Massa's in de Cold Cold Ground
New York: Century Music Publishing Company, c1905. Conservatory Publication Society, Conservatory Edition. Sheet Music. 6 pages. Format is approximately 10.5 inches by 14 inches. Decorative front cover, Cover is separated. In addition to Massa's in de Cold Cold Ground (pages 3-5), page 2 contains Up In A Swing by R. A. Montaine (A Sweet Swing Melody full of Rhythm and Expression.) [Copyright 1902] Page 6 contains Flowers and Ferns by R. A. Keiser (A Charming, expressive and interesting Tone Poem.) [Copyright 1905]. This song is by Stephen Foster. The three pieces are music only, with no lyrics provided. Massa's was one of Foster’s most popular songs when it was first published, it is now considered an embarrassment to his legacy, since it is cast as a lament by African slaves for their dead white master. While Foster did draw musical inspiration from spirituals that he heard and sympathized with the North during the Civil War, we can safely say that this song presents a highly sentimentalized portrait of slavery. That did not stop the song from being used in numerous stage productions of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in the mid-19th century. Originally titled with only Cold used once, sometimes the title is said with the word “cold” repeated, as it was often referred to after the Civil War. This song war reportedly first sung by the Christie Minstrels in 1852. More