof
thepeoplewhosangthemandarecharacterizedbytheirsimplemelodies.Lookingatfolk
songshelpsustounderstandthewayoflifeofacultureandpeople.Myfavoritepartaboutfolk
songsisthattheytellastory.Listeningtothem,Icanrelatethemtomyownlifeandtellmyown
story.Ihopethatasyoulistentonightyoucanlearnalittlemoreaboutthelivesofthosewho
havesungthesesongsinthepastbutthattheywillalsobringbackmemoriesofyourownlife
story.

BECKA:Manyofyouwillrecognizeourfirstsong,asitwasmadepopularbySimonand
Garfunkelinthe1960s.However,itoriginatedinGreatBritain,datingasfarbackasthelate
1600s.

ANDREA:Somesaythatthissongisabouttheimpossibledemandsofajiltedlover.Others
sayitisaconversationbetweenamaidenandademon,takenfromthepopularEnglishriddle
song,TheElphinKing.

BECKA:Theplantmythologyofthetimeclaimedthatcertainherbshavesupernaturalpowers
parsleytoremovebitterness,sagetocleanse,thymeforcourageandrosemaryforlove.
(Vaughn,2008)

ANDREA:Pleaseenjoyourrenditionof ScarboroughFair.

EVERYONEsingsScarboroughFair
ANDREA&BECKAplayukuleles
LYRICS:AreyougoingtoScarboroughFaire?
Parsley,sage,rosemaryandthyme.
Remembermetoonewholivedthere.
Sheoncewasatrueloveofmine.
Tellhertotofindmeanacreofland.
Parsley,sage,rosemaryandthyme
Betweentheseafoamandoverthesand.
Thenshe'llbeatrueloveofmine
Loveimposesimpossibletasks
Parsley,sage,rosemaryandthyme
Thoughnotmorethananyheartasks.
AndImustknowshe'strueloveofmine
Whenthouhasfinishedthytask.
Parsley,sage,rosemaryandthyme
Cometomemyhandfortoask.
 Forthenyou'llbeatrueloveofmine

SHERRE:Perhapsoneofthemostfamiliaroffolksongs, Shenandoah waswritteninabout

1820andhassincegrowninpopularity.

MOLLY:Inthisversion,wetellthestoryofatraderwhofellinlovewiththebeautifuldaughterof
aNativeAmericanchief,namedShenandoah.

SHERRE:Thissongcanbringcomforttothosewhoarehomesickforacertainplace,orfora
certainperson.(Congress)(Vaughn,2008)

ANDREAsings Shenandoah
MOLLYplayspiano
MUSIC: http://imslp.org/wiki/Shenandoah_(Terry,_Richard_Runciman)

STORMY/ANDREA:Thisnextsonghasadoublemeaning. WayfaringStranger wassungby

slaveswhoboardedtrainsorcrossedtheRiverJordan.Tooutsiders,thissongseemedto
provideassurancethatthisworldswoesarefleeting.Totheslaves,theysecretlysangabout
theUndergroundRailroadandothersecretcrossingstofreedom.(Vaughn,2008)

SHERREsings WayfaringStranger
BECKAplayspiano
MUSIC:
http://www.pdhymns.com/SheetMusic/IQ/I_SheetMusic/I%20Am%20A%20Poor%20Wayfaring%20Stranger_a
rr1.pdf

STORMY/SHERRE:ThisfishingsongbyHenryLawestellsthestoryofafisherman,ahunter
andafowlerastheytravelariverinSpring.Theyrationalizethatbecauselifeisjusta
hodgepodgeofbusness,andmoney,andcareyoumightaswellgofishing.Thisdelightful
AnglersDuet remindsustonottakelifetooseriouslyandtohavealittlebitoffunalongthe
way.

EVERYONEsings TheAnglersDuet
Soprano:Andrea,Sherre,andMolly
Alto:BeckaandStormy
MOLLYplayspiano
MUSIC:http://imslp.org/wiki/The_Angler%27s_Song_(Lawes,_Henry)

ANDREA:Themelodyofthisnextsongwasfirstpublishedin1855calledLondonderryAirbut
by1910,FredE.Weatherlywrotethewordstowhathecalled DannyBoy .AlthoughWeatherly
wasanEnglishmanwhoneversetfootinIreland,oncehislyricsmetthemelodyitbecamean
instantfavoriteamongtheIrish.Today, DannyBoy issungbymanypeoplefilledwithlongingto
seethosetheyvelongsincesaidgoodbyeto.

MOLLYsings DannyBoy
BECKAplayspiano
MUSIC: http://www.easybyte.org/dannyboy/dannyboy4a.pdf (simplified)
http://petruccilibrary.us/Scores/scores/Tertis_Lionel_1975/Tertis__LondonderryAir_scoreparts.p
df

SHERRE:OnDecember13,everyyearinSweden,Denmark,NorwayandFinland,people
celebrateSt.LuciasDay.LucywasayoungChristiangirlwhowouldwearawreathoflightson
herheadandcarriedgoodiesinherhandstogivetoothers.Shewasmartyredforherfaithand
devotiontoGodandlaterwasmadeaSaint.

STORMY/BECKA:Thesong SantaLucia
wasinspiredbythebeautifulBayofNaples,just
outsidewheretheSt.LuciasDaycelebrationtakesplace.Thelyricsarethewordsofa
boatmandescribingtheviewfromSantaLucia.Theboatmaninvitespeopletocomeonhis
boattoseethebeautifulcityofNaples.(Vaughn,2008)(Cooper,2015)(Hall,2015)

BECKAsings SantaLucia
MOLLYplayspiano
MUSIC: http://www.italyworldclub.com/italiansongs/images/spartiti/santalucia.jpg

MOLLY:CecilSharptraveledtotheEnglishcountrysideinanefforttocollectandrecord
authenticfolkmusic.Thankstohim,wehaveaccessto TheWaterisWide. Hefoundthissong
in1902andithassincebecomeverypopularthroughouttheworld.

STORMY/SHERRE:Inregardstothiswellknownsong,onerecordingartistsaidWehaveto
crosstheoceansofmisunderstandingbetweenthepeoplesoftheworld.(Vaughn,2008) The
WaterIsWide hasmanyotherpossibleinterpretationsthatinclude,loversbeingphysically
separatedbylandorsea,loversbeingseparatedbecauseofclassorreligion,orperhapsthis
songisametaphorforlovethatisnotreturned.

MOLLY:Whicheverinterpretationyouchoose,Ifeelsafeinsayingthatweallcanagreehowit
feelstobeseparatedfromthosewelovewhetherthatbegeologicallyoremotionally.(Daily)

MOLLY&ANDREAsing TheWaterisWide
BECKAplayspiano
MUSIC:
http://javanese.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/1/1d/IMSLP32817SIBLEY1802.5603.14257.9a16
39087013594496thirdseries.pdf (pg44)

STORMY/MOLLY: HowCanIKeepFromSinging? waswrittenintheRevivalperiodofAmerica.

Itfrequentlyrisestothesurfaceofthepubliceyeduringtimesofcrisisasasongthattellsofthe
undauntedAmericanSpirit.

EVERYONEsingsHowCanIKeepFromSinging?
Beckasingsfirstline
Andreajoinssecondline
Stormyjoinsthirdlie
SherreandMollyjoinsfourthline
Everyonesingssecondverseunison
Everyonesingsthirdverseparts(Andrea,Mollysoprano,Stormy,Sherrealto,BeckaTenor)
MOLLYplayspiano
MUSIC:
http://d.cdn2.semplicewebsites.com/download/4842/eefd99f8f6b216ee215ad34c18b8dfdf/How
%20Can%20I%20Keep%20from%20Singing%3F.pdf?view=1

BECKA:Thankyouforlettingussharesomeofourfavoritefolksongswithyoutoday.Ourfinal
songthatwedliketoleavewithyouhasbeensungbyPresidentsoftheUnitedStates,citizens
youngandold,recordingartistsfromallovertheworldandbypeopleofallraces,religions,and
backgrounds.

MOLLY: AmazingGrace waswrittenbyJohnNewton,aslavetraderwhofaceddeathona

sinkingship,andprayedformercytobespared.HisshipdidnotsinkandJohnNewtonvowed
toGodthathewouldbecomeachangedman.(Vaughn,2008)Ithassincebeensungto
comfortsuddenlossandtellsofthepowerofpersonalredemption.

EVERYONEsings AmazingGrace
Andreasingsfirstverse
MollyandAndreasingsecondverse(Andreasoprano,Mollyalto)
Everyonesingsthirdverseunison
Repeatthelastline(Andrea,SherresopranoandMolly,Stormyalto)
BECKAplayspiano
MUSIC: http://media.musicasacra.com/books/hymns/pbeh_amazing_grace.pdf

WorksCited
Congress,T.L.(n.d.).TheLibraryofCongress .RetrievedfromSongofAmericaProject
"Shenandoah":http://www.loc.gov/creativity/hampson/about_shenandoah.html
Cooper,J.(2015). WhyChristmas?com .RetrievedfromChristmasinSweden:
http://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/sweden.shtml
Daily,I.M.(n.d.).
TheWaterisWide.RetrievedfromIrishMusicDaily:
http://www.irishmusicdaily.com/wateriswide
Hall,S.L.(2015).SantaLuciaFestival
.RetrievedfromSantaLucia'sStory:
http://santaluciafestival.com/aboutus/santaluciasstory/
Vaughn,M.D.(2008). TheSingingBook. USA:W.W.NortonandCompanyInc..
 I AM A POOR WAYFARING STRANGER

WORDS AND MUSIC: SOUTHERN AMERICAN FOLK HYMN (VERSION 1)

1/3/2016 santalucia.jpg(7231341)

http://www.italyworldclub.com/italiansongs/images/spartiti/santalucia.jpg 1/2
1/3/2016 santalucia.jpg(7231341)

http://www.italyworldclub.com/italiansongs/images/spartiti/santalucia.jpg 2/2
 How Can I Keep from Singing? ENDLESS SONG 8.7.8.7.Ref.
Attributed to "Pauline T.", 1868 Robert Lowry, 1869

G C G D

23
1. My life flows on in end less song; A bove earth's lam en ta tion,
2. What though my joys and com forts die? The Lord my Sav ior liv eth.
3. I lift mine eyes; the cloud grows thin; I see the blue a bove it;
23
G C G D7 G

I hear the sweet, though far off hymn That hails a new cre a tion.
What though the dark ness ga ther round? Songs in the night He giv eth.
And day by day this path way smoothes, Since first I learned to love it:

G D7/G G D Em D G D G

Through all the tu mult and the strife, I hear the mu sic ring ing;
No storm can shake my in most calm While to that re fuge cling ing;
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart, A fount ain ev er spring ing!

G C G Em D G D7 G

It finds an ech o in my soul. How can I keep from sing ing?
Since Christ is Lord of Heav'n and earth, How can I keep from sing ing?
All things are mine since I am His! How can I keep from sing ing?

This work is free of known copyright restrictions.
AMAZING GRACE
NEW BRITAIN, CM; W. Walker, Southern Harmony, 1835.

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Text: John Newton, 1725-1807

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1.A - maz - ing grace! How sweet the sound
2.Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

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3.Through man - y dan - gers, toils and snares

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That saved a wretch like me!
And grace my fears re - lieved;

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I have al - read - y come;

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I once was lost, but now am found;
How prec - ious did that grace ap - pear

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Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,

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Was blind, but now I see.
The hour I first be - lieved.

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And grace will lead me home.

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4.Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
5.The earth shall soon dis - solve like snow,

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6.When weve been there ten thou - sand years,

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And mor - tal life shall cease,
The sun for - bear to shine;

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Bright shi - ning as the sun,

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I shall pos - sess, with - in the veil,
But God, who called me here be - low,

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Weve no less days to sing Gods praise

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A life of joy and peace.
Shall be for - ev - er mine.

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Than when wed first be - gun.

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