In addition to the Music Together original tunes in the song collections, the curriculum includes carefully chosen folk music from around the world. Folk music is passed down through generations and holds history and culture within it. It retells the stories of experiences, beliefs, and social norms of the community. The tunes and lyrics often evolve, and finding a song's many paths over time can be an interesting puzzle. By keeping traditional tunes alive and experiencing the sounds, styles, instruments, and tonalities, we deepen our understanding of music, retain connections to the past, and grow our appreciation of different cultures.
One traditional tune in the Fiddle Collection, Shady Grove,
is an Appalachian folk song in Dorian mode, believed to originate in Kentucky, and first published in 1915. It is thought to derive from a Scottish song called “Matty Groves” which dates back to the 17th century or earlier.
Listen to this beautiful version of Mattie Groves, with traditional instrumentation and harmonies by Alela Diane and Alina Hardin.
Shady Grove was popularized primarily by bluegrass/roots musician Doc Watson
after presumably learning it from Jean Ritchie who plays it here on a mountain dulcimer, on a tv show with host Pete Seeger.
Shady Grove has been played and recorded by tons of well-known musicians and beginner instrumentalists alike. Check out my Spotify playlist
for some favorite and iconic recordings, from roots musician and expert Bruce Molsky (who I was honored to meet and share a meal with at a Folk International Conference) to a lovely rendition on cello by Takenbo, to Jerry Garcia and David Grisman and several more.
The Dillards performed it on an episode of The Andy Griffith Show.
If you can play a bit of guitar, check out this tutorial to learn how to play Shady Grove here.
Music Together’s arrangement slows it down a bit with some new lyrics to use as a lullaby, and we will also sing it while playing D and A resonator bells in class.
Looking forward to singing and playing it with you this fall.
Hear more about the Fiddle Song collection from the teachers on this page.
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