Spring 2004 Program Notes
Our Musical Heritage: The Music of Jamestown
PROGRAM NOTES
     Jamestown has a rich and deep musical heritage that is, in all probabilities, at its zenith at present. This is not to preclude the organizations and individuals that have contributed to the musical character of this island community. An incomplete list, in no particular order, follows:
   
THE PROGRAM
     This program begins with texts from the Bay Psalter. The earliest texts that Puritans sang were from the English Psalter, the Biblical Psalms set to a meter. These texts were then sung to familiar church tunes of the day. We will use the tune Windsor, from 1591, in common meter to the metered text of the 23rd Psalm. There is no evidence that anyone on Jamestown sang this tune and text and, indeed, the early settlers were probably not singing in their church services at all, but, if music was used in Jamestown’s 17th century church it would have been very similar to this example.
 
    The tune was meant be sung in unison, or, all singing the same tune. However, as time passed, congregations throughout New England began to improvise harmonies. It reached the point that by 1770 ministers were lamenting the caterwauling and cacophonies of music in the service. The early New England Singing schools sought to remedy the poor condition of music by teaching young people how to read music and sing in prescribed harmonies.
 
    Chester, written by William Billings, is one such hymn. It’s been called the original American protest song. Billings wrote harmony is a coarse, four-square style. There was little of his European contemporary’s (Mozart and Haydn, for example) musical sophistication and the sound was simple and pleasing to the American ear. His style developed into the Sacred Harp style of composition that is still sung throughout many churches, especially in the South.
 
    The Revolutionary War was very much a presence on the island of Conanicut. The British occupied both Newport and Jamestown. At the end of July 1778, the French fleet arrived and unwittingly drove the British from Jamestown to Newport. Many of the British forces were Hessian mercenaries so the possibilities of military music were diverse. The Americans most assuredly would have played and sung “Yankee Doodle.” Our version is rather bawdy and uses a lesser-known tune than the familiar song learned by s choolchildren. According to the music historian of the Kentish Guard, Rhode Island’s own Revolutionary War detachment based in East Greenwich, the British were quite fond of “The British Grenadiers” which was co-opted by American forces and renamed “Free America.” The Americans also used “The Road to Boston” as a marching tune. It was said that the British band played “The World Upside Down” at Cornwallis’ surrender at Yorktown. As far as the French and Hessian music little is known but there appears to be some scholarship into studying French military music of the era. Just as the colonists would have marched to a simple tune such as Yankee Doodle the French were fond of the children's song "Aupres de ma blonde" known in English as "In My Father's Garden."
 
    Following the British evacuation of Jamestown there was little left on the island. The British commander was advised to burn the town upon leaving but exercised compassion and left most of the buildings intact and at least one cow per family. But the island had been denuded of all timber for fuel for the British. Most of the livestock had been commandeered. There was little commerce, no fuel and few animals. Many people left the island to seek their fortune elsewhere. By the 1790 US census, only 507 people remained. Sixteen were black slaves.  Research could not uncover any African music sung on the island at the time.
 
    It is has been written that sheep helped sustain the populace during these very lean years on Jamestown. We sing the English folk song “Sheep Shearing” to extol the virtues of our wooly friends. The “Liberty Tree” dates from a songbook of 1813.  The text, written in 1775, is by Thomas Paine (of Common Sense fame) and the tune is of English origin.
 
    The Irish potato famines of the 1840s brought millions of Irish to America, including Jamestown. Our young fiddler will play a medley of tunes to remember our Irish ancestors. In fact, the USS Jamestown (probably named for our sister community in Virginia) carried food to Ireland in the 1840s as famine relief.

    Dancing and poetry are natural allies of music. “Successful Campaign” is a song and dance of great renown as General George Washington danced the dance at a soiree on March 6, 1781 in Newport after crossing Conanicut Island earlier in the day. This particular episode is important to local history but to dance history as well. General Washington was a tall, handsome man who provided an imposing figure. He was also an excellent dancer who understood the benefits of cutting a dashing figure in society. The band will accompany the dancers in a rousing version of the country dance and song.
 
    Later on in the program, we’ll dance a traditional Portuguese dance “A Rosa” (“To Rose”) to its own tune. A great deal of music for the festas and holidays is referred to in the book of islander interviews “The Portuguese on Conanicut Island.” Maypoles have been a part of Jamestown for some time and seeing as it’s May Day we’ll ask you to help out.

    “The Windmill” was written by Miss Jane Eliza Weeden in 1905 and refers to the beautfully restored windmill on North Road. “The Call Men – Volunteer Firemen” appeared in the 1976 Jamestown Bicentennial Book and was written by Winthrop Wilson. Also, included in the book was an original song and lyrics by Mr. Wilson and lyrics set to the tune "Materna," better known as “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
 
    Church life on Jamestown has been vibrant since the original settlers arrived in 1656. Most of the earliest settlers were part of Roger Williams' group that was forced out of the Massachusetts colony by rigid Puritans. These early settlers were Anabaptists, that is, Baptists who believed that people needed to be baptized twice; first as children and then again as adults.

    George Fox, the founder of Quakerism, visited Newport as early as 1671. By 1700, most islanders were Quakers and the first meetinghouse was built between 1709 and 1710. The Baptist Society built their first meetinghouse in 1841 and 1842. The Episcopal parish was established in 1837. The first Catholic mass was celebrated at the Thorndyke Hotel in 1890 and was established in 1909 as St. Mark.  The set of hymns that follow are directly from the hymnals and missals of the local churches. The selections were chosen because of their popularity and longevity within the congregations. Ben Steinberg’s “Oseh Shalom” represents Jamestown’s Jewish community.

    “Ode on Science” is an early patriotic song dates from 1798. It later appeared in a songbook printed in Boston in 1813. The tune appears in the shape-note songbook, the Sacred Harp. “The Dear Old Farm” was taken from the Grange songbook. There are three editions of the songbooks and meetings were always accompanied by spirited singing. We salute the agricultural heritage of our island that survives in spite of spirited real estate development. We include a tip of the hat to those groups, such as the Conanicut Land Trust, and individuals who work to maintain our endangered open spaces.

    It may seem odd to include “Dixie” in our program but minstrel shows were part of Jamestown’s heritage. “Dixie” was written in 1858, prior to the Civil War as a minstrel show song. During the 19th century the waters around Jamestown were as busy as ever. The Newport/Jamestown Ferry often carried a band on board during the summer months. “On the Old Fall River Line” refers to the large steamships that plied the waters between New York and Fall River as the main leg of the New York to Boston trip in the 19th and 20th centuries. This was a popular dance tune from 1913 at the Casino on Shoreby Hill.

    The United Stated Navy has been a presence in this area since the Revolutionary War. In fact, the first naval engagement between English and Continental forces took place on June 6, 1775 right off of the north end of the island when the US ship Katy (later named the Sloop Providence) ran a British sloop, Diana (HMS Rose’s tender) aground. According to Mr. Lippincott’s history of Jamestown, The Katy is the “most historic ship in the annals of the U.S. Navy.” She was John Paul Jones first command and she captured some forty prizes and was purchased by the Continental Congress on October 13, 1775 and was re-christened “Providence” Some of the most successful American privateers were either from Jamestown or had strong Jamestown connections. We salute the Navy with “Anchors Away.”

    The Jamestown Choral Group began in 1949 and was founded with Rita Murray. One of their most-sung pieces was “Peace Be With You.” We sing it in remembrance of Mrs. Murray and in honor of all of the singers who have shared their voices with the Choral Group, Men’s Glee Club and Community Chorus over the years. In 1953, the Men's Glee Club debuted as an adjunct group to the Choral Group. Within a few years, the Choral Group and Glee Club joined forces.

    The late Bill Young of Slocum, RI, wrote “Conanicut”. Bill sang his evocative song at a summer talent show a few years back. The tune is based on the English folk tune “O Waly, Waly” or “The Water is Wide.” Mr. Whitehouse set the piece for four parts.

    We’d like to thank our guests for sharing their music with all of us. It’s a special place, this Jamestown!