The english language folk and traditional songs of Alberta: collection and analysis for teaching purposes

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1981
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Abstract
The purposes of this study were to find English language folk and traditional songs which were passed on in oral tradition in Alberta before 1945; to analyze them according to Kodaly principles; and to demonstrate their use in meeting the objectives of the elementary school music program. The collection of data included both primary and secondary sources obtained through field work and library research. A few Alberta songs were located in published sources, but no major collection was found. It was necessary to engage in field work to determine whether or not there would be enough songs to compile a collection suitable for use in the schools. Four hundred and fifty-nine songs were collected and recorded, not all of them appropriate for this purpose. The songs selected for transcription and inclusion were those that had been passed on in oral transmission before 1945 and were considered relevant, appropriate, and applicable for educational purposes. It is hoped that this collection of songs will provide Alberta children with musical material that is their own, will reflect Alberta's musical traditions, and will be a valuable contribution to the documentation of folklore in Alberta. The major conclusions are: that although there are a few Alberta songs in other published sources, no major collection exists ; that songs, traditional and folk, have been and still are circulating in oral tradition in Alberta; that there are a number of songs with locally significant lyrics and a number of variants that may be unique to Alberta; that as a result of the analyses of the songs' musical characteristics and an examination of the texts, many songs are deemed suitable for teaching purposes, and can be used effectively with elementary children.
Description
Bibliography: p. 284-288.
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Citation
Pauls, L. M. (1981). The english language folk and traditional songs of Alberta: collection and analysis for teaching purposes (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/15807
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