“At a Georgia Camp Meeting”

“At a Georgia Camp Meeting”

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Description
This sheet music for the song "At a Georgia Camp Meeting," was written and composed by Kerry Mills and published by F.A. Mills in New York, New York in 1897. The cover proclaims the song “a characteristic march which can be used effectively as a two-step, polka, or cake walk,” and shows images of blacks having a dignified party. The cake walk was often the last song at a dance and the best dancing couple was awarded a cake (the origin of the phrase “taking the cake”).
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
sheet music
publishing date
1897
composer
Mills, Kerry
user
Woodside, Lura
publisher
F. A. Mills
place made
United States: New York, New York
Physical Description
paper (overall material)
ink (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 14 in x 11 in; 35.56 cm x 27.94 cm
ID Number
1979.1154.18
accession number
1979.1154
catalog number
1979.1154.18
Credit Line
Gift of C. Malcolm Watkins
subject
African American
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Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
Popular Entertainment
Music & Musical Instruments
Religion
Sheet Music
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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Comments

This song has been known to my family for well over 100 years. We knew it as a rather slow fiddle tune, and with only 2 parts. This is the first time I heard the chorus part, although I had heard there was one. Our family had a man blind since shortly after birth due to incorrect eye drops when first born. He could hear a music "piece played one time and play it immediately on the fiddle. His (and our version) was slower paced,, and about 60 years ago heard a round metallic large (some 3 feet across) diameter recording. The record surface was perforated, similar to that of the old piano rolls, that brushed across feelers that played a percussion style. This record played it at march time, same as those on this site. We assumed it was associated with the Civil War era. Thanks for the memories.

Melvin K Sanders

Wed, 2018-01-31 15:48

Recently I started learning to play a tenor banjo and heard the song on Youtube.I would like to learn to play another of Mills' songs.Thank you.

Rudy Jimenez

Mon, 2016-08-01 10:26

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