Four Parts, No Waiting

A Social History of American Barbershop Quartet

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Music, Pop & Rock, Popular, Music Styles, Theory & Criticism, History & Criticism
Cover of the book Four Parts, No Waiting by Gage Averill, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Gage Averill ISBN: 9780190283476
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: February 20, 2003
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Gage Averill
ISBN: 9780190283476
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: February 20, 2003
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

Four Parts, No Waiting investigates the role that vernacular, barbershop-style close harmony has played in American musical history, in American life, and in the American imagination. Starting with a discussion of the first craze for Austrian four-part close harmony in the 1830s, Averill traces the popularity of this musical form in minstrel shows, black recreational singing, vaudeville, early recordings, and in the barbershop revival of the 1930s. In his exploration of barbershop, Averill uncovers a rich musical tradition--a hybrid of black and white cultural forms, practiced by amateurs, and part of a mythologized vision of small-town American life. Barbershop harmony played a central -- and overlooked -- role in the panorama of American music. Averill demonstrates that the barbershop revival was part of a depression-era neo-Victorian revival, spurred on by insecurities of economic and social change. Contemporary barbershop singing turns this nostalgic vision into lived experience. Arguing that the "old songs" function as repositories of idealized social memory, Averill reveals ideologies of gender, race, and class. This engagingly-written, often funny book critiques the nostalgic myths (especially racial myths) that have surrounded the barbershop revival, but also celebrates the civic-minded, participatory spirit of barbershop harmony. The contents of the CD have been replaced by a companion website with helpful links, resources, and audio examples.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Four Parts, No Waiting investigates the role that vernacular, barbershop-style close harmony has played in American musical history, in American life, and in the American imagination. Starting with a discussion of the first craze for Austrian four-part close harmony in the 1830s, Averill traces the popularity of this musical form in minstrel shows, black recreational singing, vaudeville, early recordings, and in the barbershop revival of the 1930s. In his exploration of barbershop, Averill uncovers a rich musical tradition--a hybrid of black and white cultural forms, practiced by amateurs, and part of a mythologized vision of small-town American life. Barbershop harmony played a central -- and overlooked -- role in the panorama of American music. Averill demonstrates that the barbershop revival was part of a depression-era neo-Victorian revival, spurred on by insecurities of economic and social change. Contemporary barbershop singing turns this nostalgic vision into lived experience. Arguing that the "old songs" function as repositories of idealized social memory, Averill reveals ideologies of gender, race, and class. This engagingly-written, often funny book critiques the nostalgic myths (especially racial myths) that have surrounded the barbershop revival, but also celebrates the civic-minded, participatory spirit of barbershop harmony. The contents of the CD have been replaced by a companion website with helpful links, resources, and audio examples.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book You by Gage Averill
Cover of the book American Pragmatism by Gage Averill
Cover of the book Sex, Politics, and Putin by Gage Averill
Cover of the book Bobcat by Gage Averill
Cover of the book Figuring Genre in Roman Satire by Gage Averill
Cover of the book American Naval History: A Very Short Introduction by Gage Averill
Cover of the book On Sympathetic Grounds by Gage Averill
Cover of the book William Randolph Hearst by Gage Averill
Cover of the book Civic Activism Unleashed by Gage Averill
Cover of the book A Little Commonwealth by Gage Averill
Cover of the book Flying over the USA: Airplanes in American Life by Gage Averill
Cover of the book The Wyoming State Constitution by Gage Averill
Cover of the book Billy Graham by Gage Averill
Cover of the book Ethan Frome - With Audio Level 3 Oxford Bookworms Library by Gage Averill
Cover of the book Fra Filippo Lippi & Filippino Lippi by Gage Averill
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy