HILLINOIUNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

PRODUCTION NOTE

University of Illinois atUrbana-Champaign Library

Large-scale Digitization Project, 2007.

4-

Apri

atioto pGheesingat8:

fewin tsingBrowsongBrowanywi

lastof stheBlinand

on asultis bventharm

bornar pplaytrag

profandhe a

624,9April 7, 1961 Vol.

TERzRY, McGHEE MAKE CAMPUS SCENE

The Campus Folksong Club, in co-oper-ation with the University MCA, is proudto present Sonny Terry and Brownie Mc-Ghee, two of the finest folk and bluessingers in America, on Wed. April 26,at8:OCpm, in Latter Hall at the YMCA.

Folk blues is a field of music thatfew singers today include to any extentin their repertoires, and few singers cansing folk blues as do Sonny Terry andBrownie McGhee. Their "feel" for thesesongs, Sonny Terryts harmonica andBrownie McGhee's guitar, is unequaledanywhere,

Brownie and Sonny are two of thelast survivors of the magnificent tribeof strolling folk musicans that includedthe great Leadbelly, Blind Willie JohnsonBlind Boy Fuller, Blind Lemon Jefferson,and Big Bill Broonzy.

Sanders Terrell (Sdnny Terry) wasborn in Greensbor., Georgia, and raisedon a farm in North Carolina. As a re-sult of two childhood accidents, Sonnyis blind, but his blindness did not pre-vent him from becoming a self-taughtharmonica player and entertainer with themedicine shows.

Walter Brown (Brownie) McGhee wasborn in Knoxville, T&nnessee. His guit-ar playing was like Sonny's harmonicaplaying, indirectly brought about bytragedy. At the age of four Brownie wasstricken with poliomyelitis. His earlyprofessional career was spent in minstreland carnival shows and it was there thathe eventually met Sonny Terry. Their in-

(continued page 2, coln . 1)(1)

1 No. 1

AUTOHARP

We thought it would be a good ideato lead off our first issue with an ex-planation of our goals for Autoharp.Autoharp was originally conceived as aconvenient method of announcing eventsand such which would be of interest tothe members of the Campus Folksong Club.But, as you can see, the original ideahas grown quite a lot.

We decided that the newslettercould serve another function, that ofdistributing traditional material andcomments about traditional material toclub members.

Leading off our folio section aretwo traditional songs: words, music, andchords contributed by club members. Thesongs in this issue are rather wellknown, but we hope, in the future, topublish sfngs which are not easily ob-tainable elsewhere.

. Which leads to another point Ourown resources for searching out tradit-ional material are extremely limited,and we would appreciate any contributionswhich you could make to this department.If you have any songs which your grand-mother taught you, we would love to havethem. But don't feel left out if yourgrandmother couldn't sing. If you knowsome songs which you learned from rec-ords, or friends, or books, please send

them in*

Articles about folk singers willalso make up an important part of ourfolio section. In this issue you willfindan article about folk singers, and in-

(eontinved page 2, col.2)

IQJ

NIVE SITYe InoIS

*"v^

7 g4. 4Terry, McGhee cont... Au8

dividual talents seemed te mesh, andonly can be explained by, as Brownie

says and Sonny agrees, "We understandeach others time."

Sonny Terry has the unique abilityto take an instrument that is usuallynot considered suitable for the perform-ance of serious music, and to transformit into a natural and effective express-ion of his art. In his harmonica, thereis a variety of tonal quality that isincredible. When these sounds are com-bined with Brownie's natural guitar tal-ent and the poetic expression of hisvoice there is produced some unusual lis-tening which defies musical explanation*Together the team of Sonny Terry andBrownie McGhee has become folklore.

Tickets for the concert are $1.25,and may be purchased at the desk of theUniversity YMCA and will be available atthe door on a first come, first servebasis.

MAILING ADDRESS

Newspapers bloom with contributionslShare your favorite folksongs and folk-lore with us -- send all contributions to:

AUTOHAAPCampus Folksong Club322 Illini UnionUniversity of IllinoisUrbana, Illinois

WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK? HUH?

Constructive criticism of Autoharpis well taken. Send us your suggestionsfor improving Autoharp, and let us knowwhat you would or woud not like to seeincluded in it. This is your paper, solet us know what you wanti

AUTOHAVP is published semi-monthly by theCampus Folksong Club of the Universityof Illinois*

Staff:Donna BoatedoLinda CrumJosh Jankowiak

Larry KlingmanJerry GullivanDiane Wells

HELPI

Workers unitel Contrary to pop-ular belief, newsletters do not grow ontrees. They can be the fruits of hardlabor done by a few, or the pleasantriesof moderate labor done by many. Theservices for which you are needed extendfrom writing short articles and typingcopy to finding out the background mat-erial and authenticity of folksongs andfolklore.

Remember, Nature works besttiple and so does a newsletterldoes not necessarily condone Dr.policies)

in mul-(ThisKoch's

Join the Autoharp staff NOWI Con-tact Larry Klingman, Fl. 6-7355.

KNOW YOUR OFFICERS?

This semester's elected officersand appointed committee chairmen are asfollow:

President........... Dick Kanar

Vice President......John Schmidt

Treasurer...........Andy VonFoerster

Secretary...........Jackie Henry

Committee Chairmen

Concert........Joyce Leming

Folksing....... Vic Lukas

Newsletter.....Larry Elingman

Seminar...... .Al Gustafeson

Workshop...... .Bob Sine

Autoharp cont...

future issues, we hope to continue bring-ing you articles of this type. Here a-gain you can help us. If you are inter-ested in writing an article on folklore,folk music, or folk singers, we would bevery happy to receive your contributions.

Our folio section will be consecu-tively numbered and indexed once a yearto help you in collecting this material.

folio: 1

FOLKSONG ON CAMPUS

BY ARCHIE GREEN

Is there a proper setting for folksong on a university campus? Where can

a cowboy ballad be sung to approximate the camaraderie of a campfire? Is

there any way to clean up a salty foc'sle piece for a mixed audience? What

happens to biting topical commentary on the non-political stage? Is there any

value in twisting a rough and brutal blues into an entertaining bit of froth so

as to turn the image of a chain-gang into a children's summer camp?

These questions are not purely rhetorical. To wrench a ballad or blues out

of its culture context for concert presentation is, by definition, an act of

violence. Yet college audiences cannot invade, en masse, Appalachian mountain

hamlets, or Nova Scotian fishing villages to hear "pure" folksong. If traditional

folksong is to be heard on campus, other than via record and tape, it must be

heard by importing true folksingers, or by imparting to collegiate singers of

folksongs some respect for traditional material and styles.

These are three main arenas on a campus where folksong can be heard: 1) The

fraternity-sorority house where, at times, a sense of community develops that

re-creates the "singing gathering" of the frontier quilting bee or barn raising;

2) The formal concert, generally stylized and elegant, with kleig lights playing

on tenor's guitar or soprano's corsage; 3) The informal folksing, hootennany, or

wing ding by amateurs singing and performing for self-pleasure.

These three categories are not mutually exclusive, but each has a distinc-

tive flavor that sets it off from the others. Every participant or listener can

judge the extent to which a given form -- Greek letter house, concert, felksing --

cleaves to tradition.

folio: 2

FINNEGAN'S WAKE

Autoharp's deep appreciation goes to John Walsh for the following contribution.

This song is a product of the Dublin music halls of theMid-Victorian period. Songs of this rollicking nature were onceboth popular and plentiful in Ireland, but with the rise of theGaelic League and the conscious attempts to increase the nationalpride of the Irish, many of these songs dropped from circulation,being too "Handy Andy-ish" for the patriots.

The Finnegan of the song, who dies only to wake at thefirst touch of the magic elixir, is taken as Finn MacCool, theancient Celtic Warrior hero who personifies Ireland. (Hence,Finnegan=Finn again)

note: the chords for this song are C, F, and G , which canbe arranged in other ways besides the 0ne below.

,j -i i -l 1 F, ----- ! -', J

I•~~ ~~~~ ~ ~~ L " •"a di ,,- " ai t" [

vF

& GF C'W Ami,

i

L ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 1 16=q i •- I L I*'[ ,!.. -

4 E• •I i I' • . -l" dp d I r r• , i . .. "'. . "' . .. •[ d " 1 ', I . . F ! ' . . " . ..

.C F

c' J -

' ' -A ,- _-, L -' • ' ,''.^, It ..... .. L ....

i f . 11 i °n I i 11 l l ,IIL].l I

!•al" II I

I I I I I • I .iJ I _ . J J I , 1 II

It

A z4 __ . - zwI II • i A i • I I

folio: 3

FINNEGAN'S WAKE

Tim Finnegan lived in Watkins StreetA gentleman Irish mighty odd,He had a tongue both rich and sweet,An' to rise in the world he carried a hod;Now Tim had sort of a tipplin' wayWith the love of the liquor he was bornAn' to help him on with his work each dayHe'd a drop of the craythur every morn.

Chorus: Whak fol the dah, dance to your partnerWelt the floor your trotters shake.Wasn't it just as I told youLots of fun at Finnegan's wake?

One morning Tim was rather full,His head felt heavy which made him shake,He fell from the ladder and broke his skull,So they carried him home, his corpse to wake.They rolled him up in a nice clean sheet,And laid him out upon the bed,With a gallon of whiskey at his feet,And a barrel of porter at his head.

Chorus

His friends assembled at the wake,And Mrs. Finnegan called for lunch,First they brought in tay and cake,Then pipes, tobacco and whiskey punch.Miss Biddy O'Brien begun to cry,"Such a nice clean corpse did you ever see,Ah, Tim Avourneen, why did you die?""Ah, hold your gab", said Paddy McGee.

Chorus

Then Biddy O'Conner took up the job,"Biddy," says she, "You're wrong I'm sure,"But Biddy gave her a belt on the gobAnd left her lying on the floor;'Twas then the was did soon enrage;'Twas woman to woman and man to man;Shillelagh law was all the rageAnd a row and a ruction soon began.

Chorus

Then Mickey Maloney raised his headWhen a noggin of whiskey flew at him,It missed and falling on the bed,The liquor scattered over Tim;Bedad he revives, see how he rises,And Timothy rising from the bed,Says, "Whirl your liquor round like blazes,Thanam o'n dhoul, do ye think I'm dead?"

Chorus

folio: 4

THE GIEY GOOSE

Folklore has many ingredients. Perhaps the mostuniversal on is exaggeration. The Grey Goose, aNegro plantation creation shows a fine example ofthis ingredient.

Huddie Ledbetter (Leadbelly) does a fine renditionof this song whichis included in Leadbelly MemorialVolume III, Stinson tecords, SLPh48.

1. Last Sun-day morn-ing, lord,lord,lord2. dad-dy went a hunt-ing, lord, lord,lord Oh,my

dad-dy went a hunt-ing lord,lord,lord

3. He went hunting for the grey goose.He went hunting for the grey goose.

4. And he took along his shot gun,Yes, he took along his shot gun.

5. iAnd along came the grey goose,Yes, along came the grey goose.

6. Well it's up to his shoulder,And he pulled back the hammer.

7. A'd the gun went a-booloo,Oh, the gun went a-booloo.

8. He was six weeks a-fallin'He was six weeks a*fallin'

9. He was nine months a-cookin'He was nine monthsa-cookint.

10. Then they put him on the table,Yes, they put him on the table.

11. And the knife couldn't cut him,And the fork couldn't stick him.

12. And the saw couldntt cut him,He broke the saw's tooth out.

13. So they took him to the hogpen,And the hogs wouldn't eat him.

14. And the last time I see'd him,He was flying o'er the ocean.

15. With a long string of goslins,They was all going "Quink, Quank."

16. That's the story of the grey goose,That's the story of the grey goose.

MEMBEd$, WHAT IS YOUR MAILING ADDiESS?

In order to assure your receivingthe action packed forthcoming issues ofAutoharp, paid up members who haven'tdone so as yet, ahould contact JackieHenry at 71. 9-2771 and give her yourmailing address.

CLOSING IN ON NATURE

Due to the hospitalization of someof our members because of lung congestion,The Campus Folksong Club "wing dings"will no longer be held in smoke-filledrooms. Beginning in May the folksingswill be held in the fresh outdoors ofIllini Grove. Look for more informationin the next edition.

UPCOMING

SPECIALt Next edition of Autoharp --We are proud to bring to you the completewords and music for the Battleship Maine,as recently performed by the New Lostity Ramblers here on campus._ Also, Howo Ma4ke An Isreali Shepherd's Pipe --

and more* Don't Hiss It LI

Members, watch for your copy of the ne:..tedition of Autoharp in the mail.

TRADITION

Traditionally, when one is composinga first newsletter, there inevitably seemsto be more paper than news. Autoharp, inaccordance with its policy to presenttraditional material to you its readerendevors to keep this tradition.

-staff-