When we sing folk songs it connects us with the generations who have come before us as well as other cultures from around the world. We follow in their footsteps and gather together because of our love for singing and dancing.

Dance music became enormously popular during the 1920s. In the 1930s, called the Swing era, Swing music was the popular dance music in America. In the 1950s, rock and roll became the popular dance music….

a song originating among the people of a country or area, passed by oral tradition from one singer or generation to the next, often existing in several versions, and marked generally by simple, modal melody and stanzaic, narrative verse. a song of similar character written by a known composer.

Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted orally, music with unknown composers, or music performed by custom over a long period of time. It has been contrasted with commercial and classical styles. The term originated in the 19th century, but folk music extends beyond that.

Folk songs are usually perform on the traditional instrument of the culture they originated from. Modern folk music can resemble traditional folk music in style and structure but these songs can be traced to definite author and a date of origin. Many of these songs represent the modern struggles for social justice.

The first of these moods is called adagio, which is a very slow movement. A semi-breve (full note) in this mood is precisely four seconds….The Matter of Tempo in The Sacred Harp.