AMERICAN
RIVERSONGS
By: Pierre La Plante
Chihiro Kashiwakura and Heather Kole
Pierre La Plante
- Teacher for 33 years
- Has taught K-6 general music,
middle school band, high school
band and chorus
- Writes music that is accessible to
younger students
- Bassoonist, actively plays in
Wisconsin bands and orchestras
- He believes the biggest challenge
in writing for young bands is to
come up with something musical
(keeping the technical demands
reasonable), without "writing
down" to the group
American Riversongs
• Based on traditional music
• Composed in 1991
• Includes themes from four folk songs from the Steamboat
Era (songs sung/known by people that worked on the
river or lived by it in the 1800s):
• “Down the River”
• “Shenandoah”
• “The Glendy Burke”
• “A Night in the Tropics”
What are folksongs?
• The term folk song comes from…
• word folk lore
• “The traditions, customs, and superstitions of the uncultured classes”
• German word Volk
• “The people as a whole” applied to popular and national music
• Folk song is often described as….
• “Old songs, with no known composers”
• “Process of oral transmission”
• Farm workers and factory workers learned by singing, not reading
music/words
• “What the people sing”
• Found in lower class in a feudal society
• Related to national culture
• Different people from other countries bring their own songs from their
countries
• Can commemorate certain historical events/holidays
Down the River
This melody is used as the opening theme of “American
Riversongs”
Come along and go with me
Down the river I go
Carry me down to Tennesse
Down the river I go
Horse and buggy to carry you round
Down the river I go
Your little feet will never touch ground
Down the river I go
Chorus
Down the river I go Uncle Joe
Down the river I go
Down the river I go Uncle Joe
Down the river I go
Chorus
Listen
Shenandoah
Shenandoah started as a river chantey (a song with alternating solo and chorus, of
a kind originally sung by sailors while performing physical labor together) and later
became recognized throughout the world.
This is the middle portion of “American Riversongs”
1:25 Listen
Oh Shenandoah,
I long to see you,
Away you rolling river
Oh Shenandoah,
I long to see you,
Away, I'm bound away
'cross the wide Missouri.
Oh Shenandoah,
I love your daughter
Away, you rolling river.
For her I'd cross,
Your roaming waters.
Away, I'm bound away,
'Cross the wide Missouri.
Listen
'Tis seven years since last
I've seen you,
And hear your rolling river,
'Tis seven years since last
I've seen you,
Away, we're bound away
Across the wide Missouri.
Oh Shenandoah,
I long to see you,
And hear your rolling river,
Oh Shenandoah,
I long to see you,
Away, we're bound away
Across the wide Missouri.
The Glendy Burke
This is the 1st melody in the 3rd section of
“American Riversongs”
The Glendy Burke is a mighty fast boat
Ho for Lousiana,
With a mighty fast captain, too
I'm bound to leave this town,
He sits up there on the hurricane roof
I'll take my duds and tote 'em on my back
And he keeps his eye on the crew.
When the Glendy Burke comes down.
I can't stay here for they work too hard
I'm bound to leave this town,
I'll take my duds and tote 'em on my back
When the Glendy Burke comes down.
Listen
3:40 Listen
A Night in the Tropics
This is the 2nd main theme in the 3rd section of “American Riversongs”
“The Afro-Virgin Islander bamboula tradition is now only performed in a
reconstructed fashion. It was a style of song, drumming and folk dance, performed
by two drummers on one drum; one drumer used his hands and heel, and the
other two sticks. African-styled dance and group song with refrains were a
constant part, with verses frequently improvised by a soloist.”
This is imitation of a bamboula tune
Listen
4:30
Which theme is which?
3:40
1:25
4:30
Listen
Activities
• Time signature conducting activity
• Naming the themes listening activity
• Key signature activity- have them play the following
scales: F Major, B-flat Major, and E-flat Major because
these are the keys used in the piece