The Boatman's Dance
Encyclopedia
The Boatman's Dance is a minstrel
song credited to Dan Emmett
in 1843 and arranged by Aaron Copland
as part of his set of Old American Songs
.
It is a celebration of the Ohio river
boatmen, bawdy and wily, and is easily recognisable by its repeated clarion cry: "Hey, ho, the boatman row, sailin' on the river on the Ohio."
The song went through numerous revisions before a settled version passed into the repertoire. Both the minstrel version and the Copland arrangement are widely performed and recorded.
The bluegrass jam band Yonder Mountain String Band
regularly covers it and released a studio version as a hidden track on their release Town By Town
.The song somewhat focuses on Pittsburgh as of it being the Ohio river as of to say it is very easy song to learn about Pittsburgh and Ohio.
Minstrel show
The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, performed by white people in blackface or, especially after the Civil War, black people in blackface....
song credited to Dan Emmett
Dan Emmett
Daniel Decatur "Dan" Emmett was an American songwriter and entertainer, founder of the first troupe of the blackface minstrel tradition.-Biography:...
in 1843 and arranged by Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later in his career a conductor of his own and other American music. He was instrumental in forging a distinctly American style of composition, and is often referred to as "the Dean of American Composers"...
as part of his set of Old American Songs
Old American Songs
Old American Songs are two sets of songs arranged by Aaron Copland in 1950 and 1952 respectively. Originally scored for voice and piano, they were reworked for baritone and orchestra....
.
It is a celebration of the Ohio river
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
boatmen, bawdy and wily, and is easily recognisable by its repeated clarion cry: "Hey, ho, the boatman row, sailin' on the river on the Ohio."
The song went through numerous revisions before a settled version passed into the repertoire. Both the minstrel version and the Copland arrangement are widely performed and recorded.
The bluegrass jam band Yonder Mountain String Band
Yonder Mountain String Band
The Yonder Mountain String Band is an American progressive bluegrass group from Nederland, Colorado. Composed of Dave Johnston, Jeff Austin, Ben Kaufmann, and Adam Aijala, the band has released five studio albums and several live recordings to date.- History :The band's history stretches back to...
regularly covers it and released a studio version as a hidden track on their release Town By Town
Town by Town
Town by Town is the third studio album by the progressive bluegrass collective Yonder Mountain String Band. It was released in 2001 by Frog Pad Records...
.The song somewhat focuses on Pittsburgh as of it being the Ohio river as of to say it is very easy song to learn about Pittsburgh and Ohio.