Weaving the Maypole

by Elena Santangelo

When I was a kid, and I saw photos of people dancing around a Maypole while holding brightly colored ribbons, I thought it looked pretty silly.  Oh, I didn't have anything against folk dancing--in fact, I liked it.  I grew up in an Italian family and we all learned to do the Tarantella at weddings.  But I didn't get why you needed a pole or a piece of ribbon to hold onto.  Why not just dance?  Of course, I'd never actually seen a Maypole dance performed.

When I finally witnessed, then participated in May Day celebrations, I came to understand that the dance, though fun, was only a means to an end.  The steps are fairly easy.  Children and awkward adults like myself can do them, and often do, because something about Maypole dancing makes you want to join in.  But the gist of the whole thing is to take those ribbons and plait them around the pole, or create a web away from the pole, using only the dance moves.

The great thing is, preteen boys will dance with girls because they concentrate more on making the pattern than on getting cooties.

Spider's Web

In the simplest Maypole dance, the Grand Chain, every other person around the pole clockwise while the rest go counterclockwise, alternately ducking under ribbons and lifting theirs over the next person.  Dancers can walk, skip or do a polka step.  In a variation called Barber's Pole, every other person stands still while the others move clockwise, then they switch and the second group goes counterclockwise.  Dances such as Spider's Web, Gypsy's Tent, Jacob's Ladder and Pyramid form out-from-the-pole patterns.

I've seen Maypole dances where, once the dancers are holding their ribbons out and taut, a green wreath is placed over the top of the pole.  As the plait is formed, the wreath moves down the pole.  If the dancers reverse their steps, the wreath moves back up.

Below is a video of kids weaving a Maypole.  Enjoy!

Historical Harmonies note:  Our May Revelers troupe will perform and teach Maypole dances anywhere we have room to set up our pole.  If you're within a few hours drive of the Philadelphia area and would like to host a workshop or May Day celebration next year, please contact us at historicalharmonies@gmail.com

Your humble servants,

HH

Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791)

Most Americans don't recognize the name of Francis Hopkinson. Some know enough to state that he was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.  Beyond that, he's been more or less lost to history, but this patriot ranks right up there with Franklin, Jefferson, Hancock and Washington.

Hopkinson was born and died in Philadelphia, and lived part of his life in New Jersey, representing that colony in Congress.  He was in the first graduating class of the College of Philadelphia (which merged with the University of Penn in 1791), then studied law.  He also served on the committee that drafted the Articles of Confederation.  Besides becoming a lawyer, statesman, and jurist, he's been described as "a mathematician, a chemist, a physicist, a mechanic, an inventor, a musician and a composer of music, a man of literary knowledge and practice, a writer of airy and dainty songs, a clever artist with pencil and brush and a humorist of unmistakable power" (Tyler, Literary History of the American Revolution).

It's as a writer and musician that we'll discuss him here.  He is credited with being America's first secular poet-composer, having published his first song in 1759 at the age of 21.   Hopkinson also became well-known for his essays, many of which were satirical, such as his "Typographical Method of conducting a Quarrel" and "Essay on White Washing."

He combined his songwriting and satires during the Revolution to produce works such as "The Treaty," "The New Roof:  A Song for Federal Mechanics," and "The Battle of the Kegs."  The latter song was set to Yankee Doodle and comically described an incident that took place in January of 1779, when the British occupied Philadelphia.  The Continental forces were  experimenting with floating mines made from powder kegs.  They sent them down river toward the city in an attempt to damage the British ships docked there.  Redcoats were dispatched to shoot at the kegs, to set them off before they could do harm.  Hopkinson's song told of the brave British troops valiantly waging war against the kegs. Here's a verse:

The royal band now ready stand,

All ranged in dread array, sir,

With stomachs stout to see it out,

And make a bloody day, sir.

The cannons roar from shore to shore,

The small arms make a rattle;

Since wars began, I'm sure no man

E'er saw so strange a battle.

About the same time, Hopkinson wrote a tribute to Washington entitled "A Toast."

'Tis Washington's Health,

Fill a bumper around,

For he is our glory and pride;

Our arms shall in battle with

Conquest be crowned,

Whilst virtue and

He's on our side.

"A Toast" can be heard on Colonial Revelers CD Revelry, Reflection and Revolution. See our website for details.

As always, your humble servants,
HH

Down with Tyrants

Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.

Benjamin Franklin, 1776

The words above were suggested by Benjamin Franklin for the motto to be placed on the Great Seal of the United States.  Six years and three committees later, in 1782, the seal we know of today was adopted, sporting the tamer motto "E Pluribus Unum" or "Out of many, one."

One month ago, most Americans might have had a difficult time bending their brains around what "rebellion to tyrants" actually involved.  Now we've seen it in Egypt, Libya and other parts of Middle East.  More than 60% of Americans polled think we're seeing it in Wisconsin.

Still, most of us are surprised to learn that in the 18th century, most folks had less notion of how to rebel against tyranny than we modern Americans do.  Sure, uprisings had occured since the dawn of time, often by the oppressed poor who got tired of being dictated to by the rich who hoarded all the wealth.  Until 1776, though, you didn't hear much about groups of wealthy, learned men who told their king, "Sorry, we've had enough of not having a say in what you're doing to us, so we're going to form our own country and a democracy at that."  Of course, their idea of a democracy didn't include the non-wealthy, non-male or non-white, but it was a step away from tyranny, at least.

People got behind the idea of democracy.  Who wouldn't?  So they wrote songs about standing up against tyranny.

We'll fear no tyrant's nod,
Nor stern oppression's rod,
'Til time's no more.
(from God Save Our Thirteen States)

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Come join hand in hand, brave Americans all,
And rouse your bold hearts at fair Liberty's call;
No tyrannous acts shall suppress your just claim,
Nor stain with dishonor America's name.
(from The Liberty Song)
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Let tyrants shake their iron rod,
And slavery clank her galling chains.
We fear them not, we trust in God.
(from William Billing's Chester)

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Torn from a world of tyrants,
Beneath this western sky,
We formed a new dominion,
A land of liberty.
The world shall own we're masters here,
Then hasten on the day:
Oppose, oppose, oppose, oppose
for Free America.
(from Free America)

All tyranny needs to gain a foothold

is for people of good conscience to remain silent.

Thomas Jefferson

Your humble servants,
HH

'Tis Washington's Health!

Join Colonial Revelers

in a celebration of the General's Birthday!

Where: Valley Forge National Historical Park
            Welcome Center
When:  Monday, February 21 - 11 am to 3 pm

Valley Forge National Historical Park will present special programs all weekend, beginning Saturday, February 19 at 8 am.  This will be the 99th year that the Boy Scouts of America will camp at the park.  Other events include artillery, rifle, musket and medical demonstrations, programs on camp life, African-American regiments and contributions by the Oneida Indian Nation to the cause of Independence.

On Monday, the 21st, visitors will be able to meet the General and his wife at the Welcome Center, listen to music by the Colonial Revelers, and participate in children's activities.  Martha Washington's original recipe Great Cake will be served.  For more information, go to the park's event page.

Many songs were written about General Washington during the Revolution.  Here is one of Colonial Revelers' favorites, penned by Francis Hopkinson (signer of the Declaration of Independence), and first published April 8, 1778 in the Pennsylvania Packet.

A Toast

'Tis Washington's Health, fill a bumper around,
For he is our glory and pride;
Our arms shall in battle with conquest be crowned
Whilst virtue and he's on our side.

'Tis Washington's health, loud cannons should roar
And trumpets the truth should proclaim;
There cannot be found, search all the world o'er,
His equal in virtue and fame.

'Tis Washington's health, our hero to bless,
May heaven look graciously down;
Oh! long may he live, our hearts to possess,
And Freedom still call him her own.



This song can be heard on our first CD:  REVELRY, REFLECTION & REVOLUTION .

Your humble servants,
HH

'Tis The Season

now 1787 is Ended,
it happy is if we are mended,
God grant if not we may be.
Martha Ballard's diary, December 31, 1787

Christmas in colonial America was far different from Christmas as we now know it.  Almost all of our present-day customs--Santa Claus, caroling, gift-giving, the tree and extensive decorating, and even the sacred celebration of the birthday of Christ--were Victorian innovations.

Before the 19th century, Christmas was a minor religious holiday. Many Christian sects didn't celebrate it at all, partly because the actual day wasn't specified in the Bible, and also, as the Puritans put it, the season promoted drinking and debauchery. (The Puritans, in fact, outlawed Christmas.) Most stores and markets were open on the 25th. At first, only Catholics held services. Protestant churches joined in after many of their congregants began attending the Catholic masses to hear the special music of the day.

How was the season observed?  The wealthy threw elaborate dinner parties.  Poorer classes, knowing the rich were congregating for the Yule, went door-to-door, asking for money or food and drink in return for a wassail (that is, a toast to the health of the host and his family, often sung).  Servants and workers were given coins by their employers and patrons.  Some people observed customs brought over from Europe--mistletoe, the making of mince pies, a Yule log, perhaps modest decoration of the mantel with things like leaves, pine cones, or a few apples, to be eaten during the season.  No one would have wasted food, let alone something like a pineapple, which very few could afford, by nailing it over the door.  A poor man would have stolen the fruit before the night was out, to feed his family.  In the taverns, a bowl of special punch might be prepared.  And now that the harvest was done, if the roads were frozen enough for mudless travel, visiting neighbors and relatives was common.  Time to hear stories (ghost tales were popular in the long nights), to sing and catch up on news and gossip.

Most Americans now consider Thanksgiving through December 25th as the Christmas season, but that's a recent development, defined by 20th century merchants.  Traditionally, Yuletide is December 25th through January 6th (Epiphany--the day the Magi visited Christ).  In early America, since many people were farmers whose calendars were determined by the solstices and equinoxes, Yuletide began for some on December 21.

January 6th--also called "Old Christmas"--was the 12th day of the Yuletide (you know, 12 drummers drumming?).  Both its eve and the night of Epiphany have been called Twelfth Night.  In colonial America, Twelfth Night was a traditional time for weddings, and for a final party before the Yule came to a close.

As for music, many lyrics of our traditional carols, such as Joy To The World, Hark, the Herald Angels Sing, and While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night, were sung to earlier tunes.  The American composer Williams Billings wrote several fun-to-sing Christmas songs, including A Virgin Unspotted and Methinks I See A Heavenly Host.  And of course, the wassails mentioned above were very popular, most using some variation of the words

God bless the Master of this House
The Mistress also
And all the little children
That 'round the table go.

One of Historical Harmonies favorite Yuletide songs is the shape-note hymn Milford, which was published in 1802 and most often attributed to James Stephenson.  In the video, Colonial Reveler tenor Jason Gagliardi performs all 4 parts.  We hope you enjoy it.

Happy Yuletide to all!

Your humble servants,
HH

Now We Are Met - Rounds & Canons

No music is so satisfying as the singing of a round.  Everyone gets to sing the melody, yet the harmonies can be as full and beautiful as a large chorus.

The harmonies of a round result when different voices begin and end the melody at different times.  If the voices begin at different times yet end together on a final chord, the song is called a canon.  Rounds and canons were very popular in the 17th and 18th centuries, and in a variety of settings--from William Billings's sacred "When Jesus Wept" to Henry Purcell's bawdy "I Gave Her Cakes."   They can be as long as a full verse of a song, or as short as 2 or 3 phrases.  Colonial Revelers begins each of their concerts with the round "Now We Are Met," composed by Samuel Webbe (1740-1816), as heard in the video above.

The oldest surviving printed example of an English round is "Sumer is A Cumen In," thought to be written in the 13th century.  In the 17th and 18th centuries, books of rounds or catches, as they were also called, were extremely popular, though most people learned the rounds by ear, whether while sitting in a church pew, around a tavern hearth, at home, or even on the march during the Revolution.

The easiest way to learn a round is to sing one part over and over until you've got it, then move on to the 2nd part, then the 3rd.  You might, for instance, sing only "Row, row, row your boat," over and over, while your friends sing all the way through the round.  Next time you'd sing "Gently down the stream," until you're sure of those notes.  Then "Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily," and so forth.  Eventually, you've got the whole melody.

Some of Colonial Revelers' favorite rounds and canons:

Now We Are Met (Webbe, late 18th century)
Sweet Sir Walter (Purcell, 1733)
I Gave Her Cakes (Purcell, 1731)
He That Will an Alehouse Keep (Ravenscroft, 1611)
Banberry Ale (Ravenscroft, 1609)
Christchurch Bells (Aldrich, 1673)
The Sports of May (Warren, 1775)
When Jesus Wept (Billings, 1770)
Canon (Billings, 1770)

You can hear these rounds on either the Down Among the Deadmen or Revelry, Reflection & Revolution CDs.

As ever, your humble servants,
HH

DECEMBER EVENTS

We must not omit here to thank the Publick for the gracious and

kind Encouragement they have hitherto given us.

Poor Richard's Almanack, 1737, paraphrased

Saturday, December 4, 11 am - 3 pm

The Mill at Anselma
1730 Conestoga Road
Chester Springs, PA 19425

Our Victorian Carolers ensemble will regale vistors to the mill with traditional holiday songs from Charles Dickens's England.

Anselma Mill on Pickering Creek was operated as a grist mill from 1725 to 1982 and retains its original Colonial era power train.  In 1982, the French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust took over the property who did some early restoration and stabilize the buildings.  In 1998, a new organization, The Mill at Anselma Preservation and Educational Trust began a full restoration.  In 2005, the Mill at Anselma was designated a National Historic Landmark.  Today, it's the most complete known example of a custom grain mill in the United States.

For further information about the mill or this event, call them at 610-827-1906, email info@anselmamill.org or click here for their website.
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Saturday, December 4,  4-7 pm

"Deck the Alley"
Elfreth's Alley
2nd St., between Race & Arch Sts.
Philadelphia, PA
After enjoying Victorian Carolers at Anselma Mill, head down to Olde City Philadelphia, where Colonial Revelers will be strolling along Elfreth's Alley, singing 18th century holiday carols, wassail songs, and other music of the period.

Elfreth's Alley has been a residential street continuously since 1702.  The 32 houses there today were built between 1720s and 1830s.  The alley is a National Historic Landmark District.  Numbers 124 and 126 are open to the public year-round as a museum of life in early Philadelphia.  Guidebooks and cellphone tours of the alley are available.

During the "Deck the Alley" event, many of the narrow street's residents open their houses for tours.  Refreshments  will be available. For ticket information about the events, call 215-574-0560 or click here for their website.
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Saturday, December 11, 4-6 pm

Marshallton Tree Lighting
Village of Marshallton
559 Northbrook Rd
West Chester, PA 19382
Colonial Revelers will return to Martin's Tavern to provide holiday music for the lighting of the village tree.

As stated last month, Martin's Tavern, also called Center House, was built in 1764.  The inn played a prominent role during the Battle of Brandywine in 1777.  The restored ruins of the tavern form Marshallton's village square, where a large evergreen tree is decorated with lights each year.  Refreshments will be served.  Find out about Martin's Tavern events: http://taproom.martinstavern.org/
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Sunday, December 19, 6-8 pm

  

The "March-In"
Valley Forge National Historical Park
1400 N. Outer Line Dr.
Valley Forge PA 19406
Colonial Revelers will be stationed in the Visitor Center, singing 18th century wassail songs, Christmas hymns and other period music to commemorate the day the Continental Army arrived at Valley Forge in 1777.  Come for the party!

Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site of the Continental Army's winter encampment, from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778.  Park rangers and Friends of Valley Forge will be on hand for candlelight tours, a "march" up to Muhlenberg's huts, and other 18th century festivities.  Refreshments, holiday shopping and free gift wrapping will be available at the Encampment Store at the Visitor Center.  Free and open to the public. Information and directions at http://www.nps.gov/vafo/planyourvisit/events.htm

Your humble servants,
HH