Religion

This New England Bass Viol was made by William Green in Medway, Massachusetts, in 1806. It is constructed of local domestic wood; table of broad grained pine (?) in two pieces; back of plain maple (?) in two pieces; ribs of similar maple; plain maple neck, pegbox and scroll, stained maple pegs, fingerboard and tailpiece; varnish highly crazed, opaque reddish orange-brown. The instrument has an original handwritten label:

Bass Viols Made & Sold
by William Green.
Medway 1806

Unlike many New England bass viols, this instrument is constructed with interior linings and corner blocks, and the ribs are not inlaid, but glued flush to the table and back. The instrument is ornamented by single painted purfling with a small xxxx pattern beneath the button on the back. The neck and top-block section, carved from a single piece of maple, is positioned inside the back with a small iron pin through the extended neck-foot. This bass viol is also unusually fine and intact excepting strings, bridge and soundpost.

William Green worked from 1798 to 1800 with William Bent in Boston. After dissolving their partnership, Green moved to Medway to make bass viols where he was joined by Deacon Allen from about 1815 to 1818. Green died ca. 1825.

The modern term for this instrument is church bass. During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, this instrument was also known as the American bass viol, New England bass viol, or Yankee bass viol. These church basses were used in churches and meeting houses to provide a bass line for maintaining a consistent key by New England congregational singers. The church bass was also used by popular singing groups such as the Hutchinson Family singers.

This bass was made by an unknown maker in New England, United States, early 19th century. It is an American church bass with a cherry colored stained wood body, neck of black stained wood, cherry colored stained wood pegbox and scroll with 4 friction pegs.

The modern term for this instrument is church bass. During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, this instrument was also known as the American bass viol, New England bass viol, or Yankee bass viol. These church basses were used in churches and meeting houses to provide a bass line for maintaining a consistent key by New England congregational singers. The church bass was also used by popular singing groups such as the Hutchinson Family singers.

This sheet music is for the sonfg “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!” with words and music by Frank Loesser. It was published by Famous Music Corp. in New York, New York in 1942.

On a Sunday morning in December 1941, a chaplain had his most difficult assignment — to say a prayer to sailors aboard a U.S. navy ship actively under low–flying attack by the enemy firing from all directions. He quickly realized the best he could do was walk the ammunition line saying, “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!” Stories of the overheard phrase quickly turned into legend and passed between soldiers, eventually reaching the press and one Broadway composer and lyricist, Frank Loesser. He served in the Radio Productions Unit charged with mounting shows of popular guest stars for boosting morale of the troops.

With the phrase as the song title, he combined the stories into one set of lyrics — fact mattered not as much as the need to inspire spirit. By 1943, the song, performed by Kay Kaiser and His Orchestra, had reached no. 1 on the Billboard chart, surpassing its peak of no. 8 the previous year when performed by the Merry Macs. Loesser donated his royalties for sale of the song to the Navy Relief Society. The chaplain originally quoted wished to remain anonymous, and the episode to remain legend. Many variations on the tale, the name of the chaplain, whether or not he himself manned a gun turret to participate in the battle, and the battle's whereabouts have existed over the years.