The Why and the Wherefore

My favorite baritone, Derrick Smith, came to my house yesterday. He's singing with the girls' chorus down in DC (at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site) and at Gettysburg in two weeks. The trip will be immeasurably better because he's singing with the chorus. Derrick will sing some songs on his own from his current project, a new Civil War Songs CD whose working title is The Army of the Free.

I've basically prodded Derrick into doing this CD after David suggested it last year because this year is Lincoln's Bicentennial. Derrick was very enthusiastic. He is, however, the kind of guy who has too much going and isn't a detail manager, so somehow I have slipped into the role of kick-in-the-pants checker-in with him to keep the project going. He's happy about this. And I'm happy about seeing the progress. He and I are going to do some research at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site when we're in DC; they have the hymnbook Douglass carried up with him from slavery in Maryland, and Derrick is going to choose one or two appropriate hymns to go on the CD.

He was here yesterday and sang some of the songs for me. (I love that I get these personal concerts.) There are a few songs I know, and a lot I don't, which makes it all the better.

The Why and the Wherefore
Run to Jesus (the hymn that inspired Frederick Douglass to leave slavery)
We are coming Father Abram
The Battle Cry of Freedom
Tenting on the Old Campground
Lorena
The Yellow Rose of Texas
Follow the Drinking Gourd
Steal Away
Aura Lea
Twenty Years Ago
Let My People Go
The Army of the Free

It should be a beautiful and unique CD.

More to the point, though: Derrick left me photocopies of some of the music. One of the songs, called The Why and the Wherefore, is exceedingly beautiful when it's played fairly slowly, and, it so happens, the piano accompaniment is exactly at the level I can play, if I stretch. And that's what I've been doing this morning (for my own enjoyment, obviously, not to accompany Derrick!). I took half an hour when I probably should have been working, and played piano instead. It was wonderful. (I wasn't wonderful, but the experience was lovely.) It was hard to tear myself away.

Like I need a new hobby.

I mentioned to the girls' chorus director that I was working with Derrick on this, and she asked if I am producing the CD. I'm not, I said, I'm just the cheerleader. But she did plant that idea in my mind. Maybe I will.

Again...like I need a new hobby. But I could file this one under my personal way of celebrating Lincoln's Bicentennial.