Album Notes

Pass’d Times: Popular Music of the Revolutionary Era, CD of popular instrumental music played in the American colonies in the 18th century. Music was one of Colonial America's most important diversions, shared by all classes of people You could enjoy both popular and serious music, the latest songs, or dances from London, within weeks of its appearance there. Men' clubs gathered in taverns to sing and play music together, and men and women played music in their homes. As printed music was available, but expensive, people shared their music and copied it out in their own books, called commonplace, or copy books. Several of these books are preserved today.

These tunes were taken from personal commonplace books of fiddlers and fifers, from a British manuscript collection, and from 18th century printed collections, These tunes have been chosen because they appeared so frequently in all these sources. Some are still popular folk tunes, and others deserve to become so again.

We play hammered dulcimer, cittern, recorders and flageolets, and a pocket fiddle (dancing master’s kit), and are joined by our friends, Rogues’ Consort, which on this recording, include Courtney Maxwell on violin, Michael Thompson on violin and viola, and guests Nancy Bick Clark on Celtic harp, and Frank Clark on bodhran.

Maynard and Sara Johnson publish traditional music tune collections for hammered dulcimer, fiddle, and folk instruments as The Kitchen Musician. They are 18th Century musicians and entertainers, playing popular music of the era on instruments appropriate to the period, and research 18th century music, manners, and historical tidbits. Their other albums include Favourite Scotch Measures; Oceans So Green: Music from Ireland in Colonial America; Crossing to Ireland; Chameleon and Sara with Nancy Bick Clark on Crossing to Ireland.