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At a Georgia Camp Meeting
Old-Time, Cake-Walk Words and music by Kerry Mills. Found in Virginia, West Virginia.
ARTIST: Fiddler Henry Reed
Listen: At a Georgia Camp Meeting by Dan W. Quinn (1898)
SHEET MUSIC: Read PDF Arranged and transcribed R. Matteson- Appears in Matteson's "Acoustic Music Source Book"
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes DATE: Published in 1897.
RECORDING INFO: Library of Congress recording of WV fiddler Henry Reed. County 201, Tump Spangler - "The Old Virginia Fiddlers:...Patrick County, Virginia." County 532, Leake County Revelers - "Saturday Night Breakdown: 1927-1930 Recordings" (1975).
OTHER NAMES: Georgia Camp Meeting
SOURCES: "Georgia Camp Meeting" was originally published in 1897 by Kerry Mills as "At a Georgia Camp Meeting" and became a turn-of-the-century classic. It was recorded in 1898 and became part of the marching band repertoire Kuntz, Fiddler's Companion, http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc.
NOTES: The cakewalk was an eccentric dance of the 1890's. This song was one of the greatest cakewalk tunes of the time. "Georgia Camp Meeting" was originally published in 1897 by Kerry Mills as "At a Georgia Camp Meeting" and became a turn-of-the-century classic. It was recorded in 1898 and became part of the marching band repertoire and was recorded as an instrumental marching band piece many tiem i nthe early 1900s.
Fiddler Henry Reed's performance preserves the original emphasis of this and other ragtime-era tunes on a particular "snappy" syncopated pattern: (eighth note-quarter note-eighth note) or (sixteenth note-eighth note-sixteenth note). "A cake walk, say Barry Poss and Tom Carter, is a type of tune associated with "a popular dance craze which probably entered southern tradition around the turn of the century. Kerry Mills, say Carter & Poss, was "steeped in the strong march tradition of the 19th century"). The colony of Georgia was named in honor of King George II, in 1732." (Kuntz, Fiddler's Companion, http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc).
At a Georgia Camp Meeting- Arranged Richard Matteson
SHEET MUSIC: Read PDF Arranged and transcribed R. Matteson- Appears in Matteson's "Acoustic Music Source Book"
A camp meeting took place, by the river trace;
way down in Georgia.
There were folks large and small, lanky, lean, fat and tall
at this Georgia camp meeting.
When church was out, how the “sisters” did shout,
they were so happy.
But the young folks were tired and wished to be inspired,
and hired a big brass band.
CHORUS: When the big brass band began to play
pretty music so gay,
hats were thrown away.
Thought them foolish people their necks would break,
When they quit their laughing and talking
and went to walking for a big chocolate cake.
VERSE: The old “sisters” raised sand, when they first heard the band;
way down in Georgia.
The preacher did glare and the deacons did stare,
at the young people prancing.
The band played so sweet that nobody could eat, '
twas so entrancing.
So the church folks agreed it was not sinful deed,
and they joined in with the rest.
At a Georgia Camp Meeting- Kerry Mills Original lyrics
Listen: At a Georgia Camp Meeting by Dan W. Quinn (1898)
VERSE: A camp meeting took place, by the colored race;
Way down in Georgia.
There were folks large and small, lanky, lean, fat and tall,
at this great Georgia camp meeting.
When church was out, how the "sisters" did shout, they were so happy.
But the young folks were tired and wished to be inspired,
and hired a big brass band.
CHORUS: When the big brass band began to play
pretty music so gay,
hats were thrown away.
Thought them foolish people their necks would break,
When they quit their laughing and talking and went to
walking for a big choc'late cake.
VERSE: The old "sisters" raised sand, when they first heard the band;
way down in Georgia.
The preacher did glare and the deacons did stare,
at the young people prancing.
The band played so sweet that nobody could eat,
'twas so entrancing.
So the church folks agreed it was not a sinful deed,
and they joined in with the rest.
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