The Millennium Program

Songs

American Popular Music

At The Turn of the 20^th Century

As we have entered the 21^st century it is interesting to look back and examine the music that was popular in America in 1899-1900. America was becoming a world power and began to lead the world into the 20^th century. There was no radio, no T.V. and no records. The amusements were simple: dancing, listening to live band concerts, and playing music for a gathering in the family parlor. What did this music sound like? Let us go back a 100 years and hear the popular music of the day. Popular in those bygone days were Negro cakewalks, marches, waltzes, schottisches, two-steps and popular songs that remind us of the music we would hear on the Broadwalk of Atlantic City. While many songs written before 1899 were still played we will present songs written in 1899 and 1900 which are examples of the 'hit' popular music of this era.

Dawn of Century - 1900 - Paull

Cotton Pickers Rag & Cakewalk - 1899 - William Braun

In the year 1899 the Negro Cakewalk was one of the most popular styled songs to become popular in America. The cakewalk was the direct ancestor of ragtime, using a characteristic rhythm it served as music for the emerging popularity of Negro type music that rapidly was to become what became known as the ragtime era of America popular music. The 'society' or string orchestra was the dance band of this era (which our band represents in instrumentation). "Cotton Pickers" is a prime example of the cakewalk genre and is a charming piece of music.

Coon Band Contest - 1899 - Arthur Pryor

Arthur Pryor, the trombonist/arranger for the Sousa Band composed this cakewalk in 1899. The military band was the most popular idiom during the turn of the 20^th century. The music illustrates the link between brass band music and the Negro style music. It uses the cakewalk rhythm and also the use of syncopation. There is also a very characteristic trombone performance with the use of the glissando.

Bos'n Rag - 1899 - Fred Stone

Possibly one of the first true classic rags, it was published in 1899, around the same time as the "Maple Leaf Rag" of Scott Joplin. It uses syncopation, a trait of classic rags incorporated later in 1906. It also shows the progress made in he evolutionary process to the later rags.

The composer, Fred Stone, monopolized the Detroit music scene to almost complete exclusion of white bands up until the 1920's.

Hello My Baby - 1899 - Emerson

No less than Johannes Brahms was a fan of this song. He heard a lady performer playing the banjo and singing this song in a club in Paris. He remarked how he really loved the rhythmic structure. Unfortunately, Brahms died before he was able to use the rhythm in the body of a complete composition. Ragtime was the first type music to use syncopation throughout the complete composition.  While most will recognize the melody of the last section, it begins with sections not familiar. It is considered ragtime and became one of the 'hits' of the turn of the century.

A Warm Reception - 1899 - B. Anthony

Described as a 'characteristic march, two-step and cakewalk' there are descriptions on the cover that we should mention. At the top we find 'a prominent number on Sousa's programs.' There is a paragraph describing the writing of the piece:

"The members of the "Lucky Seben Social club" had made gorgeous preparations for an entertainment to be given in honor of a prominent member (Prof. Adolphus Duskee), just returning from a trip abroad. A burst of music greeted him upon being ushered into The hall, which was profusely decorated with flowers and palms, and ablaze with colored lights. Observing the evident delight with which the members of the Club received him, he remarked: "Well, this is cert'ny A WARM RECEPTION."

Koonville Koonlets - 1899 - A. J. Weidt

As in many compositions of the era this piece is listed as "A characteristic cakewalk and two-step march. This shows that a piece could be used in various styles and the dancers would do the dance step that suited them. It uses the cakewalk rhythm and is written in the musical form of a march, the form that was used in early ragtime. Very popular in its time, it is one of the most melodic of the early cakewalks published. There seems to be more cakewalks published in the year 1899 than any other year.

Original Jigs and Reels - 1899 - D. S. Godfrey

One of the most popular dances in early America were the many jigs and reels (notably the Virginia Reel). Associated with early Negro dances the jig represents the basic dances from which all other social types have derived. I mention this matter for prior to the renaissance of popular dancing in the 15^th century, jigs were, in fact, the universal dance of Europe. The relative dance s coming from the jig produced the minuet, the quadrille, the waltz, the polka and the schottische, to mention just a few.

There are 8 jigs and reels presented in this composition, either in 2/4 meter or 6/8 meter. In number two, three and five we find use of the cakewalk rhythm. The music is challenging, the performers were mostly gifted musicians and one can hear the technique necessary to perform this collection.

Southern Hospitality - 1899 - Arthur Pryor

Marked a 'ragtime cakewalk', we again find the name of Sousa's band on the cover. The introduction has an interesting use of the cakewalk rhythm in unison. It is marked "Marcia Moderato," again linking the cakewalk music to the march and brass band music. Using both the cakewalk rhythm and syncopation, this piece is a direct link between the cakewalk and the rag.

 El Paso Waltzes - 1900 - Bert Anthony

Interestingly, the composer of these beautiful waltzes also wrote "A Warm Reception, the cakewalk heard earlier in the program. It is a collection of three waltzes. In history we know that the waltz was, at first, considered a risqué dance as it required each couple to dance face to face with arms wrapped 'immodestly' around one another, now the accepted ballroom position. The waltz was one of the most popular social dances and from its beginnings around the end of the 17^th century. And remained popular well into the 20^th century.

Dusky Dudes - 1900

Creole Belles - 1900 - J. P. Lampe

Creole Belles is described as a 'march or two-step. In reality it uses the cakewalk rhythm. The second section is 'march-like' with counterpoint and syncopation. The third section stresses the Scotch snap, often appearing in early plantation music. If one hears only the first section one would say it is a cakewalk, if hearing the second section one would say it is a march.

Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home: - 1900 - Hugie Cannon.

Is there anyone who does not recognize this song. It is still being played by the many existing Dixieland Jazz Bands and is considered a standard in the repertoire of most dance band musicians. It has been recorded numerous times with many famous vocalist singing it. Much of the music of the turn of the century are not remembered or recognized but are important in the evolution of popular and jazz music in the world. One may not be as familiar of the verse of the song but it is played in its original publication of 1900 and is fitting to end our program of music of the turn of the 20^th century.

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