The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-08-28
How ''Tenting on the Old
Camp Ground Was Written

You see" said Mr.. Kittredge. Il show
their JOY. II is all there. All my words
are simple, but the feeling IS there"
Standing IN the barn. with the high
haymoWs on either side red and yellow
corn In ears hanging from the beams.
and the moist muzzle of a dozen young
cattle appearing through an opening in
p Partition, shifting In curiosity. the au-
thir Of this pastoral piaI read from his
Enthusiasm lighted his eyes when ne
read. At last he pushed his cap back on
hir forehead as he closed the book and
.'That could be played: could present
it alone and take all the Characters It
could be sung, too
= still get d royalty from 'Tenting. 1t
isn't great out Ii IS something every
year. Tee song keeps right on selling
suppose. feel all 1 write and that IS
what counts. [ never fail to move people
hearts with 'Tenting- I've sung 1t nun
dreds Of times when nobody else on the
programme was enecred. and the audience
always cheered me. Some Of the other
singers were fine artists, edpcated, with
i brought the whole audience TO its
Il played the violin said Mr.. Kilt
, redge. and the piece came 20 ne Whlle
playing. iii get the old fiddle and snow
( II &C you"
He went into the house and reappcared
shortly with a rusty old violin
4 don't play it now" he said. but II
was on this violin 'TeUting was COM
posed. 1 was musical from my youth. and
50 was my sister Sophia-theTe were
eleven in the family. We had no teacher.
lat taught ourselves Ts sIllsI De-, w ~
seed onion. The first musical lnstruneut
We owned was a seraDhine. my rather
buying it at Concord. giving the price Oh
a horse for it.
Music and writing verses came natural
/ tonne and when 1 was y 1 started CIV
| ing concerts. with songs and readings OF
my own composition, going around the
country with melodeon.
Sometimes played and sang in
| squares AID on street corners, other
times in halls and once In a while in a
| church. ] had one strong piece Tor
! churches a temperance Lecture in blank
verse of my own composition. " hen the
war broke out was = years old. ard
married. Patriotic pieces. Of course were
1 in great demand. ! had been associated
/ With Joshua Hutchinson since lS57 in Civ
intr concerts and ] continued TO sing with
him and other members OF that celebrated
/ family of singers. I also composed for
I tfem q number of pieces.
I I'm 1853 I was sick with rheumatic
! fever and when / was recovering ] heard
I had been drafted to 60 10 the war II
WAS then I wrote 'Tentng-
AT this very. window, said ar Nit
/ Tedce standing before one Of the win
Q
/ hard Il composed 'TeEting' on the night
/ | thought / was going to the war My
/ wife and child were in the other room
/ there and I was here alone. playing my
l viclin. / suppose it was the suddenness
/ Of parting with my family ana starting
for the war that made the piece form II
/ self in my mind as ! played refnemoeI
/ I stood BIZ the window the words came
| tn me and I thought 7 could see ali that
Is IN the song. the soldiers. the weeping
sswen. next day went to Concord 70
not accept me. sYeit car do more good a
home with your singing. Waiter, they
salt
after that composed the music 10
| 9Tenting and began singing IL 0ffered
10 sell the song TO a publisher Tor 80.
but he refused 81. Taught X 70 the
/ Hutchinson family. and they sang a.,
I bringing tears u the eyes OF their auoi-
/ erces. But il seemed I could sing il with
mere feeling than anybody else and is
success wherever I SANG It was very
great. one music publisher IN Boston
Rtred q song writer to write a song tfat
would help him fiji his orders Tor ie Ilt-
| Ing and they used nv title but the song
| was A failure The man who refused my
song finally published IL. and has SOLD
mere than 100 600 copies Of IT.
The old man laid down the mute violin
o7sened the Diano-ffs daughter sand
seating himself struck few notes The
| kegs were not responsive to the touch OF
his gnarled old fingers. misshapen from
Rheumatism and toll. and after singing
rose. stood beside the piano aud finished
the song in free. full voice and with
Touching effect his gray head barred his
face animated. and his figure taking on a