A setting of three classic American folk songs for Wind Band. Transport your audience back to the “Old West” as you journey by covered wagon to join the California Gold Rush, move a herd of cattle over the treacherous plains to new grazing lands, and experience the adventure of early rail commerce.
“Sweet Betsy from Pike” is a comic folk ballad chronicling the trials and successes of Betsy,
a mid-19th century pioneer woman, as she migrates from (perhaps) Pike County, Missouri (or
Illinois) to the California Gold Rush town of Placerville (known colloquially as ‘Hangtown’).
The journey across the Wild West was full of hardship, peril, and loss. This song battles the
very real struggles with levity and humor. It was first published in 1858.
“Git Along, Little Dogies” is a cowboy ballad, also known as “Whoopie Ti Yi Yo”. While
likely older, the first mention of the song was in author Owen Wister’s 1893 journal. It was first
published in 1910. “Dogies” is a reference to small or orphaned calves. The narrative of the
song quotes a cowboy singing to the slow or stray dogies as they move along the cattle drive
to Wyoming.
“Rock Island Line” refers the Rock Island and La Salle Railroad company (established 1947)
which soon after became the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad. When construction of the
railroad arrived at Rock Island in 1854, it became the first to connect Chicago with the
Mississippi River. This folk song references an encounter between an operator of a toll gate
and a train engineer who is let through without paying by lying about his payload. Once safely
through, he yells back his confession as the train speeds onward. The earliest known version
of the song was published in 1929.
You are purchasing this product in downloadable PDF format.
Grade 3.5
Performance time: 10:00
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