American Antiquarian Society
185 Salisbury Street
Worcester, MA 01609
United States
David Hildebrand will perform in costume and on period instruments music that was heard in homes, on the streets and in taverns and theaters two hundred years ago. The popular music of this time reflected a wide range of events and themes from the early stirrings of party politics under President Adams, the traumatic effect of Jefferson's Embargo in 1807, through the triumph at Fort McHenry and the last battle in New Orleans in 1814. This program tells the true story of the birth of the Star-Spangled Banner. It will also feature selections from the Isaiah Thomas broadside ballad collection at AAS. In 1813, Thomas worked with Boston printer, Nathaniel Coverly to collect as many popular songs as he could eventually amassing. When presenting his collection to the Society, Thomas wrote that he "bound up for Preservation - to show what articles of this kind are in vogue with the vulgar at this time, 1814."
