Purpose statements and song categories of selected community songbooks

One of the basic arguments for supporting singing in the public schools and in the community in the USA is that we teach children and adults the music of their heritage. An examination of the purpose statements and contents o f six songbooks published from 1913 to 1996, as well as the songs listed by Hirsch(1987, 1993), shed insight into the literature considered important for preserving our musical heritage. Song categories found across these boo ks were: folk, composed (including patriotic, hymn, chorus/opera), and Chri stmas, consisting of folk and composed songs. The rank ordering of categori es changed over time. Patriotic songs were found in all books. Approximatel y half of the songs in later books were folksongs. The earlier dated books and Hirsh's lists contained hymns and choruses/opera. Christmas songs wee n ot found in the earliest or the latest books. Songs by Stephen Foster were found in all except one of the books. Surprisingly few of the same songs we re found across these books. The idea that we teach a common core of song r epertoire that represents our heritage needs to be reexamined by music educ ators.