Sail Away: 155 American Folk Songs to Sing, Read and Play [Paperback]

This is a must have for any music educator. The sources are excellent and the presentation makes using the book easy and enjoyable. The songs contained in this collectionn can probably be found elsewhere but the ease with which they can be accessed is unparelled They are presented using useful pedagogical presentation methods. Also the songs themselves are true musical gems. This is really an excellent sequel to 150 american folk songs. Enjoy, so will your students!

The songs in this book have been selected as examples from the most significant groups of traditional singers in the United States; examples that have clear form, appropriate texts and usabiity in school music programs, particularly those which teach music reading and writing through vocal experience.

Many fine collections of American tunes and game songs are already available in print and on records. This book is different in that the songs are presented in a musical order by tone-set, scale and range. It is a sequel to the 1974 pubication from Boosey & Hawkes, 150 American Folk Songs to Sing, Read and Play.

The cultural sources of the songs are widely varied, offering a special opportunity for mutual sharing and understanding of differences.

Since English is our "lingua franca" the book contains a majority of Anglo-American songs. They carry the energy, humor, poetry and pathos of a common history.

The Native American heritage, oldest and closest to the land itself, is exemplified by a few songs. This music suffers greatly if torn from its organic connection with a way of life. Most teachers will need careful preparation to do justice to it.

Bi-lingual education is expanding, with Spanish, the second largest language. The book contains a few songs from Hispanic traditions to open the door to cross-cultural sharing. If possible these songs should be sung in Spanish only.

The Afro-American singing tradition, great in all ways, is especially rich in group expression, and therefore is well represented in this collection which is designed for group use.

It has not been possible to include a song-by-song list of sources. However, a glance at the selected bibliography and discography will suggest a small part of the vast work done in the twentieth century to collect and preserve our song heritage. Among the important agencies in this work are: The Archive of Folk Song of the Folklife Center, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; The Archive of Folk Song of the Folklife Center, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; Folkways Recording and Service Corporation, now owned by the Smithsonian Institution; dozens of independent record companies with excellent catalogs; scholars and musicians in departments of scores of universities, and state and local historical societies and libraries.

As Pete Seeger said in his autobiography:

"Our songs are like you and me, the product
of a long, long human chain, and even the
strangest ones are distantly related to each
other, as are we all. Each of us can be proud
to be a lnk in this chain. Let's be sure there
are more links to come."

The book arrived within a week in perfect condition, no marks or signs of wear.

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