Cherry Tree Carol, Pt. 2- Andrew Rowan Summers, 1951 (pre 1934)
[This is one of two version Summers recorded and is similar to Clarence Cutting's NY version. This is part of the third part of the carol known under the title, "As Joseph was Walking." This version was known before Cutting's version was published in 1944. See notes below,
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
CHERRY TREE CAROL, PT. 2 Folkways 1951
As Joseph was a-walking,
He heard the angel sing,
Tonight shall be the birth,
Of Christ our heav'nly King.
He neither shall be born
In house nor in hall,
Nor in the place of paradise,
But in an ox's stall.
He neither shall be clothed,
In purple nor in cloth,
But in a bare white linen,
That useth babies all.
He neither shall be rocked,
In silver nor in gold,
But in a wooden manger,
That rests upon the mold.
As Joseph was a-walking,
And did an angel sing,
And Mary's child at midnight,
Was born to be our King.
Then be ye glad ye people,
This night of the year,
And light ye up your candles,
For His star shineth clear.
Andrew Brown Summers: A Profile
from Dulcimer Player's News 1983
The dulcimer world has long attracted persons from various walks of life. This article highlights the life of one of the early modern dulcimer legends, Andrew Rowan Summers—attorney, interior furnishings designer, antique dealer, folk song collector and singer, and dulcimer player.
This multi-talented man was born in Abingdon, Virginia on December 15, 1912. His father, Lewis Preston Summers was a prominent lawyer and author of 3 histories of the Virginia Highlands. Summers showed interest and ability in art and music at an early age and, by age 10, he could play almost any song on the piano by ear. His singing developed during his teens with membership in the church choir and voice lessons. This began the training of Summers' beautiful tenor voice which, with simple dulcimer accompaniment, can still be heard on Folkways Records.
Summers entered the University of Virginia in 1930, majoring in music and taking further voice training under Roma Hempstead. He participated in theatre productions and later entered the University's law school graduating in 1935. During this period he sang many concerts of "standard" songs in the Virginia area. After returning to law practice in Abingdon, he attended the first White Top Folk Festival in 1938 where Eleanor Roosevelt was the guest of honor. This visit started his interest in folk music, "Suddenly I realized we were seeking avidly for things that happened every day of my life." As his folk music interest grew, so did his interest in the dulcimer, "...the only instrument ever countenanced by the folks themselves as accompaniment." At this festival Summers heard his first dulcimer, played by John Testerman, a man in his eighties from Smith County, Virginia. He later built a dulcimer for Summers and willed him his own instrument. Summers began to visit Testerman, writing down his songs and noting his dulciner playing method.
His law work took Summers to many parts of Virginia and he used these opportunities to learn more about the traditions and the songs, "Farmers would come to my law office and hum folk melodies while they waited, so I began collecting their songs."
In 1938, Summers moved to New York City and worked as an editor for a law publisher. While there he visited Columbia Records and sang his songs for a vice-president, using his dulcimer for accompaniment. This resulted in a 4 record, 78 RPM album, "Old World Ballads in America" (1941). This is regarded as one of the first documented recordings of American folk music and it received critical acclaim. This period also included some experimental television programs, often using the dulcimer.
The dulcimer was hardly a common sight in the Big Apple in the 40's. His dulcimer case aroused suspicion, on his arrival at Grand Central Station and had to be opened for police inspection. Appearing on an NBC radio program he found he had no feather (pick) and had to use a pencil. Milton Cross, the announcer, mentioned this on the program and Summers received feathers of all types from as far away as Australia. A news photo caption (1940) reads, "...this instrument is a dulcimer, known in some archaic circles as a psaltery. It sounds like a cross between a Hawaiian guitar and a cigar-box fiddle. Tonight over WNYC, Andrew Rowan Summers will strum his psaltery..."
His dulcimer "mission" continued throughout this period. It Included concerts at the World's Fair, lectures at Columbia University, recitals at Tanglewood and even New York night club appearances at Le Ruban Bleu and the Sert Room. During this busy time Summers said he "practiced law by day and sang all night... (the) cause of my ulcer." He did not regard the dulcimer as only a folk instrument but felt that many educated persons had used it for accompaniment to their recording of history in song. He performed folk song and dulcimer concerts in many parts of the United States and often entertained friends at moonlit concerts in his Abingdon garden.
In New York, Summers became acquainted with Agnes DeMille, the ballet choreographer. They often met for lunch in a nearby drug store and she composed a ballet, The Cherry Tree Legend, based on Summer's rendition of the Cherry Tree Carol. In 1943 he joined the law firm of Burroughs and Brown building a successful law practice, but his first love was music and design. However, he felt that making folk music recordings would not provide a living.
He designed many of the furnishings for his own New York home originally built by Martin Van Buren, the 8th President. He became well known for the beautiful, stately lamps he designed for Lord & Taylor, eventually purchased by clients such as Fulton Sheen, the Duchess of Windsor and Doris Duke. In 1947, he formed Andrew R. Summers Associates to design and manufacture other furnishings. Summers inherited the family law office in Abingdon, built in 1810. He converted this into a bachelor apartment and also operated Abingdon House Antiques. After his death in March, 1968, the building was given to the Washington County Historical Society of Abingdon.
Summers felt the work dulcimer was a misnomer for psaltery and that it was an instrument probably of Oriental origin. "The true dulcimer is the ancestor of the piano... the term crept into folk speech in pre-Elizabethan Scotland and England... and was brought to Southwest Virginia by Scottish settlers. There is an affinity between me and the dulcimer." His favorite songs included the Cherry Tree Carol, Hares on the Mountain and Searching for Lambs.
I am indebted to Mrs. Howard (Olivia) Dutcher, Summers' youngest sister for much of the information in this article and the photo from her scrapbook. I have also received help from Walter Hendricks, President of the Washington County Historical Society.
I had an interesting telephone conversation with Derek Dutcher, a nephew of Andrew Summers. He has owned one of Summers' dulcimers for 16 years and plays it in his style. The body and top are of 1/8" thick hard maple in an elongated tear drop shape. Overall, it's 34" long and 7" across at the widest portion. The hollowed 1/4" thick fretboard is 1" high and 1 3/8" wide with 2 round sound holes in the board. There are also two larger clef shaped sound holes in the soundboard. The body is 2" thick.
The peg box scroll is carved in cherry as is the fretboard base. Only one of the original carved pegs remains and the others are violin pegs. Derek uses four equi-distant steel wrapped banjo strings, Black Diamond C's (3) and a G. Derek was long interested in his uncle's singing. He continues the tradition by strumming the dulcimer using goose quills both for noter and pick. He has a counter-tenor voice and sings Old World ballads much as his uncle did. Although he performs for friends and some historical groups, Derek's appearance at a folk festival some years ago was not encouraging. Sandwiched between two country rock bands, his quiet ballads and dulcimer weren't well received by the crowd. I assured him there are still people and festivals who welcome the traditional sound.
Being a traditionalist, he doesn't favor the use of plastic picks or "electric" dulcimers. He sees the dulcimer primarily as an accompaniment for singing (as did Summers) and not as a solo instrument. He would love to hear from dulcimer people and his address is Derek Dutcher, 4900 Medical Drive, Apt. 1603, San Antonio, TX 78229.
Andrew Rowan Summers is an example of a non-traditional singer who acquired an authentic singing and playing style through a careful study of the traditional singers. "I reached folk music just as the gate closed. In families who once sang folk music, the young people have moved away or they derive their entertainment from television" (this in the early 50s!).
ANDREW ROWAN SUMMERS ON FOLKWAYS RECORDS
(all with ARS singing and dulcimer accompaniment)
FA2002 Christmas Carols FA2348 Traditional Ballads
FA2021 Seeds of Love FA2361 Hymns and Carols
FA2041 The Lady Gay FA2364 The Unquiet Grave
FA2044 The Faulse Ladye