Vocal Music

Old Black Joe

Artist (Composed By): 
Foster, Stephen C. (Collins)
1860

WARNING: This is a blackface minstrel song, a genre that features demeaning caricatures rooted in racism and white supremacy.

Firth, Pond & Co. deposited Stephen C. Foster’s “Old Black Joe” for copyright on November 8, 1860. 

According to Evelyn Foster Morneweck’s The Chronicles of Stephen Foster’s Family: 

Stephen’s granddaughter, Jessie W. Rose, paints an attractive picture of the pleasant and hospitable McDowell home. “Old Black Joe” of Stephen’s song was, according to Mrs. Rose, the McDowell family butler and handy man.

Old Dog Tray

Artist (Composed By): 
Foster, Stephen C. (Collins)
1853

“Old Dog Tray” was entered for copyright deposit on August 10, 1853, by Firth, Pond & Co.

A guitar arrangement of the song was submitted for copyright deposit on September 28, 1854, also by Firth, Pond & Co.

According to Evelyn Foster Mornweck’s The Chronicles of Stephen Foster’s Family:

Old Folks at Home

Artist (Composed By): 
Foster, Stephen C. (Collins)
1851

WARNING: This is a blackface minstrel song, a genre that features demeaning caricatures rooted in racism and white supremacy.

Old Memories

Artist (Composed By): 
Foster, Stephen C. (Collins)
1853

“Old Memories” was deposited for copyright on December 5, 1853, by Firth, Pond & Co.

A guitar arrangement of the song was submitted for copyright on September 27, 1854, also by Firth, Pond, & Co.

According to Evelyn Foster Mornweck’s The Chronicles of Stephen Foster’s Family: 

Once I Loved Thee, Mary Dear

Artist (Composed By): 
Foster, Stephen C. (Collins)
1851

“Once I Loved Thee, Mary Dear” was submitted for copyright deposit on April 4, 1851, by Firth, Pond & Co., of New York. The author of the lyrics was William Cullen Crookshank.

According to Evelyn Foster Mornweck’s The Chronicles of Stephen Foster’s Family:

Onward and Upward!

Artist (Composed By): 
Foster, Stephen C. (Collins)
1863

“Onward and Upward!” was submitted for copyright deposit on November 20, 1863, by Horace Waters of New York. George Cooper authored the lyrics.

Our Darling Kate

Artist (Composed By): 
Foster, Stephen C. (Collins)
1865

There is no record of copyright entry or depost for “Our Darling Kate.” The copyright claim on the bottom of the first page is for 1865. The song was published in the March 1865 issue of Demorest’s Illustrated Monthly.

They lyrics and melody of “Our Darling Kate” were written by John Mahon, a friend of Stephen Foster. Foster arranged the piano accompaniment.

Our Willie Dear Is Dying

Artist (Composed By): 
Foster, Stephen C. (Collins)
1861

“Our Willie Dear is Dying” was deposited for copyright on May 9, 1861, by Firth, Pond & Company. It is one of several songs by Foster about a character named Willie, the others of which were “Willie My Brave,” “Willie We Have Missed You,” and “Willie Has Gone to War.”

According to John Mahon in his article “The Last Years of Stephen C. Foster” (New York Clipper, March 24, 1877): 

Over the River

Artist (Composed By): 
Foster, Stephen C. (Collins)
1863

“Over the River” was published in The Athenaeum Collection of Hymns and Tunes for Church and Sunday School, which was submitted for copyright deposit on December 9, 1863, by Horace Waters. The author of the lyrics is identified as H. C.

Pace, Charles H. (Henry)

Date of Birth: 
1886
Date of Death: 
1983

Charles Henry Pace was a Black gospel composer and publisher. 

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