April Follies: A Song History

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"April Follies" is a mountain dulcimer piece credited to Ellen S. Pratt, whose name appears beneath the title on a sample page shown with the DulcimerDownloads listing for her Ensemble Arrangements For The Mountain Dulcimer, Volume 5.[1] That book, published by Ellen Pratt, gives it three dulcimer parts in DAD tuning and a fourth part for baritone dulcimer tuned ADA, and its contents page marks the piece in 4/4 time.[1] On her own website, Pratt presents the volume as a blend of original and traditional material, set in several parts and pitched at dulcimer players of any skill.[2] Her DulcimerDownloads biography says she began composing for the dulcimer around 2004 and took up ensemble writing after joining a dulcimer orchestra in northeastern Connecticut.[3] The sources consulted here say nothing about what inspired the tune or whether it has been recorded.[1][2][3]

Wood engraving of men and women hurrying along a city street in wind and rain, umbrellas and skirts blowing

Winslow Homer, April Showers, wood engraving, 1859. Shown for its title; it has no connection to the tune.

Our book that contains the song "April Follies"

Sources

  1. Ellen Pratt: "Ensemble Arrangements For The Mountain Dulcimer, Volume 5".
  2. Ellen S. Pratt: "Ensemble Arrangements for Mountain Dulcimer Volume 5".
  3. DulcimerDownloads: "Ellen Pratt".
  4. Image: Winslow Homer, April Showers, wood engraving, 1859. The Cleveland Museum of Art.

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