The Forgotten Songs of the Newfoundland Outports

Anna Kearney Guigné

Description

In 1951, musician Kenneth Peacock (1922–2000) secured a contract from the National Museum of Canada (today the Canadian Museum of History) to collect folksongs in Newfoundland. As the province had recently joined Confederation, the project was deemed a goodwill gesture, while at the same time adding to the Museum’s meager Anglophone archival collections. Between 1951 and 1961, over the course of six field visits, Peacock collected 766 songs and melodies from 118 singers in 38 communities, later publishing two-thirds of this material in a three-volume collection, Songs of the Newfoundland Outports (1965). As the publication consists of over 1000 pages, Outports is considered to be a bible for Newfoundland singers and a valuable resource for researchers. However, Peacock’s treatment of the material by way of tune-text collations, use of lines and stanzas from unpublished songs has always been somewhat controversial. Additionally, comparison of the field collection with Outports indicates that although Peacock acquired a range of material, his personal preferences requently guided his publishing agenda.
To ensure that the songs closely correspond to what the singers presented to Peacock, the collection has been prepared by drawing on Peacock’s original music and textual notes and his original field recordings. The collection is far-ranging and eclectic in that it includes British and American broadsides, musical hall and vaudeville material alongside country and western songs, and local compositions. It also highlights the influence of popular media on the Newfoundland song tradition and contextualizes a number of locally composed songs. In this sense, it provides a key link between what Peacock actually recorded
and the material he eventually published. As several of the songs have not previously appeared in the standard Newfoundland collections, The Forgotten Songs sheds new light on the extent of Peacock’s collecting.
The collection includes 125 songs arranged under 113 titles along with extensive notes on the songs, and brief biographies of the 58 singers.
Thanks to the Research Centre for the Study of Music Media and Place, a video of the launch event, held in St.John's, Newfoundland, is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghj6E6-QiLI&t=21s.

Sujets

• Ethnomusicology
• Music

Informations

• Publié par: University of Ottawa Press
• Date de parution: 12 décembre 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 12
• EAN13: 9780776623856
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 114 Mo

Extrait

THE FORGOTTEN SONGS OF THE NEWFOUNDLAND OUTPORTS

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THE FORGOTTEN SONGS OF THE NEWFOUNDLAND OUTPORTS As Taken from Kenneth Peacock’s Newfoundland Field Collection, 1951–1961

Anna Kearney Guigné

Music reedited and transcribed by Evelyn Osborne

MERCURY SERIES CULTURAL STUDIES PAPER 87

CANADIAN MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA PRESS

© 2016 Canadian Museum of History A rîghts reserved. No part o thîs book may be reproduced or transmîtted în any orm or by any means eectronîc or mechanîca, încudîng photoco- pyîng, recordîng, or any retrîeva system, wîthout the wrîtten permîssîon o the pubîsher. Copublished by the Canadian Museum of History and the University of Ottawa Press

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication The orgotten songs o the Newoundand outports: as taken rom Kenneth Peacock's Newoundand îed coectîon, 1951- 1961/Anna Kearney Guîgné; musîc re-edîted and transcrîbed by Eveyn Osborne. (Mercury serîes) (Cutura studîes paper; 87) ïncudes bîbîographîca reerences and îndex. ïssued în prînt and eectronîc ormats. Co-pubîshed by: Canadîan Museum o Hîstory. ïSBN 978-0-7766-2384-9 (paperback) ïSBN 978-0-7766-2385-6 (pd) 1. Songs, Engîsh--Newoundand and Labrador. 2. Fok songs, Engîsh—Newoundand and Labrador. 3. Fok songs, Engîsh— Newoundand and Labrador—Hîstory and crîtîcîsm. ï. Peacock, Kenneth, edîtor ïï. Osborne, Eveyn, 1975- arranger o musîc ïïï. Kearney Guîgné, Anna, 1953-, edîtor ïV. Canadîan Museum o Hîstory îssuîng body V. Tîte. Vï. Serîes: Mercury serîes Vïï. Serîes: Cutura studîes paper (Canadîan Museum o Hîstory); 87 ML3563.7.N4F72 2016 782.42162’009718 C2016-907230-4 C2016-907231-2

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Abstract

ïn 1951, musîcîan Kenneth Peacock (1922–2000) secured a contract rom the Natîona Museum o Canada (today the Canadîan Museum o Hîstory) to coect ok songs în Newoundand.As the provînce had recenty joîned Conederatîon, the project was deemed a goodwî gesture, whîe at the same tîme addîng to the museum’s meagre angophone archîva coectîons. Between 1951 and 1961, over the course o sîx îed vîsîts, Peacock coected 766 songs and meodîes rom 118 sîngers în 38 communîtîes, ater pubîshîng two-thîrds o thîs materîa în a three-voume coectîonSongs of the Newfoundland Outports (1965; hereater reerred to asOutports).As the pubîcatîon consîsts o over a thousand pages, Outportsîs consîdered to be a bîbe or Newoundand sîngers and a vauabe resource or researchers. However, Peacock’s treatment o the materîa by way o tune-text coatîons and use o înes and stanzas rom unpubîshed songs has aways been somewhat controversîa. Addîtîonay, comparîson o the îed coectîon wîthOutportsîndîcates that athough Peacock acquîred a range o materîa, hîs persona preerences requenty guîded hîs pubîsh- îng agenda (Guîgné, 2004a, 2008a). The Forgotten Songs of the Newfoundland Outportsbrîngs to îght the best o the remaînîng unpubîshed materîa în Peacock’s 1951–1961 îed coectîon. ït aîms to address the acuna between Peacock’s massîve îed coectîon and what he eventuay pubîshed înOutports. The coectîon încudes 127 songs arranged under 115 tîtes aong wîth extensîve notes on the songs, and brîe bîographîes o the 58 sîngers. To ensure that the songs cosey correspond to what the sîngers presented to Peacock, the coectîon has been prepared by drawîng on Peacock’s orîgîna musîc and textua notes and hîs orîgîna îed recordîngs.The coectîon îs ar-rangîng and ecectîc în that ît încudes Brîtîsh and Amerîcan broadsîdes, musîca ha and vaudevîe materîa, aongsîde country and western songs and oca composîtîons. The coectîon hîghîghts the înuence o the popuar medîa on the Newoundand song tradîtîon. ït aso contextuaîzes a number o ocay composed songs. ïn thîs senseThe Forgotten Songsprovîdes a key înk between what Peacock actuay recorded and the materîa he eventuay pubîshed. As severa o the songs have not prevîousy appeared în the standard Newoundand coectîons,The Forgotten Songs sheds new îght on the extent o Peacock’s coectîng. Athough Peacock had aspîred to be a composer, the Newoundand îedwork sîgnîî- canty changed hîs îe. He subsequenty spent over twenty years on beha o the Natîona Museum o Canada documentîng the country’s dîverse soundscapes. ïn pubîshîngThe Forgotten Songsthe author aîms to create a newrom Peacock’s Newoundand exporatîons, awareness o hîs extensîve contrîbutîon to the country’s musîca coectîons. ït îs aso hoped that thîs new pubîcatîon wî rejuvenate înterest în Peacock’s extensîve research înto the musîca tradîtîons o Newoundand’s outports.

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Résumé

En 1951, e musîcîen Kenneth Peacock (1922-2000) a sîgné un contrat avec e Musée natîona du Canada, quî porte aujourd’huî e nom de Musée canadîen de ’hîstoîre, pour créer un recueî de chansons ok terre-neuvîennes. Comme ’entrée de a provînce dans a Conédératîon remontaît à deux années seuement, e projet a été consîdéré comme un geste de bonne voonté, maîs aussî comme un ajout împortant à a coectîon d’archîves angophones du musée, encore mînce à ’époque. Entre 1951 et 1961, Peacock a recueîî 766 chansons et méodîes de 118 chanteurs provenant de 38 communautés dîérentes au cours de ses sîx vîsîtes sur e terraîn. ï a pubîé es deux tîers de ses trouvaîes dans une coectîon de troîs voumes întîtuéeSongs of the Newfoundland Outports(1965 ; dénommée cî-aprèsOutports). Cet ouvrage de pus de mîe pages est une vérîtabe bîbe pour es chanteurs terre-neuvîens et une ressource précîeuse pour es chercheurs. La manîère dont Peacock a abordé ces pîèces, coatîonnant a musîque et e texte et ayant recours à des îgnes et des strophes de chansons non pubîées, a toujours donné îeu à controverse. De pus, en comparant ’ensembe des chansons recueîîes par Peacock à cees pubîées dansOutports, on constate que sa coectîon reète, avant tout, ses préérences personnees (Guîgné, 2004a, 2008a). The Forgotten Songs of the Newfoundland Outportsmet en vaeur es pus bees chansons înédîtes recueîîes par Peacock de 1951 à 1961 aîn de comber a acune entre sa coectîon compète et ce qu’î a pubîé dansOutportsCet ouvrage comprend 127 chansonsen 1965. présentées sous 115 tîtres, assortîes de notes détaîées et de courtes bîographîes des 58 chanteurs. Pour assurer a concordance entre es chansons et ce quî a été présenté à Peacock par es chanteurs, cette coectîon se base sur es notes musîcaes et textuees aînsî que sur es enregîstrements orîgînaux de Peacock. C’est une coectîon à a oîs vaste et écectîque, quî renerme des baades angaîses et amérîcaînes, des aîrs de musîc-ha et de vaudevîe, aînsî que de a musîque country et western en pus de composîtîons ocaes. Ee souîgne ’împact que es médîas popuaîres ont eu sur a tradîtîon de a chanson terre-neuvîenne et met en contexte pusîeurs composîtîons ocaes. D’une certaîne manîère,The Forgotten Songsétabît un îen essentîe entre es enregîstrements de Peacock et ce qu’î a pubîé dansOutports. Comme pusîeurs chansons n’ont jamaîs été pubîées dans es coectîons terre-neuvîennes, The Forgotten Songsmet en umîère ’ampeur de sa coecte. Le travaî sur e terraîn de Peacock a grandement înuencé e cours de sa vîe. Luî quî aspîraît înîtîaement à devenîr composîteur a passé pus de vîngt ans à documenter e portraît musîca du pays pour e Musée natîona du Canada. En pubîant ce recueî basé sur a recherche de Peacock, ’auteure souhaîte sensîbîîser e pubîc à son apport à nos coec- tîons musîcaes natîonaes. Ee espère égaement renouveer ’întérêt pour a recherche approondîe de Peacock sur es tradîtîons musîcaes de a provînce de Terre-Neuve- et-Labrador.

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For Éric, Raya, Mila, Loïc and my husband Jacques with much love Mémé (Anna)

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Table

of

Contents

Abstract..............................................................................................................

Résumé...............................................................................................................

List of Figures....................................................................................................

Acknowledgements

...........................................................................................

Abbreviations.....................................................................................................

Introduction....................................................................................................... Documentatîon o Newoundand Fok Song Prîor to Peacock’s FîedExporatîons......................................................................................... Peacock’s Trîps to Newoundand: 1951–1961................................................. ïnluence o Medîa în Shapîng the Newoundand and Labrador Song Tradîtîon ............................................................................................... Arrangement oThe Forgotten Songs of the Newfoundland Outports.................... A Word on Transcrîptîon................................................................................. Concusîon.....................................................................................................

THE FORGOTTEN SONGS OF THE NEWFOUNDLAND OUTPORTS TAKEN FROM KENNETH PEACOCK’S NEWFOUNDLAND FïELD COLLECTïON, 1951–1961 Angeîna Brown ................................................................................................... AnnaGray............................................................................................................ Annîe Dear ï’m Caed Away ................................................................................ As Susan Strayed the Brîny Beach (Susan Strayed the Brîny Beach) ....................... Bad Companîons/Bad Company (Young Companîons) ........................................ The Banks o Sweet Dundee (or Undaunted Mary) .............................................. The Banks o Sweet Traee (An Answer to Undaunted Mary)................................ The Beburns Tragedy .......................................................................................... The Best o Frîends Must Part .............................................................................. The Best Thîng în Lîe.......................................................................................... The Bîg Roarîng Fîre (A Good Roarîng Fîre; A Tîdy Smîîn’Wîe)....................... The Back Devî (Three Joy Jack Tars;The Back Cook) ...................................... The Back Sheep .................................................................................................. The Bod Tînker (Danîe O’Conne) .................................................................... BonavîstaHarbour................................................................................................ TheBostonBurgar.............................................................................................. The Boy That Wore the Bue (The Sodîer’s Letter) ...............................................

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