Ep. 008 – “Home Sweet Home” Music
Music played an integral role at Chinsegut, from casual sing-a-longs around the piano, to the annual community sunrise Easter service, to concerts on the porch. In this episode, Elizabeth's diary provides proof of the surprising and welcome existence of the Snow Hill band.
Related links & resources
Unbinding Gentility: Women Making Music in the Nineteenth-Century South
"Home Sweet Home" sung by Deanna Durbin
"My Old Kentucky Home" sung by Paul Robeson
"Dixe" Confederate version sung by Tennessee Ernie Ford
"Dixie" Union version sung by Tennessee Ernie Ford
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Music Matters
When I managed the Chinsegut property, one of the first things I did was organize musical activities on the Hill. We held Shape Note singing in the manor music room, did house tours in which we sang Christmas carols in each room, and had concerts on the front porch as varied as ukeleles to Jazz. I didn’t know much about the property at the time, but I knew music belonged there.
What a delight it was the day I discovered Margaret Dreier Robins’ box of sheet music in a closet. Songs she had carefully transcribed, songs she had written for family performances, activist songs, religious songs, songs in German - a genuine treasure trove. My favorite was a piece written by Brooksvillian Alice Spencer Mudd Rogers as a thank you to Margaret. Alice was the mother of Great Brooksvillian Weenie Rogers, founder of our famous Rogers’ Christmas House.
Alice had attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music before moving with her husband to Brooksville in 1910. She became the heart of the Brooksville music scene, arranging public shows as well as club meetings. When events called for music in her era, newspapers invariably reported Mrs. Rogers in either performance or planning. Margaret Robins’ letters indicate she routinely put Alice in charge of the music at the many events the Robins’ hosted at Chinsegut. Margaret especially loved Alice’s son George’s voice and relished showing him off to the famous dignitaries they hosted on the Hill.
After eight years of researching Chinsegut’s people and property, I thought I knew its relationship with music pretty well. So it was one of the greatest delights of this first podcast season to find Elizabeth’s diary reference to the Snow Hill Band, showing me I still have a lot to uncover! I spoke with several Snow family members and they were also happy to learn about their ancestors’ musical inclinations. We have yet to find records of other performances but I’ve no doubt we will!
- Natalie
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Credits:
References to Elizabeth Robins work printed/quoted with kind permission of Independent Age (Registered Charity No. 210729). Visit www.independentage.org to learn more.
Producer & Editor Lief Thomason, Odd Life Studios
Recorded at Profound Revelation Studios
Graphic Designer Barry Meindl, DaBarr Design
Web Designer and Social Media Manager Allisa Babor, Roots Creative Co
“Time is Whispering” Writer and Recording Artist Randi Olsen, Live Oak Theatre
Grant funding assistance by Florida Humanities
Rights to Elizabeth Robins materials owned by Independent Age
Host Natalie Kahler Natalie Kahler | Facebook
