I hope you didn’t notice (but I now confess) that I was uninspired last week on Music Monday. Sure, I love Raphael Saadiq, sure that’s a great song. I have thought of retiring this particular weekly stint until the spirit moves me again.
Tonight I asked my little one (not so little, as about 3 weeks ago, she became taller than me) “What song should I post on my blog?” and she answered “the music from that show [Ken Burns’ series The Civil War],” which she watched a portion of with Hubby earlier tonight. She’s been reading Across Five Aprils and did an extra project on the battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg) for school this week.
I don’t play an instrument (7 years of piano, all for naught), but if I could, I imagine it would be most pleasant to play this on the violin.
The deep, satisfying double stops; the familiar and homey nature of the tune; the way the rising melody hits a minor note before its descent and resolve; it is all so poignant and sweet.
I was going to post a version without images because war is too much to look at sometimes, but the one from the soundtrack* without images gets cut off before the end. I figure you all don’t listen all the way through anyway….you’ve got your iTunes and your iPod and your fancies. Me too. Just in case it is new to you, here:
*UPDATE, August 23, 2012: the version from the soundtrack to Ken Burns’ documentary was pulled and I just found out, so I’m posting another version. Visuals are terrible, but I didn’t care for the live video recording of Jay Unger and family. Ironic, isn’t it? Let’s see how long before they copyright and pull this one. It’ll probably take me a while to notice, if I ever do. Look, I know there’s some sort of doodad app to inform me if a video is pulled off of youtube. But I don’t have it set up. Crap.
twinklysparkles 
Great violin piece! I also DON’T play an instrument, but I love music. It sounds like you have studied music theory, though. I think I took a course . . . a hundred years ago. I also love history. The American Civil War evokes so many emotions. There are so many great stories surrounding this tragic period of of our history. I’m a liberal, white Yankee, who always associated more with the Confederacy. It should be pretty obvious that it’s not because I approved of slavery, or anything like that. It was such a complicated situation, very much like a divorce. I guess the South appealed more to the Libertarian side of me.
Hey, Uncle Rave, thanks for stopping by and for commenting.
I have not studied music theory. I am trying to learn what I can from friends and I sing Shape Note, that helps a little. I’m basically making everything up.
I am not sure how complicated it is to say that owning humans is wrong, forever and always and without exception. All of the damage that happens in a war, that is complicated and lasting. The tragedy is that so many Africans were made into slaves over centuries, all of the repercussions from that and that so many people profited from the slave trade. The United States has not yet healed, that is true.
I should like to watch Ken Burns’ documentary. I’ve never seen it. I don’t remember much from HS either, didn’t study history in college, only incidentally as an English major reading certain works.
I cannot think that the war was about something other than the right to own humans. Other factors were secondary. Just sayin’. twinkly
That’s where the *victor gets to write history* angle comes in. Slavery was a major issue, and that of course was a terrible thing, especially employing late 20th Century – early 21st Century sensibilities. But the U.S. hardly invented the practice. It’s as old as time. The U.S. didn’t even initiate it. It was mainly Arab and Spanish slavers, and they had an international clientele. And please, I’m not trying to legitimize it, or excuse it, at all. As a widespread practice it was dying out in the western world. Even the South would have come around. When, is hard to say. And of course a lot of the argument would say any time is too long. The North didn’t want protracted competition for the western territories, and with a seceding South that was a real threat. The established South also held real value to the Union. The economics of secession were vast. Taking the high ground on *human rights* made resisting the South’s secession seem more noble. Wars are always framed as we’re the good guys, they’re the bad guys. Wars are almost always fought for various kinds of treasure and power.
unclerave (sorry I didn’t get that right before),
I appreciate that you have taken the time to comment further. I have read and considered what you’ve written. twinkly
twinkly,
I hope you’ve had the chance to read my reply comment to your comment on MY blog page. I have a frequent commenter who is originally from Detroit. His name is Jeff Knurek and he’s the cartoonist for the Jumble. You guys are generally about the same age, so you might have some shared Detroit memories. C’mon and check us out. I can always make an introduction.
— YUR