Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1998. Vol. 2. Eger Journal of English Studies.(Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 26)
Studies - Jan Smaczny: The stuff of life' - aspects of folksong in the fabric of art music in the British Isles
4 Of a slightly different order were the publications of Thomas Moore (1779-1852) which provide a fascinating test case in the fixing and propagating the image of Ireland, at that stage still part of the British Isles. Moore's Irish Melodies were first published in 1808. The full title of the publication, as it appears elaborately engraved on the frontispiece, indicates the particular division of labour in the preparation of the volume: 'A Selection/ of/ Irish Melodies,/ with Symphonies and / Accompaniments/ by/ Sir John Stevenson Mus. Doc./ and Characteristic Words by/ Thomas Moore Esqr... They comprised traditional Irish melodies (if texted, most of these would originally have been to Irish words) fitted by Moore to new texts, in the spirit of the originals, in English. These volumes had a spectacular publishing history being reprinted many times through the nineteenth century. The first American edition of the first volume was produced as early as 1808 (or early 1809). The last volume, with Sir Henry Bishop supplying the musical arrangements, was produced in 1834. Apart from English and American imprints, these volumes were widely available in Europe published by Augener and Novello. Even outside the British Isles, the effect of these songs was extensive where performers were concerned and quite decisive for certain composers. Undoubtedly, without the background of these Irish songs the work of America's greatest song writer of the nineteenth century, Stephen Collins Foster (1826-1864), would have been very different. Much in the manner of Moore's collection, Foster produced his own set of Irish Melodies , all of which show the influence of the earlier style in their simple accompaniments and harmonies, and the pentatonic outline of their melodies - the most famous and characteristic of which is the well known ballad, 'Jeanie with the light brown hair'. Beyond this first of Foster's volumes, the elements of style he adopted from his Irish models became a major feature of his later songs to the extent that his so-called 'Plantation Songs', 'Ethiopian Melodies' and 'Minstrel Songs' are as much if not more indebted to Irish features as to the music of the slaves and oppressed black population of the southern states of America. Written for a predominantly white society and white performers, including the Original Christy Minstrels and The Great Southern Sable Harmonists (all of whom were white singers 'blacked up' to seem like Negro minstrels), Foster's style remained a potent presence in American music. Even before the end of the century, his songs were, in Virgil Thomson's words: 'Part of 29
