Stick Time: The Value of Folk Songs

Dvořák knew ithe importance of folk music.  So did Kodály. And Copland. And a whole bunch of other brilliant musical minds.  Who are we to argue?

 

Folk music is a rich and valuable resource that we sometimes overlook in our repertoire selection.  American folk melodies have a particular charm for us here in the States; they have been set by a plethora of composers in arrangements ranging from elegant simplicity to mind-bending complexity.  In one’s experience, folk song settings are always well-receive by choristers and some of the arrangements will have the audience screaming in appreciation.

 

Here is a performance of “Skip to My Lou” from an ACDA National Conference. Tomorrow's "CJ Replay" column will highlight the folk song settings of Aaron Copland.