Keeping History Alive: Historical Music

I am in love with historical music. There is a simplicity and beauty that music today does not have. Listening to period music is like a momentary transformation back in time. Cd's are great but I did not know how enjoyable live music could be until I attended a few reenactments where they had live bands and concerts. Previous to that, I had only been to rock concerts and choral concerts. They do not encompass the beauty of a group of friends playing for their own joy as well as the joy of the people watching.

 One of the best performers of period music I have seen is Kent Courtney. He truly has a presence on stage and a mastery of music that comes through on his Cd's. I admit that I listen to these over and over and over again. The great part about Kent is that he performs a lot and locally. If you ever get to see him perform, he will play a lot of songs suggested by the audience which is fun because you can hear a live version of some of your favorite songs. He was also one of the actors in the History Channel program: Stealing Lincoln's Body. How neat is that?
        I am very thankful that some people still take the time to record this kind of music and perform it. It really is for the love of it because, like many arts, music doesn't pay too well.



Another great musician is David Kincaid. He is one of the best Civil-War-Era-Irish musicians there is (what a niche!) His two Irish Cd's are amazing. These are two more Cd's that I listen to constantly and they never get old. These have really stood the test of time--I've been listening to these constantly since I was High School! The musicians that play with Kincaid are amazing and his voice is just perfect for the time period being portrayed.
      Where have you heard his music before? In the movie God's and Generals. What a talented group!

Pictures are used here without permission. They belong to their respective domains Living History Music and Haunted Field Music. If there is a problem, please contact me and I will remove them promptly.

5 Champion Lady Sprinters

        Does society ever change? When looking at the past we tend to see what we want to see, which is normally "a simpler time" or a more moral one. Many people forget to keep in mind that society is still very much the same as it has been for hundreds of years.
        This advertisement from 1892 was published in the Boston Globe. It advertises " 5 Champion Sprinters" which at first seems innocent enough. I admit that I was naive enough to think to myself "How cute, where did the days go when  men would pay money just to watch athletic women run a race?" A split second went by before I realized exactly the type of men were paying for this kind of "entertainment."
        On a closer examination I realized how blunt the advertisement really was. This race featured "Beautiful Ladies" and "Charming Ladies," who appear to be running in their unmentionables. I didn't realize that the "race" was taking place at the "Wonderland and Pleasant Street Musee and Theater." From the picture you can also see what appears to be two men, throwing money onto the stage.
        I admit that I am almost ashamed for posting this. It goes flat against what I want to believe happened in "the good ol' days." A lot of this history is swept under the rug. The fact that "this sort of woman" in the 1890s is wearing more than the average teenager wears today, is another post entirely.
        We should acknowledge the good and the bad in all time periods. I think it is healthy to admire the more moral aspects of the past. We should seek to replicate these. At the same time we need to recognize that the unmoral always exists, sometimes society is more accepting and blunt about it in some decades and secretive about it in others.    

All Dressed Up, No Place to Go

            All day at school on Friday, I couldn’t wait to get home to go on our trip to the Cedar Creek Reenactment. During class I was mentally checking off my list of packed items. Did I have enough apples? Did I pack my hoop? Pack the brown sugar? Pack my spare socks? I was so excited and despite the freezing temperature and unforgiving, pounding rain, I still wanted to go.

            We had the tent and everything packed in the car except my stuff which was packed and waiting by the door. I get home from school and I call Andy (my other half) to discuss what kind of German Chocolate we would be making for everyone since it would be so cold. He tells me that everyone we were going with had decided not to go! I was heartbroken. The weather had ruined it. Andy and I considered just going by ourselves but the weather was very bad and we didn’t feel safe just driving the 4 hour drive by ourselves.

            That magic moment, I was talking about in my last post, was extended into this moment. I felt the sadness and disappointment that our foremothers inevitably felt when dressed for a ball, they waited at the front door excitedly, only to have their mother come up to them and say “Prudence, darling, there will be no Ball tonight. There is an ice storm. It would be so hazardous to attempt it. Come sit by the fire, we’ll read Longfellow.”

            I feel like a party is going on and I can’t be a part of it. I would be slightly less disappointed if the event was canceled.

1863 Dancing Tips

The Cedar Creek Civil War Reenactment is upon us, and as all the men know, that means a battle and an early morning tactical and as all the ladies know it means a Ball.

At reenactments, men frequently discuss a "moment" that they experience on the battlefield, where they simultaneously embody the feelings and emotions of a Civil War soldier. They feel that the moment is real life.

Preparing for a Ball is the time that ladies feel their own "moment." We get lost in the excitement and the clothing. We giggle like schoolgirls, and fix each others' hair and wonder if that special someone will ask us to dance. The moment lasts all the way until we are being walked "home" by our cavalier. It is almost a parallel of emotions that we share with our foremothers, it is truly magical. 

For the occasion, I have included tips from a period instruction book on dancing, by Thomas Hillgrove, dancing master. I have linked to a later copy of Thomas Hillgrove's book; however, the two printings are virtually the same.

 Tips of Dancing from: Hillgroves Call Book and Dancing (1863)

For the Gentlemen:

           -    Never forget that ladies are to be the first cared for, to have the best seats, the places of distinction, and are entitled in all cases to your courteous protection (22.)

           -    In ascending a staircase with ladies, go at their side or before them (22.)

           -    Do not cross a room in an anxious manner, or force your way to a lady to merely receive a bow, as by so doing you attract the attention of the company to her. If you are desirous of being noticed by any particular persons, put yourself in their way as if by accident, and so not let it be seen that you have sought them out; unless, indeed, there be something very important to communicate (22.)

           -   A gentleman should not address a lady unless he has been properly introduced. It is improper also for two gentlemen to dance together when ladies are present (24.)

For the Ladies:

-         If you have in any manner given offence, do not hesitate to apologize. A gentleman on accidentally touching you, or passing before you, will ask pardon for the inconvenience he causes (22.)

-         While dancing, a lady should consider herself engaged to her partner, and therefore not at liberty to hold a flirtation, between the figures, with another gentleman; and should recollect that it is the gentleman’s part to lead her, and hers to follow his directions (23.)

-         At a private ball or party, a lady should not manifest preference for a particular partner, but should dance with any gentleman who properly asks her company (23.)

-         At a public ball, if a gentleman, without a proper introduction, asks a lady to dance, she should positively refuse (23.)

-         On no account should a lady parade a ball-room alone, nor should she enter it unaccompanied (23.)

For Both:

-         Never repeat in one company any scandal or personal history you have heard in another. Give your own opinion, if you please; but do not repeat the opinions of others (22.)

-         Anxiety to accommodate and to make all happy, is a distinguishing mark of a gentleman or lady (22.)

-         When meeting friends in public, you salute them the first time and not every time of passing (22.)

-         In company it is not required to defend friends, unless the conversation be personally addressed, and then any statement known to be wrong may be corrected (21.)

-         An introduction in the ball-room for the purpose of dancing, does not entitle you to afterwards claim acquaintance with a partner. All intimacy should end with the dance. It is proper, however, for the lady to recognize the gentleman, if such be her wish; he, of course, not failing to return the salutation (24.)

Dip Pens and Period Inks

         I love using dip pens. It is very calming to watch ink flow from the pen onto the paper.  Contrary to popular opinion, you don't  have to dip your pen in ink after every word, or even in after every sentence. Dipping the pen is hardly an inconvenience at all. It is so enjoyable I wonder why it went out of fashion--that is until I shake a large splotch of ink onto my paper and then smear my hand it in.
         Believe it or not, my other half used to use a dip pen throughout his high school career and  reports only having one very  bad spill in the classroom.  I was not so brave and used a cartridge calligraphy pen in class and a dip pen at home for drawing. I've had very few serious accidents with ink myself.

       Nothing beats the look and feel of pen delivered ink on paper.  It leaves a very crisp line that is slightly raised to the touch.  The inks vary in color but you can always produce some really beautiful effects and drawings with whatever ink you have. Just remember to clean your pens after each use ( I should take my own advice.)

An Ink Receipt From The New Family Receipt Book (1811):

 To Make Excellent Ink.

            “Take a pound of the best Aleppo galls, half a pound of copperas, a quarter of a pound of gum-arabic, and a quarter of a pound of white sugar-candy. Bruise the galls, and beat the other ingredients fine; and infuse them all in three quarts of white wine, or rain-water. Let this mixture stand hot by the fire three or four days; and then put it on a slow fire so as to boil. Stir it frequently, and let it stand five or six hours, till one quarter of it be evaporated. When cold, strain it through a clean coarse piece of linen; bottle and keep it for use.

            The communicator of this good old receipt is convinced that much pains have been taken to ascertain the due proportions of the galls and copperas: for he has found that, on diminishing or increasing their relative quantities as above, the ink has always been pale; but this defect will sometimes happen if the materials be not of the best kind The quality of the paper written on will also make a difference in the colour of the ink.

            The grand secret in preparing this ink, which will never change its colour, if properly attended to, though kept never so long, consists in the keeping free from that mouldiness, which in hot weather particularly, is apt to form upon the surface. The best way, is to put it into a large, glass bottle with ground stopper and to shake it frequently.”

As some of these chemicals are hard to come by today, I've found some receipts that utilize the same chemistry as the original ink. These are quality inks and seasonally appropriate as they require walnuts as their source of tannic acid instead of  Aleppo gulls. If you like the slightly brown ink of antique documents, you will like the walnut ink.

• For a look into the chemistry of this type of ink click here. 
• A Receipt using  black  walnuts : How to Make Black Walnut Ink 
•  A Good Site for a Receipt for dry ink click here: A Stitch In Time At Home
• A recipe using beets How to make Beet Ink.