Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-09-30
My Old Kentucky Home.

"ea vas Stepnen Collins Foster
Also one OF the most prolific, for he
penned between one and two hundred
lhis famous Pennsylvania Created "Mv
Oid Kentucky Home" while he and
MS sister were visiting in Kentucky
WIN Judge Rowan, who lived a short
distance east Of Bardstown.
Stephen and his sister went WALKING
on a certain soul-thrilling morning
Inc Negroes were at work in the corn
neios OF the old plantation and the sun
was shining gorgeously when the two
young people sat down upon a bench.
A knocking bird was merry-makinp
II tree while thrush sent OH, won.
derful notes from the bush that served
as his stage. A number of pick
aninnies were playing in and around
nearby shanty. With this as q
setting Foster began TO write the i'm
mortal words.
His sister read the first verse and
then sang it, The hooking bird SEEM
led to be enraptured for he drew his
head to one side and descended TO q
lower Dough of the tree. Did he
think himself outdone?
In the meantime Stephen had writ
ten the chorus. When the last sweet
note of his sisters voice had died
away, he followed with his compelling
deep bass.
The slaves put aside their tools and
listened TO the sentimental ditty. The
old black women peeped around a
corner of the house, and the children
stopped their playing. A dog gave
his attention. Even the leaves seemed
to cease their rustling The wonder
fui stiffness was not broken until the
brother and sister blended their voices
In singing, "They hunt no more for the
possum and the coon," and the entire
second and third stanzas.
AS the pair finished the song, the
cheeks of the black faces became wet
with tears. The children acted as if a
spell had been cast upon them. The
knocking bird and the thrush vanished
into the thicket. The old dog lay
down to bask in the sum-
Though this story of the origin of
MY Old Kentucky Home" has been
told at various times, il seems too
good to be true. At least, songs are
not written in that fashion in this day
and age Of the world. A modern poet
revises and polishes his work; if he
wishes to make a song out of it and is
musician himself, he then huns the
words over and over until he gets a
melody. Sometimes a writer-compos-
er will work the other way around,
from the music to the words; but
Foster liked to do the lyric first. 1t is
entirely possible, however, that he may
have written the air of "My Old Ken
lucky Home" before he penned the
words; he may have discussed the
whole matter with his sister, for other
wise she could scarcely break out ir
full song as the words were set down.
On the day that John Adams a1d
Thomas Jefferson died Stephen Collins
Foster was born at Pittsburg. This
remarkable day was the Fourth of
July, 1926, just half a century after
the Declaration Of independence.
The boy quickly qualified as a
musician; in fact he attained this goal
almost before he graduated from tie
cradle. He required no teacher, for
at the age of seven he mastered the
fageolet himself. Soon every instru-
ment yielded its sweetness to him.
Stephen differed from his mates. Run
ming and jumping did not appeal to him
half as much as composing songs with
the words and music complete. With
his boyhood largely spent in this
fashion, his success as a song writer
did not surprise those PERSONS who
really knew Stephen Collins Foster.
His first published song, "Open Thy
Lattice, Love-" appeared in 1912 when
he was bookkeeper for his brother
in Cincinnati. He followed this up a
few months later with 90, Susanna"
which a minstrel troupe featured. AS
these productions became popular al
most overnight, he quit his job and
turned his attention toward the field
of endeavor that was his true hearts
love.
Foster also studied French and
painting. Once he attempted to illus
trate pathetic song-but never
again! He handed his sketch and the
manuscript to his publisher who gave
it glance and commented, ooh, an
other com;c como M EoeterD The CEN