Word: songfulness
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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...issue of TIME, May 24, contains a review of Charles Eugene Claghorn's The Mocking Bird in which credit for writing the song, Listen to the Mocking Bird, is given to the late Septimus Winner. The review does go on to state that "Sep" got the idea for his most famous song from "Whistling Dick," a Negro beggar who used to strum his guitar and whistle like a bird...
...least the title of Listen to the Mocking Bird. Winner only set down the melody and arranged it after it had been played and whistled and sung over to him by Milburn. Winner may have furnished most or all of the words as published, but the life of the song springs from the melody...
Before the song was ever published Milburn used to play and whistle it at church concerts and other occasions. There is a record of his having done so at St. Thomas' Church, the colored Episcopal church in Philadelphia. But the incontrovertible proof of Milburn's part in the making of the song is shown by its title page as originally published by Winner and Shuster, under the copyright date of 1855, which reads: "Sentimental Ethiopian Ballad-Listen To The Mocking Bird-Melody by Richard Milburn...
Author Hendrick was no petty popularizer, rushing into print to meet a political opportunity or beat the Liberty Bell. Neither New Dealers nor Republicans could make resounding political copy of his book, but New Dealers are sure to like it better. The burden of Mr. Hendrick's epic song is: Fear not. The Constitution has survived much worse storms than this one, is not really so much a bulwark as a life-raft-"a living and fluid instrument, built not for an age, but for all time, responsive to the needs of a changing world." He reminds gloomy headshakers...
...order to preserve a record of the singing of "Fair Harvard" by the Tercentenary Chorus, accompanied by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which was the concluding item in the Tercentenary Celebration on September 18, the song has been specially recorded by RCA and is now on general sale...