I have long been enchanted by the paintings of Maxfield Parrish with their fantasy quality, the iridescent shades of blue and gold he achieved on the canvas giving his work an otherworldly quality. He reigned as a master of the arts throughout the Art Nouveau period, living into his 90’s and strangely regretting not to have pursued a more musical career in place of his beloved art.
Thought to be Lydia Parrish
But this post is not about Mr. Parrish. I’m always looking through any material or book I can find about Coastal Georgia. Mr. T has a lovely older book entitled, “Recollections of Glynn”, filled with amazing photographs, sketches and drawings that fill in many historical gaps for me. On one of the pages I noticed a small picture at the bottom. In it a lovely older woman, taken in profile, is pictured. The caption reads, “While Maxfield Parrish achieved fame as an illustrator, his wife, Lydia, lived quietly on St. Simons Island and gathered almost forgotten fold songs. Her book, Slave Songs of the Georgia Sea Islands was published in 1942 and is regarded as a significant contribution to the genre.”.
While Maxfield Parrish made his home in his beloved New England, his wife spent part of her life in Coastal Georgia. This is a bit of history you may be aware of, but I am just discovering the information. Lydia made it her life’s work when in the area to meet local people and ask to hear the songs the slaves sang as they toiled on the land, working themselves into an early grave, for the most part. These songs are a bit haunting, but uplifting at the same time.
Our famed Georgia Sea Island Singers continue performing these songs of old, passing them down as a part of history, never to be forgotten. The oppression of any people is never a good thing. But history shows, throughout time, that music has been a form of medicine that soothes the soul of those who gave so much. Many of the songs tell a story, they piece together a history we might not see in any other way.
Here is a recording, if you’d like to give a listen, it’s a 1959 recording of Bessie Jones singing “Sink em Low”. You’ll hear the pathos and the soul in this music that was originally sung by chain gangs as they worked in the hot sun.
As you begin this new week look around and see the history that surrounds you. Listen to the music and imagine the spirit that brought these tunes and lyrics into being. We live in an area so full of interesting history…what will you discover this week? I’d love to hear from you!
