Barb'ra Ellen- Bennett (NC) 1918 Sharp MS
[My title. Single stanza with music as Bronson 179, from Sharp MSS., 4601. Notes from Sharp's diary follow,
R. Matteson 2015]
Sharp diary 1918 page 260. Saturday 14 September 1918 - Burnsville
After breakfast go out collecting first from Mr Jack Bennett, Sam Bennett’s brother, and then from Mrs Ayres, Sam Bennett’s daughter from whom I get quite a nice bunch of songs. Lunch early so as to go & hear Governor Bickett’s speech at the Methodist Chapel. We were highly amused at the way in which we were all marshalled about as though we were children during what the M[aster of] C[eremonies] called "the exercises". First they sang "America" (i.e. God save the King) being told to sing last verse "prayerfully". The Governor is by way of being an orator and made a fine speech so far as content went, but he ranted, shook with emotion, clenched his fists and had an objectionable habit of suddenly shouting out, or shrieking out the last word of his sentence — for no reason whatsoever! But he put England’s case very fairly and all he said about England was extremely nice. After dinner a lot of people came in and we danced square dances, The Virginia Reel, Maud & I sang, Mrs Hempel (ex-ballet dancer) did some dances pretty badly, the Victrola did its wont and we all enjoyed ourself — but it is hard to be festive without drinks in this benighted country!
[Barbra Ellen] - Sung by Mrs. Virginia Bennett, Burnsville N.C., September 13, 1918. Sharp MSS., 4601/.
As I was crossing London Bridge,
The Maple buds were swelling,
A young man on his dcath-bed lay
For the love of Barbra Ellen.
For the love of Barbra Ellcn.