One of Four: Colonial Music

There is very clearly a shortage of American written colonial music but many music was taken from England and given significant new importance in the United States. These pieces came mainly from England, Scotland,Ireland,Africa, Germany,Italy, and France. These songs had many purposes for example : “Over The Hills and Far Away” was a theatre song, a recruiting song, a dancing song, and a military march. Instruments were widely used throughout all ages,classes, and genders of the colonists. Everyone owned a fiddle or a violin from Thomas Jefferson to his slaves and servants. Of course, this is the 18th century so musical options for women were not as open whatsoever. Wealthy women could have a harpsichord to play for their family while less fortunate women would have a guitar like instrument for pleasure strumming with their poor children.These instruments were invented during the Renaissance and of course brought over to the Americas. Operas that were performed in London and other areas in Europe were often taken and used in the colonists to reenact and to sing around campfires and other such things. Another widely used form of music was music sung in church. People sung Psalms and Hymns to known tunes to help with worship which was of course a huge part of the colonist’s lives. Lastly music was very important in a military sense. Musicians were hired to keep beats and keep morale up during parades and during the March to battle. Music was very important to the unity of families and also had many daily uses regardless of the fact that they had not started making original music yet.