THE PLAY-PARTY IN INDIANA - online book

Folk-Songs and Games with Descriptive Introduction, Notes, Sheeet music & Lyrics

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	The Play-Party in Indiana.                          57 b.     During the singing of the first stanza the players join hands and circle to the left. While singing the succeeding stanzas each person, in pantomime fashion, shows how the work is done. Any sort of work that can well be illustrated may be the theme of a stanza. c.     This is very well known in America. (Newell, Games and Songs, pp. 86-87). d.     Mrs. Gomme (Trad. Games, vol. I, p. 404) gives the music. The first and third phrases are identical with ours and the other two are very nearly the same. Other variants are printed in, The Folk-lore Record, vol. IV, p. 174; Halliwell Popular Nursery Rhymes, p. 224; R. Chambers, Popular Rhymes of Scotland, pp. 134-5; Mari Ruef Hofer, Chil­dren's Singing Games, p. 18; Pedersen and Boyd, Folk-Games; Marion B. Newton, Graded Games and Rhythmic Exercises, pp. 2, 22, 64. Mrs. Gomme (Trad. Games, i, p. 407) says: "This game originated, no doubt, as a marriage dance round a sacred 'tree' or 'bush.' . . . Trees were formerly sacred to dancing at the mar­riage festival, as at Polwarth in Berwickshire, where the custom once prevailed."33 Mr. Newell (Games and Songs, p. 236) sees in this a relic of the May-Day dancing in a circle around the "bush" or "tree." Considering that the tunes to the songs are the same, we may, I think, see a connection between this game and ''Here We Come Gathering Nuts in May, This Cold and Frosty Morning."34 (Newell. Games and Songs, pp. 236-7.) The refrain, "So early in the morning" is attached to several American games, e. g., Mrs. Ames (Jour. Am. Folk-lore, vol. XXIV, p. 317) and Miss Hamilton (Jour. Am. Folk-lore, vol. XXVII, p. 293) give this refrain to the game, "The Juniper Tree." Miss Hamilton's variant of "Little Brown Jug" (Jour. Am. Folk-lore, vol. XXVII, p. 296) and "Three Old Bums" (ibid, p. 301) have the same.
	33   New Statistical Account of Scotland, Polwarth, Berwickshire, vol. II, p. 234. 34   Mari Ruef Hofer. Popular Folk Games, p. 32. Mrs. Gomme. Trad. Games, vol. I, pp. 424-28. Folk-lore Journal, vol. VII, p. 225. Ideal Home Music Library, vol. X, p. 224.