America! My Home-Land
| "America! My Home-Land" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Language | English |
| Published | 1917 |
| Songwriter(s) | Henry Treleaven |
| Composer(s) | Richard Blaine |
"America! My Home-Land" is a World War I song written by Henry Treleaven and composed by Richard Blaine.[1] This song was published in 1917 by Boosey & Co. in New York, NY.[2]
The sheet music can be found at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library;[3] digitized copies are available from the Newberry Library[4] and from the Library of Congress[5]
Context
[edit]The surge of patriotism that accompanied World War I produced at least five songs with the title "America, My Homeland" (with varying punctuation). Two left no mark: Rosa Braun's song was copyrighted (on May 10, 1916) only in manuscript, and Ruth E. DeBoer's text was set and published (in July 1919) by Leo Friedman, a known song-shark. The other three appeared in close proximity: a song with words and music by Harry C. Eldridge and issued by his own firm, Eldridge Entertainment House in Franklin, OH (copyrighted September 20, 1917), a self-publication by Laura Walker Colgrove (copyrighted December 18, 1917), and the song by Treleaven and Blaine (also copyrighted December 18, 1917).[6]
History
[edit]Colgrove's song had negligible impact, but Eldridge promoted his title extensively and with considerable success. Eldridge advertised primarily in education journals; his song was relatively simple and could be successfully learned by young singers.[7] Blaine's song was much more complex, approaching the status of an art song; it was issued in three keys and subsequently arranged by an illustrious organist, Sumner Salter, for four-part male chorus (copyrighted April 13, 1918) and for two-part female voices (copyrighted May 29, 1918).[8] Eldridge's song was performed regionally as early as November 1917, but the Blaine-Treleaven publication was not promoted until early 1918.[9] The latter was given additional impetus by the publication of Salter's arrangements later that year and was probably more widely heard in Salter's versions than as a solo song.[10] After the armistice it persisted as an occasional piece sung on patriotic occasions; its last known performance was in 1927.[11] Copyright on the solo song was allowed to expire, but Sumner Salter renewed the copyright for his two arrangements on December 18, 1945.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ Vogel, Frederick G. (1995). World War I Songs: A History and Dictionary of Popular American Patriotic Tunes, with Over 300 Complete Lyrics. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 151. ISBN 0-89950-952-5. OCLC 32241433.
- ^ Parker, Bernard S. (2007). World War I Sheet Music 1. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 30. ISBN 978-0-7864-2798-7. OCLC 71790113.
- ^ Blaine, Richard, and Henry Treleaven. 1917. America! My home-land. New York: Boosey & Co.OCLC 192134039
- ^ Blaine, Richard, and Henry Treleaven. 1917. America! My Home Land. New York: Boosey & Co.; for low voice (in F). Newberry Library
- ^ Blaine, Richard, and Henry Treleaven. 1918. America! My homeland. New York: Boosey & Co.; arranged for four-part male voices by Sumner Salter. Library of Congress
- ^ Catalog of Copyright Entries ... Musical Compositions (Washington: Government Printing Office), 1916, 1917, 1919.
- ^ See, for example, the Music Supervisors' Journal 4:3 (January 1918), p. 15.
- ^ Catalog of Copyright Entries ... Musical Compositions (Washington: Government Printing Office), 1918.
- ^ “Exercises Are Held by Cathedral School,” Natchez Democrat, November 29, 1917, p. 5; “New Compositions Issued,” Indianapolis Star, January 27, 1918, p. 12.
- ^ “Clifton Holds Fine Service,” Daily Sentinel [Grand Junction, CO], July 18, 1918, p. 2; “Friday Morning Musicale Has Patriotic Program,” Tampa Tribune, November 9, 1918, p. 8.
- ^ “Decoration Day Program,” Cherryvale [KS] Republican, May 3, 1927, p. 6.
- ^ Catalog of Copyright Entries ... Musical Compositions (Washington: Government Printing Office), 1945.
Bibliography
[edit]- Parker, Bernard S. World War I Sheet Music 1. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2007. ISBN 978-0-7864-2798-7. OCLC 71790113
- Vogel, Frederick G. World War I Songs: A History and Dictionary of Popular American Patriotic Tunes, with Over 300 Complete Lyrics. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1995. ISBN 0-89950-952-5. OCLC 32241433