Popularity of "Minstrel" Music in the South

[Hank Trent]

Re: Popularity of "Minstrel" Music in the South

Hank, I'm on my way out the door to work. I'll send you a link to the sheet music when I get a chance.

Thanks. Just to clarify, I can find the poison sheet music in an obviously old but undated form:

http://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/levy-cgi/display.cgi?id=017.126c.001;pages=1;range=1-1

(hope that link works)

But I'm curious when or why the lyrics changed. I expect that only the safer non-poison version (the one in the 1836 song book) existed in 1838, so we can assume that's what the slaves were singing.

If anyone can document the poison version being sung by real slaves in front of white people (not just on the minstrel stage), I'll be shocked.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com