Kingdom Coming performed by the 2nd South Carolina String Band &
Instruments: Vocal, Fiddle, tambourine, banjo, violine |
Kingdom Coming performed by the 97th Regimental String Band
Instruments: Vocal, banjo, guitar |
Kingdom Coming (The Year of Jubilo). http://www.youtube.com. ballyawful, 2 May
2011. Web. 15 Oct. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=7wgpJDGy4Bo>. |
kingdom Coming. http://www.youtube.com. CommandCentre, 24 May 2008. Web. 15 Oct.
2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWYHxsMTOJ0>. |
My Interpretation:
In the first version, performance done by the 2nd Carolina String Band, you will notice that the melody instrument is performed by a fiddle whereas in the second version, performance done by the 67th Regimental String Band, the melody is taken up by the banjo. I feel that the first version sounds more lively because of its wide variety of instruments compared to the second version. The lyrics of the movement, to me, describes a farm or an estate where there are slaves working and they notice that the "massa" has fled. The Union was most likely moving in, and the "massa," most likely being a confederate, fled. The blacks were free once the "massa" had fled the farm or estate.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/Kingdom_Coming_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_21566.png/220px-Kingdom_Coming_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_21566.png
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Henry C. Work:
He was an American Civil War songwriter born in Middletown, Connecticut in 1832 and died in 1884. He was a Union supporter and that is why his piece is so pro Union. He helped slaves runaway into Canada. He composed music in his head as he worked as a printer in Chicago. He was self-taught in music. "Kingdom Coming" came from inspiration of Negro speech's during the time of the Civil War in 1862, when he first published this piece. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Clay_Work |
LYRICS :
Say, darkies, hab you seen de massa, wid de muffstash on his face, Go long de road some time dis mornin', like he gwine to leab de place? He seen a smoke way up de ribber, whar de Linkum gunboats lay; He took his hat, and lef' berry sudden, and I spec' he's run away! De massa run, ha, ha! De darkey stay, ho, ho! It mus' be now de kindom coming, an' de year ob Jubilo! He six foot one way, two foot tudder, and he weigh tree hundred pound, His coat so big, he couldn't pay the tailor, an' it won't go halfway round. He drill so much dey call him Cap'n, an' he got so drefful tanned, I spec' he try an' fool dem Yankees for to tink he's contraband. De darkeys feel so lonesome libbing in de loghouse on de lawn, Dey move dar tings into massa's parlor for to keep it while he's gone. Dar's wine an' cider in de kitchen, an' de darkeys dey'll have some; I s'pose dey'll all be cornfiscated when de Linkum sojers come. De obserseer he make us trouble, an' he dribe us round a spell; We lock him up in de smokehouse cellar, wid de key trown in de well. De whip is lost, de han'cuff broken, but de massa'll hab his pay; He's ole enough, big enough, ought to known better dan to went an' run away. freepages.com. Judy Tate, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.
<http://freepages.music.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~edgmon/cwkingdom.htm>. |
Kingdom Coming:
This piece represents the celebration of slaves being freed from their masters. The piece was written and composed by Henry C. Work in 1862 during the Civil War. I believe that a slave would have been singing this song to celebrate his or her freedom. This piece represents a time in which the Union had the upper hand in the fight and the Confederates were fleeing their lands and giving up against the Union fighters. Cech, John. "Kingdom Coming." Wikipedia. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 1. Wikipedia. Web. 20
Oct. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Coming>. |
Inspiration
After doing research and listening to a variety of these pieces, I feel that we should be more excited to play this piece because the blacks were gaining their freedom and I could imagine how excited they were. We, while playing, should imagine how excited the blacks were, and play with that exact enthusiasm.
After doing research and listening to a variety of these pieces, I feel that we should be more excited to play this piece because the blacks were gaining their freedom and I could imagine how excited they were. We, while playing, should imagine how excited the blacks were, and play with that exact enthusiasm.
By: Arturo A.