Homestead On The Farm: A Song History

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"Homestead On The Farm," as the Carter Family titled it, is a version of "I Wonder How the Old Folks Are at Home," a popular song published in 1909.[1][2] A copy of the sheet music in York University's John Arpin collection gives the words to Herbert S. Lambert and the music to Harry J. Lincoln, names Vandersloot Music Publishing of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, as publisher, and shows an elderly couple by a fireplace on the cover.[2] Mississippi State University's copy of the 1909 edition credits the music to F. W. Vandersloot instead.[3] The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR), citing Meade, offers an explanation: "Harry J. Lincoln composed the original music under the pseudonym F. W. Vandersloot."[1] Before the Carters took it up, baritone Oscar Seagle recorded it for Columbia in New York on June 26, 1922, and the Fireside Quartet cut it with orchestra for Brunswick in January 1925.[4][5]

Hand-colored print of a white farmhouse with a wagon, cows and a river

Currier & Ives, American Homestead, Summer, hand-colored lithograph, 1869. An American farmhouse from the song's century, shown for its title.

The Carter Family recorded the song for Victor in Atlanta on November 22, 1929, with Maybelle Carter singing soprano and playing guitar, Sara Carter singing alto and playing autoharp, and A. P. Carter on bass vocal.[1] Giving the disc label as its source, DAHR credits Lincoln as composer and Lambert as lyricist, with A. P. Carter as arranger.[1] Victor issued it on V-40207, with the Carters' "The Cyclone of Ryecove" on the other side.[6] The same take also came out on Montgomery Ward M-7023, on Regal Zonophone EE-240 in Australia and on Zonophone 4286 in South Africa.[1]

Elwood Donnelly includes it in Such Singing You Will Hear: 35 Songs Of The Carter Family, his self-published 92-page collection of instructions and notes covering mountain dulcimer, accompaniment and singing, with every song listed in DAD tuning.[7]

Our book that contains the song "Homestead On The Farm"

Sources

  1. Discography of American Historical Recordings: "Victor matrix BVE-56566. The homestead on the farm / Carter Family".
  2. York University, Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections, John Arpin Sheet Music Collection: "I wonder how the old folks are at home".
  3. Mississippi State University Libraries, Charles H. Templeton, Sr. Sheet Music Collection: "I Wonder How The Old Folks Are At Home".
  4. Discography of American Historical Recordings: "Columbia matrix 80421. I wonder how the old folks are at home / Oscar Seagle".
  5. Discography of American Historical Recordings: "Brunswick matrix 14584-14587. I wonder how the old folks are at home / Fireside Quartet".
  6. Discography of American Historical Recordings: "Victor V-40207".
  7. Elwood Donnelly: "Such Singing You Will Hear: 35 Songs Of The Carter Family".
  8. Image: Currier & Ives, American Homestead, Summer, hand-colored lithograph, 1869. The Cleveland Museum of Art.

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