Several months back the sweet couple sitting on the right end of the couch commissioned Chitter to make their wedding rings. She finished them a few days after Christmas and since the couple was attending a wedding in Georgia they decided to come by Brasstown on their way home to Boone to pick up the rings.
The girls met them over on the main road so they wouldn’t have to detour all the way to our house, but when the rings needed a slight fitting adjustment they ended up coming to our house anyway so that Chitter could make the necessary changes.
Two of the soon to be bride’s sisters were also part of the group.
Once the rings were fixed they said they would love to play a few tunes with Chatter and Chitter before heading on home. My girls jumped at the chance to get to play music with them.
One of the songs they played is the old fiddle tune “Golden Slippers.” I found this information about the tune on the Traditional Tune Archive:
GOLDEN SLIPPERS. AKA – “O dem Golden Slippers.” American; Reel, Two-Step, Polka, and Song Tune. USA, widely known, esp. in the northern tradition. D Major (Brody, Ford): C Major (Jarman): G Major (Bronner, Johnson, Phillips, Reiner, Shaw, Sweet). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Bronner): AAB (Phillips, Shaw): AABB (Jarman, Ford): AABB’ (Brody, Johnson, Reiner, Sweet). Originally a song composed by prominent black minstrel songwriter and banjo player (with Haverly’s Minstrels) James A. Bland in 1870 as “Oh! Dem Golden Slippers.” The melody later passed from the minstrel stage into folk and fiddling tradition (Bland also wrote “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny” and “In the Evening by the Moonlight“). Bland was born in 1854 on Long Island, to a family of free blacks (his father was the first black patent examiner, in Washington, D.C.). He died in 1911, poor despite his hundreds of compositions (of which he copyrighted only 35). Due to this dissemination it appeared in song collections without credit to Bland, and was noted by several collectors in folk tradition in the early twentieth century (e.g. Frank C. Brown’s Folk Songs from North Carolina). Played in the key of F Major by Arizona fiddler Kenner C. Kartchner, who played the tune in harmony with another fiddler for dances in the early 20th century (Shumway). In repertory of Buffalo Valley Pa. dance fiddler Ralph Sauers.
Chatter and Chitter have been playing “Golden Slippers” for many years, but they really enjoyed playing it with their new friends.
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TIPPER I LOVE TO HEAR THE MUSIC . AS YOUR GIRLS IF THEY CAK PLAY A SONG FOR ME. (SILVER THREADS AND GOLDEN NEEDLE) THIS OLD TARHEEL LOVES THAT SONG. THANKS. AND KEEP ON A PICKIN.
Awesome! They sounded so good
Wow… that was absolutely beautiful. What talent in that living room ❤️
I absolutely love the sound of 4 fiddles with the guitar.
My late Momma loved this song. Sometimes you would catch her singing it when she was laying over supper of the evening. I miss her singing like that.
Wow! Nice to have so many fiddle players together at the same time!
That is very sweet.❤️
Blessings, TeresaSue
This is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice & be glad in it.
Great tune, toe tappin like the young man with bare feet. Am a bare foot person myself, never liked shoes!
Well wishes to the soon to be bride & groom. Would love to see the wedding bands that Katie fashioned for the couple.
Let us not forget the other musicians, big thank you, great job.
What a sweet story and that’s wonderful Katie made their wedding rings for them! Makes the big day even more special! I have to say that Golden Slippers is one of my favorite tunes. I do believe that it was Golden Slippers that Zeb and Esther Walton danced to at their 50th wedding celebration on the Waltons. I loved hearing Katie and Corie and all of them play this! It reminds me so much of Appalachia. Have a blessed Sunday everyone!!
I loved that show, and was thinking of it while watching this video. Maybe that’s why!
Well, I reckon I’ll be reminded of this post from here on out when I hear even a few notes of that tune. (Just wish my mind was sharp enough to remember comments to.) Interesting that already this morning several people have had memories awaken by it. Glad for all concerned that they got to make an enduring memory. Of such ‘small’ things a good life is made. You all know that well and practice it to.
I love reading that story! I watched the video on the twins channel. I loved the tune they played and they all did such an incredible job playing it! They are all very talented! It’s always good to make new friends!
Congratulations to the couple on their upcoming wedding!
I too heard this from my grandmother who was born in 1907 or thereabouts. It was also (the tune) featured in a Golden Grahams cereal commercial some years back. It’s a very happy little tune. Congrats to the lovely young couple! Chitter needs to show off those rings to us- her adoring public. Btw, it’s a good thing old boy was barefoot cause your rug wudda got cut. Lol
My mother played piano in a 3 piece somewhat country style band when I was a child. They usually played for the Fireman’s dances above a small restaurant where we lived. I got to go with her sometimes and I remember Golden Slippers being a song that was always a part of their songbook. It brings back many sweet memories.
When I was a very little girl, many years ago, my Grandma used to sing, “Oh Dem Golden Slippers” to me. It wasn’t til I heard your girls & their company playing it that I remembered it. Grandma was a young lady in the early 20th century around 1915-1920. Back then it was customary for young people to gather in a group & sing songs during an evening. Sometimes there would be food the girls had prepared. I learned a lot of old songs at my Grandma’s knee like the ones you mentioned. I still remember them today & love that I can find them & hear them again on line. Thanks for the lovely memories Tipper. I so enjoy Celebrating Appalachia, Blind Pig & the Acorn & The Pressely girls. Blessing to you all.
Awww…that was fun! Thanks for sharing, Tipper! As an aside, I’d LOVE to see a picture of the rings Chitter made for the couple…if she’s willing to share! 🙂
It is nostalgic for me to see the girls playing that tune. I first met them at a Dance Musician Week and it was one the tune Chitter, Bob (from Va.) and I played for our dance.
Tipper,Golden Slippers is also the theme tune to the mummers parade in Philadelphia I believe. The mumming tradition dates back to Europe, especially England and Ireland. It usually takes place from early December to mid January. It involves a combination of poetry and theatre, and took place in people’s homes and outdoors. “Mums the word” is a saying derived from the word, meaning be quiet, as the mumming tradition was more mime based in its origins, the word mum old English for silent. I first came across the tradition on a school trip to the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh, N.Ireland.
Thank you for sharing this information – I love to hear the origins of words we use. Seems it would be great to watch a mummers parade, also. Seeing a mime in action is really cool. Sadly it seems to have gone the way of the ventriloquist and typewriter. LOL
Katie’s String Band!
What a wonderful memory for the engaged couple and of course the girls as well.
What a treat. I especially like the bare feet. Have a Blessed Sunday