[Elegant D-Major Logo]

The D-Major Singers: Songs and Ballads of Colonial America in the 18th Century.

Why This Web Page May Be of Interest to You

The D-Major Singers is a group of two women and two men who perform ballads and songs of America in the 1700s. These consist mainly of songs that the settlers brought with them, primarily from Britain and Ireland. On Walnford Day, flutist Cyndie VanBavel will perform music of the 18th century, accompanied by Pete Brady on the harpsichord.

We might be of interest to you for these reasons:

We have developed considerable knowledge of these songs, by building a library of music and recordings, and by becoming connected with many musicians and music collectors in America and the British Isles. We are now a part of this informal “network” and would be happy to share our contacts with you.
We have made three CDs and four tapes of songs we have performed at ballad parties, which have been well-received by many people and serve as a good source of songs chosen after a search through, literally, thousands of songs. (A link to the recordings is given below.)
If you live in or near New Jersey, Delaware, or Eastern Pennsylvania you might wish to attend one of our performances and join us as we perform the songs. It is a wonderful experience in sharing a vanishing culture.

So, if any of this whets your appetite, please read on!

Who We Are: Four Roguish Chaps Together, and the Music We Perform

[Awesome Photo of 4 People] In the mid-1980s, a few of us decided to sing “folk songs” at fund raising events and other parties featuring music of the 1700s. New Jersey has a rich colonial history, beginning with the Swedes and Dutch in the 1600s, but it became a colony of England in the 1660s, and the music sung in the 1700s was primarily music from the British Isles.

We began at first with “any old folk music,” but as the years progressed we added songs and ballads of the people. And, two men and two women formed a singing group to perform these songs. Our accompaniment is minimal (often none at all), and is provided by the harpsichord, guitar, and fiddle, all of which instruments were known to the American colonists. Our ballad parties include beer, wine, and other beverages, with either supper or other refreshments. The food, drink, and songs make for an enriching experience.

The D-Major Singers

Here is what we looked like In Tatum Park in November 2007 in a photo by Andi Monick, staff photographer, Monmouth County Park System: From left: Irene Hauge, Jim Cusick, Lois Lyons, Pete Brady. This particular set of four people has sung together since February, 1997.

What an Odd Name!

If you have ever played the fiddle or any of several other folk instruments, you'll know that D-major is one of the easiest keys to play in. So, we performed most songs in D-major, called ourselves the D-Major Singers, and joked that it was the only key we could play in! Now, of course, we do other keys (usually intentionally).

In late 2009 we entered our 27th season of performing songs of the 1700s. Following our rehearsals in January and February 2010 (yes, the rumors are true, we do rehearse!), our first performance in the new year will be on February 20, 2010, at Tatum Park in Middletown. In October, we will return to the Duncan Smith Theater in Holmdel and repeat the music of the Tatum Park performance. On four occasions during the year, Pete Brady will play fiddle tunes on the porch at Walnford, and Pete will be joined by Cyndie VanBavel to perform music for flute and harpsichord at Walnford Day, October 4, 2009.

Where We’ve Performed

Since our inception in 1984, we have given more than 100 performances in 20 sites in five states: NY, NJ, PA, DE, and Ohio. The map at right shows these sites. Here are the sites in New Jersey whose descriptions wouldn’t fit on the map.
4. Proprietary House (Royal Governor’s Mansion), Perth Amboy. Home of William Franklin, Benjamin’s son, and last Royal Governor of the New Jersey colonies.
5. The 1870s “Lecture Hall” of the 1841 Matawan Presbyterian Church. The church was lost to fire in 1955, but the hall, saved from the fire, is now owned by the Matawan Woman’s Club and is used for community functions.
6. The Seabrook-Wilson House, Port Monmouth, now a Monmouth County Park System Site, and our home base. It is right on Raritan Bay and commands a fine, but distant view of the Verrazano Bridge and New York City.
7. Bicentennial Hall, Fair Haven. Built as an AME Zion Church in 1882, its congregation moved to a new church in 1974. The borough of Fair Haven now manages this as a community center.
8. The Murray Farmhouse, Middletown, built in 1767 by Joseph Murray, a Scots-Irish immigrant.
9. The “Holland Activity Center” in Tatum Park, Middletown, a Monmouth County Park System site.
10. The Duncan Smith Theater, Holmdel. An 1880s barn converted into a theater, operated by the Holmdel Theatre Company.

The CDs and the Tapes

Click on this image for a listing of the contents of the CDs and tapes.

The first CD, Songs of the People of Colonial America, issued in 2000, is 73 minutes long and contains 25 songs. The second CD, Ballads by the Waters of Colonial America, issued in 2003, is 80 minutes long and contains 28 songs. The third CD, issued in 2008, is titled Singing in the Houses of 18th-Century America and is also 80 minutes long with 28 songs. The tapes, issued from 1991-97, contain 79 songs and tunes. Each is one hour long, and there are no duplications among the tapes.

By now, the entire collection of 81 songs on the three CDs, plus 28 songs on tapes that are not on the CDs (in addition to the other songs on the tapes that are also on the CDs), makes this a collection of 109 songs. This is now in the same league as many other better-known collections, and our own songs have been carefully researched and often done in the same style as the songs collected in the field. So, if you are a ballad/song collector, please take a good look at the attached list of songs, just one mouse click away.

Holland Activity Center at Tatum Park, Middletown, NJ. Saturday, February 20, 2010, 5:00 pm

For eight years, we performed at the Seabrook-Wilson house on Raritan Bay, a Monmouth County Park System site. That house is now undergoing renovation, so in 2006 we moved our venue to the Holland Activity Center in Tatum Park, just NE of Exit 114 of the Garden State Parkway. Tatum park now includes 367 acres, a mix of cleared fields and forest. The principal building in the park is the Tatum House, on Holland Road. The main part of the house, shown at right, is said to have been built in 1780, but some historians put the date closer to just after 1800. Although the building is old, it is not interpreted as an historic site. In 1905, Charles Tatum purchased the property and expanded the house by building a “ballroom,” out of site at left in the photo, behind the trees. We will perform in this ballroom. [SailorsSong.]

We occasionally venture into classical music, and as shown here, we are singing "The Sailor’s Song" by Franz Joseph Haydn. Haydn wrote several songs, and many seem to be based on folk themes. Here, the song is a tribute to the British Navy in the late 1700s. Haydn lived in London for a while, and perhaps this song was a consolation prize for losing the American colonies. The photo, taken in November 2008, is by Maribeth Gardner, staff photographer, Monmouth County Park System.

The party will be sponsored by the Friends of The Monmouth County Park System, a private nonprofit organization which is committed to the enhancement of county-wide park facilities, services, and activities. Contact Friends of the Parks, Box 686, Lincroft, NJ 07738, 732-975-9735.

Fiddling at Walnford, Sundays, 1 pm-3 pm.
May 16 and June 6, 2010.

[Fiddling on the porch.] On most days other than Walnford Day, Walnford is a model of serenity and is a place where people go to enjoy the open space and be guests in a small preserved milling town of the 1700s.

On four Sundays a year, this senerity is shattered when fiddler Pete Brady shows up and plays mostly Irish tunes on the porch. People react in different ways. Some, as shown in the photo, retreat to the other end of the porch so they can converse. Others dance on the lawn in front of the 1773 house. Others use this as an opportunity to see other parts of this beautiful and interesting site.

And, if fiddle music is not one of your favorite pastimes, there are other days with other events. Even if nothing in particular is scheduled, Walnford is worth the experience, and there are other attractions in the area. Allentown, NJ is close by and is a nice town to visit, and there are restaurants to head off to at the end of the day.

If you want more information about Walnford during the year, call Walnford directly at 609-259-6275.

Walnford Day, Southwestern Monmouth County, Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, 11 am-5 pm (music from 1-4 pm).

[Walnford Mill.] Hidden in the nearly forgotten southwest corner of Monmouth County NJ, where Monmouth, Ocean, Burlington, and Mercer Counties almost meet at one point, is an idyllic site that spans nearly three centuries of American history. The area was established in the early 1700s as a small milling community. Richard Waln purchased land there in 1772 and built what was then a grand house, still standing, and being restored to the early 20th-century colonial revival style. The house was continuously occupied until 1985, when it was donated to the Monmouth County Park System by Edward and Joanne Mullen. The grist mill, shut down in 1917, has been refurbished and is now in operating condition.

October 3, 2010 is Walnford Day, where there will be demonstrations of corn milling, textiles, crafts, and tours of the house. Activities will take place from 11 am-5 pm. As part of the program, from 1-4 pm there will be baroque and classical music performed by Cyndie VanBavel, flute, and Pete Brady, harpsichord. The program is free, and all are invited. If you haven't seen this beautiful site, you are in for a treat!

Walnford is located southeast of Allentown NJ, and from the shore areas is best reached using Exit 11 of Interstate 195. For further information, visit the web site of The Monmouth County Park System, write the Park System at 805 Newman Springs Rd., Lincroft, NJ 07738, or call Walnford directly at 609-259-6275.

Duncan Smith Theater in Holmdel, NJ, 7 pm, a Saturday (to be determined) in October, 2010.

In October 2010 we will return to the Duncan Smith Theater in Holmdel, NJ. The theater is named for a Holmdel High School graduate who suddenly died from a sickness in graduate school.

[Serenading Addy Lubkert] At left, Jim (guitar) and Pete (fiddle) are playing tunes during the intermission in the barn in September, 2009. They are serenading Addy Lubkert, seated in the audience. The barn was originally owned by Addy, who was a strong supporter of recreation in Monmouth County and for several years was the chair of the Monmouth County Board of Recreation Commissioners. She donated the property to the Holmdel Board of Education, and the barn was given in 1989 to the Holmdel Theatre Company, a nonprofit organization. Many summer theater events have since been held there. (Photo of the musicians is by Marty Brilliant, a guest at the party.)

We will give the same program we performed earlier in 2010 at Tatum Park. Snacks will be served with ale, wine, and other beverages. The barn is on Crawfords Corner Road, directly in front of Holmdel High School. For further information, visit The Holmdel Theatre Company, or write them at P.O. Box 182, Holmdel, NJ, 07733.

Fiddling at the Peachfield Tea, Sunday, December 5, 2010, 2 pm - 4 pm.

[Dining room, Peachfield House] At right (from left), Sara Hill, Linda Boyd, and Edria Hagios of the Colonial Dames of America are preparing the Peachfield Dining Room for one of Peachfield’s most popular events. This is the fine “Tea” held at the beginning of December. For those unfamiliar with the concept of the traditional afternoon tea, this goes beyond just serving a cup of tea. There are tasty small sandwiches, cakes and cookies, a variety of interesting beverages, and of course, tea. Short tours of the house and its furnishings are offered. A fire blazes in the huge open hearth in the main room, there are craft goods for sale, and you can feel right at home with the other guests. [Open Hearth, Peachfield House]

As if this weren't enough (and perhaps it is!), Pete Brady will stand next to the open hearth in a corner (where he belongs) and play fiddle tunes as background for the lively conversations of the guests.

Advanced reservations are strongly recommended. Peachfield is at Exit 5 of the NJ Turnpike For further information, visit Peachfield Plantation, or write or call them at Peachfield Plantation, 180 Burrs Road, Westampton NJ, 08060, 609-267-6996.

Reviews of Our Music

Some reviewers have found considerable merit in what we do. Our music, distributed on tapes, was described by Kenneth Darwin of the Ulster Historical Foundation (Belfast) as follows: “I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the songs. They are clearly and well-sung, every word is distinct.”

Roger Duce of the National Library of Scotland (Edinburgh) stated, “I have enjoyed listening to them. What a wealth of music you all seem able to produce so spontaneously! ... We are glad to add these tapes to the record collections of folk music that we have here.”

But, we also add that some have found the music “rough.” We are not professionals, and further, the songs are performed at a party with active audience singing and participation. The music lacks the hard, modern drive that is needed to put across stylized-songs to large audiences. But, isn't the simple style in which people performed at their homes what folk music was originally all about?

The Philosophy Behind Our Performance Style

Our greatest strength to a serious student of songs and ballads is that we are firm in our determination to preserve a kind of singing tradition that was once the mainstay of home life but is now fast disappearing. Who ever hears, for example, performances of the ballads in the collection of Francis James Child? In 21 years we have performed more than 100 songs that vary from serious murder ballads to funny, bawdy songs. We have an advantage and a challenge:

The advantage is that we perform for modest-sized audiences, typically between 50 and 100 people, most of whom know what we’re up to and want to enjoy this music. And, they will sit quietly through an occasional murder ballad or a lover's lament. Over the years, many participants have learned some of the sing-along songs and eagerly join in.
The challenge is that many of the audience are hearing most of the songs for the first time, in a party atmosphere, and have come to be entertained. So, the words must be clear, and must occasionally be changed to substitute more modern words for archaic terms. This “Americanization” of occasional archaic words has horrified some purists (“great” for “muckle,” “shoes” for “brogues,” and so on) but the alternative is to have an audience sit mute, wondering what on earth is going on in the song. And, the purists will take some comfort in knowing that we have occasionally left whole choruses in Irish Gaelic (in the Baffled Knight (Child 112)) and in Scottish Gaelic (in The Boatman). Of course, when we do leave unusual words in a song, we explain them ahead of time to the audience.

Sources of the Songs

We have searched through what is by now an impressive assortment of collections of music. We mention one reference in particular, since it is so important: The Singing Tradition of Child’s Popular Ballads, B. H. Bronson, Princeton Univ. Press, 1976. Other books include the collections of Cecil Sharp, and of Warner, Peter Kennedy, and many others.

We have made live recordings at informal sessions and céilis, at classes at folk music camps: Augusta in West Virginia (where we heard Mick Moloney and Frank Harte do a superb version of The Two Sisters), Pinewoods near Cape Cod, and Willie Clancy week in Miltown Malbay. (At Willie Clancy, we got the “Mule Song” from Packie Manus Byrne, and this is definitely not an 18th-century song, but we make exceptions for such “educational farm songs.”)

But the best sources have been the numerous folk record archive collections, such as the Caedmon/Topic Folk Songs of Britain (ten records), several of the records by Folk Legacy (thank you, Caroline and Sandy Paton), recordings from the Smithsonian, a marvelous tape of Everett Pitt from the Ramapos, records of Sara Cleveland of the Adirondacks, Frank Proffitt of the Appalachians, recordings from Ireland and Scotland -- it's a long list. We mention in particular the singing of Jean Redpath who gave us the inspiration for several of our songs, including a fine version of Bonnie George Campbell (Child 210). And, we cannot fail to mention the excellent collections of Hugh Shields of Trinity College, Dublin, both in tapes and in his book, Shamrock, Rose, and Thistle.

We have also done some mixing and matching. For example, we took Sara Cleveland's melody and style of Lord Randal and used Frank Proffitt's words.

And, in all cases, our primary criterion has been how the songs will go over at our particular event for the kind of people who come to it. It is a close atmosphere with an appreciative audience in a quiet setting. We also welcome inquiries about the songs. They can be addressed to:
D-Major Singers, Pete Brady, 844 Church Lane, Middletown, NJ 07748, 732-671-9249,
or to ptbrady@aol.com (Pete Brady) (Revised 17 January 2010.)