Oh! Susanna was written by Stephen Foster and first published in 1848. Foster, who wrote and published over 200, was known as the father of American music. His other works included Camptown Races, Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair, Beautiful Dreamer, and My Old Kentucky Home. Oh! Susanna remains, to this day, one of his most well known works and indeed, was so popular at the time, that Firth, Pond and Company, a publishing firm, gave him a royalty of 2 cents per sheet sold, making him the first fully professional songwriter. The song was thought to be named after his deceased sister, Charlotte, whose middle name was Susannah. Blending different styles music, it seemed to fit every festive occasion at the time and that may be what has lead to its endurance as a song. Few of us today, leave elementary school behind without having sung the song in various music classes. It would be remiss, however, to not take note that certain lyrics have changed over the years because we no longer use certain phrases and words that would have been commonplace at the time. The song has been recorded numerous times over the years by various choral societies as well as groups like The Byrds. This has been your music history moment for the week! Check back soon for more fun facts as the semester continues. :)
Posted on: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 03:54:31 +0000
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