New York”™s 2009 quadricentennial celebration inspired native New Yorker Jerry Silverman to compile a songbook reflecting the state”™s history from the time Henry Hudson first sailed up the river that now bears his name to 20th century hits from George M. Cohan and Pete Seeger.
“Because the Dutch were Calvinists, singing was something they avoided,” Silverman said. “They focused on the mercantile market rather than singing and dancing, which was considered sinful. All they left us were religious hymns and lullabies that have nothing to do with New Amsterdam.”
To fill the gap, Nanna Kalma in the Netherlands worked with Silverman to recreate three songs from old New Amsterdam”™s sailing fleets that might have been sung by Dutch sailors as they entered New York harbor.
Others who came after the conservative Dutch were more boisterous and musically inclined: a treasure trove of British and European songs spanning New York”™s decades of history is included in Silverman”™s musical offering titled “New York Sings.” Â
“One song that encouraged Europeans to move to America,” said Silverman, “is particularly ironic in that part of the desire to come here was to escape taxation. Well, taxation eventually came to the Colonies, and therein lies the reason for our American Revolution!”
From the first immigrants to arrive, to those who fought in the nation”™s wars (both American Revolution and Civil War songs are part of the lineup), new Americans tinkered on ivories in Tin Pan Alley or toiled in New York”™s sweatshops and all have a voice in Silverman”™s fascinating compilation. From the silly (“The Bowery”) to the sorrow of war (“As I Went Down to Port Jervis”) to the shabby welcome immigrants received after being processed through Ellis Island (“Irish Need Not Apply”), Silverman provides in lyric and song the state”™s history in rich and unusual detail.
He started compiling songbooks nearly 50 years ago when he found a booklet included in a Pete Seeger recording. Using the brochure from the LP ”“ that”™s long-playing vinyl records, folks ”“ he turned the 16-page brochure into a book.
He hasn”™t stopped, focusing on songs saved from the Holocaust, old songs from the days of troubadours, and on Native American and other folk songs that are slowly disappearing from America”™s musical anthology.
When talk about the 400th celebration started circulating, it also got Silverman”™s musical brain cells working on what he hopes will become part of New York”™s statewide celebration ”“ and perhaps a real piece of New York”™s permanent collection of historic data. Silverman, who worked with famous folk legends Oscar Brand, Pete Seeger and others is a walking history book when it comes to the rise of folk during the ”™50s and ”™60s.
The push now is to incorporate elements of “New York Sings” into this year”™s various quadricentennial celebrations.
One event for your calendar, scheduled at Phillipsburg Manor in Tarrytown on Sunday, June 7, is the village”™s daylong celebration of the quadricentennial, where Silverman will appear and sing some of the songs from his book.Â
“And hopefully,” added Silverman optimistically, “this work will be embraced statewide. It really is a musical history of New York that”™s unique, fun and interesting, a real history lesson of our state woven together through music and song.”
For a sample of Silverman”™s work, visit www.jerrysilverman.org.
