An all-star ensemble of early American music performers presented a concert featuring lively Abolitionist psalmody, spirituals, dance tunes, and chamber music from the repertoire of regional African American composers and band leaders. This includes the music of Greenfield’s own John Putnam (c. 1817–1895), “the father of contradance music,” and selections from a newly discovered manuscript of music by early Connecticut composer and fiddler Sawney Freeman. The ensemble performed on period New England instruments and were joined by local “shapenote” singers, led by Historic Deerfield musician in residence Tim Eriksen.
Musicians performing in“Jubilee! A Juneteenth Concert of Early New England Music” include Historic Deerfield musician in residence Tim Eriksen, countertenor Patrick Daily, fiddle player Ben Hunter, New England viol player Loren Ludwig, baroque violinist David McCormick, and basoonist/tenoroonist Clay Zeller-Townson. Courtesy Historic Deerfield
“Daily life in 1850, 1860 was full of music and a lot of this music was related to African American life and culture,” said Historic Deerfield’s Interpretative Program Manager Claire Carlson. “[Music] was really prevalent, that’s what people did for fun … people played music, took singing lessons and took dancing lessons.”
Along with performances of music by John Putnam, a Black barber, musician and bandleader from Greenfield in the 1800s, the group will also play a newly discovered manuscript by early Connecticut composer and fiddler Sawney Freeman, who was at one point an enslaved Black man and who may have been one of the country’s first Black composers.
Freeman’s music was discovered by volunteers searching through the archives at the St. John’s Episcopal Church in Essex, Connecticut, when they found a 1777 probate record and a 1790 newspaper ad offering a reward for the return of an enslaved musician, according to a March 15 story from Connecticut Public Radio.
Conversation with musicians and educators Patrick Dailey and Tim Eriksen about "Jubilee: A Juneteenth Concert of Early American Music" happening at Historic Deerfield, and Clark University professor Ousmane Power-Greene wades us into the murky historical context of Juneteenth and the many ways freedom used to be celebrated.