This has nothing to do with my usual janitorial ruminations, but on something else that's concerned me for some time. I happen to be introducing a tune at this Sunday's Salt River Brass concert, Jay Unger's Ashokan Farewell; here's my thoughts:
Ashokan Farewell is the haunting theme used throughout Ken Burns PBS series “The Civil War”. It’s a waltz in the style of a Scottish lament.
From its style, most folks assume it to be of the Civil War period; in fact, it’s the only piece used in the film that is of modern origin, written by fiddle player Jay Ungar in 1982.
It is introduced as background to the reading of a letter from Sullivan Ballou to his young wife just before the battle of Bull Run. Ballou was major of a volunteer Rhode Island regiment; he lost his leg to a Confederate 9-pounder at the battle, and died a week later. In his letter, he speaks of their short life together, and of their 2 sons.
In 1915, the Ashokan reservoir was completed, providing water to New York City. It inundated a number of small rural communities, including the village of Ashokan itself. Nothing special about them, but the farms, schools and churches demolished represent generations of families, lives intertwined – a small community cast aside. We have little enough community in our lives; it’s perhaps fitting to take a moment to reflect on a community lost.
Here's a clip of the original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kZASM8OX7s