The Mockingbird, Theme & Variations - Ragtime Banjo Revival

"Listen To The Mockingbird" was first published in 1855, with lyrics by Septimus Winner and melody by Richard Milburn. This arrangement for banjo comes from Parke Hunter, and the arrangement for orchestra comes from Aaron Jonah Lewis and August Shoemaker.
One hundred years of American music, 1850-1950, featuring Aaron Jonah Lewis, banjo, and musical arrangements by student August Shoemaker. An evening of toe-tapping music, and a great way to cap off the ONU Homecoming weekend. Come Celebrate America with the ONU Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of alumnae Sarah Waters. Recorded Live at Ohio Northern University, 28 October 2023
American banjoist Morton Parke Hunter was born in Bloomington, Indiana in 1876. He was rapidly to become one of the most accomplished performers and composers for the instrument. In 1895, at the age of twenty Parke Hunter, as he is popularly known, teamed up with another fine banjoist Cadwallader L. Mays and they played and toured together under the name of 'Mays and Hunter'.
Parke Hunter was regarded as 'one of the most dazzling performers ever to have played the banjo' and as a soloist, or with his partner Mays, played hundreds of concerts both in American and in the UK. Their concert promotional material described the duo as 'Mays and Hunter, the classic banjoists'. This may have been the first time that the term 'classic banjo' had been used.
They travelled to London in 1897 and had phenomenal success with their performances. Along with their standard classical repertoire Hunter introduced the British to ragtime, a form of music that had only recently started to become popular in the USA. Hunter visited the UK again in both 1901 and 1902, but this time to play solo concerts.
Mays and Hunter had played together for around seven years when Mays died suddenly in 1903 at the age of only thirty years.
Following the death of Mays, Hunter teamed up with the superb player Vess L. Ossman and in 1904 William Farmer joined them to form the Ossman Banjo Trio.
Hunter made numerous recordings, published over 60 of his own compositions and many arrangements of classical pieces for the banjo. He also wrote a superb tutor book, which is available for download from this site, entitled 'Parke Hunter's Banjo Studies'. It contains some excellent exercises that are suitable for both beginner and advanced player alike, and I personally recommend it.
Many of Parke Hunter's compositions have become Classic Banjo 'classics' and are regularly performed today.
As did Mays, Morton Parke Hunter also suffered an untimely death, and died in 1912 aged just 36 years. (From classic-banjo....)
"Listen to the Mocking Bird" was one of the most popular ballads of the era and sold more than twenty million copies of sheet music.[4] It was popular during the American Civil War and was used as marching music. Abraham Lincoln was especially fond of it, saying, "It is as sincere as the laughter of a little girl at play." (from en.wikipedia.o...)
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[@CharlesBlake-cg5sz]

One of my favorites to play as well. Great Performance!

[@pauldevlin2455]

Great as always