The Music of Stephen Collins Foster

Stephen Collins Foster

(1826-1864)

Stephen Collins Foster (born 4 Jul 1826; died 13 Jan 1864) was the son of William Barcley Foster (born: 7 Sep 1779; died 27 Jul 1855) and Elisa Clayland [Tomlinson] Foster (born: Jan 1788; died Jan 1855) who were married in 1807. He had three sisters (Charlotte Susanna, Ann Eliza, and Henrietta) and four brothers (James [who died in infancy], Dunning McNair, Morrison and William). In 1850, he married Jane Denny McDowell.

Among his most popular songs are: Oh! Susanna (1848), De Campton Races (1850), Old Folks at Home [aka Swanee River] (1851), My Old Kentucky Home, Good-Night! (1853), Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair (1854), Gentle Annie (1856), Beautiful Dreamer (1862), and The Voices That Are Gone (1865).

The following published chronological song listing is derived from definitive information from the Center for American Music at Foster Memorial Hall of the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. My three main resources for obtaining score copies were The Music of Stephen C. Foster: A Critical Edition prepared by Steven Saunders and Dean L. Root (1990), Morrison Foster's book, published in 1896 and reprinted in 1977 by AMS Press, of Biography, Songs and Musical Compositions of Stephen C. Foster, and The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music. An excellent supplementary resource, which began my interest in this project was Stephen Foster Song Book: Original Sheet Music of 40 Songs by STEPHEN COLLINS FOSTER Selected, with an Introduction and Notes by RICHARD JACKSON, 1974, Dover Publications, ISBN 0-486-23048-1.

Title Words
1839
The Tioga Waltz [not published until 1896] n/a
1844
Open Thy Lattice Love George Pope Morris
Viva La Compagnie (Song and Chorus) [possibly by Foster] anonymous
1846
There's A Good Time Coming Charles Mackay
Autumn Waltz n/a
1847
Lou'siana Belle Foster
What Must a Fairy's Dream Be? Foster
Where Is Thy Spirit Mary? Foster
1848
Old Uncle Ned Foster
Stay Summer Breath Foster
Santa Anna's Retreat from Buena Vista n/a
Oh! Susanna Foster
Away Down Souf Foster
1849
Nelly Was a Lady Foster
My Brudder Gum Foster
Dolcy Jones Foster
Summer Longings Denis Florence McCarthy
1850
Oh! Lemuel! Foster
Mary Loves the Flowers Foster
Nelly Bly Foster
Soiree Polka n/a
Dolly Day Foster
"Gwine to Rune All Night" or De Camptown Races Foster
Angelina Baker Foster
Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway! Foster
Way Down in Ca-i-ro Foster
Molly Do You Love Me? Foster
The Voice of By Gone Days Foster
The Spirit of My Song Metta Victoria Fuller
Soiree Polka [arr. for Piano, Four Hands] n/a
I Would Not Die in Spring Time Foster
I Would Not Die in Spring Time [QUARTETTE] Foster
Turn Not Away! Foster
Village Bells Polka n/a
Lily Ray Foster
1851
Give the Stranger Happy Cheer Foster
Melinda May Foster
Wilt Thou Be Gone, Love? William Shakespeare
Mother, Thou'rt Faithful to Me Foster
Sweetly She Sleeps, My Alice Fair Charles G. Eastman
Farewell! Old Cottage Foster
Once I Loved Thee, Mary Dear William Cullen Crookshank
Ring, Ring de Banjo! Foster
Oh! Boys, Carry Me 'Long Foster
I Would Not Die in Summer Time Foster
My Hopes Have Departed Forever James Gates Percival
Laura Lee Foster
Ah! My Child! (Music from the aria Ah mon fils in La Prophete by Giacomo Meyerbeer, 1791-1864) Augustin-Eugene Scribe;
Translated by Foster
Old Folks at Home [Swanee River] Foster
Old Folks at Home Variations n/a
In the Eye Abides the Heart [In den Augen liegt das Herz] (Music by Franz Wilhelm Abt, 1819-1885, from Op. 54, no. 1; Arranged by Henry Kleber) Franz von Kobell;
Translated by Foster
Willie My Brave Foster
Eulalie Henry Sylvester Cornwall
Farewell My Lily Dear Foster
1852
Massa's in de Cold Ground Foster
The Hour for Thee and Me Foster
I Cannot Sing To-Night George F. Banister
Maggie By My Side Foster
1853
My Old Kentucky Home, Good-Night! Foster
Old Folk Quadrilles n/a
Annie My Own Love Charles P. Shiras
Holiday Schottisch n/a
Old Dog Tray Foster
Old Memories Foster
Little Ella Foster
There's a Land of Bliss [see "Old Uncle Ned", 1848] Foster
from The Shawm [6 Jul 1853] credited only to "S. F."
Soro (L. M.) [page 59] S. F.
Minot (L. M. Double) [page 63] S. F.
Stetson (L. M.) [page 65] S. F.
Mount Pisgah (C. M.) [page 127] S. F.
1854
Old Folks Quadrilles [from Social Orchestra] n/a
Anadolia [from Social Orchestra] n/a
Jennie's Own Schottish [from Social Orchestra] n/a
Irene (melody only) [from Social Orchestra] [see "Linger in Blissful Repose", 1858] n/a
Village Festival [from Social Orchestra] n/a
Ellen Bayne Foster
Willie We Have Missed You Foster
Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair Foster
Come With Thy Sweet Voice Again Foster
Hard Times Come Again No More Foster
1855
Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming Foster
Some Folks Foster
Hard Times Come Again No More
[arranged for the guitar]		 Foster
The Village Maiden Foster
Comrades Fill No Glass for Me Foster
1856
Gentle Annie Foster
The White House Chair Foster
The Great Baby Show, or The Abolition Show
[music: air "Villikins & his Dinah"]		 Foster
1857
Harmony Chant, L. M. (Chant) (from page 98 of The Jubilee) S. F. [aka? Stephen Collins Foster]
I See Her Still in My Dreams Foster
Gentle Annie [arranged for guitar accompaniment] Foster
Mikloth, C. M. Double. (Hymn) (from page 146 of The Jubilee) S. F. [aka? Stephen Collins Foster]
Pearne, S. M. Double. (Hymn)(from page 185 of The Jubilee) S. F. [aka? Stephen Collins Foster]
Sabbatus, L. M. (Hymn) (from page 64 of The Jubilee) S. F. [aka? Stephen Collins Foster]
1858
Lula Is Gone Foster
Linger in Blissful Repose Foster
Where Has Lula Gone? Foster
My Loved One and My Own or Eva Foster
Sadly to Mine Heart Appealing Eliza Sheridan Carey
My Angel Boy H. Brougham
1859
Linda Has Departed William Henry McCarthy
Parthenia to Ingomar William Henry McCarthy
For Thee, Love, for Thee William Henry McCarthy
Fairy-Belle Foster
Thou Art the Queen of My Song Foster
1860
None Shall Weep a Tear for Me Richard Henry Wilde
The Wife, or He'll Come Home Foster
Poor Drooping Maiden Foster
Cora Dean Foster
Under the Willow She's Sleeping Foster
The Glendy Burk Foster
Jenny's Coming O'er the Green Foster
Beautiful Child of Song Foster
Old Black Joe Foster
Down Among the Cane-Brakes Foster
Virginia Belle Foster
The Little Ballad Girl Foster
1861
Mine Is the Mourning Heart Foster
Don't Bet Your Money on de Shanghai Foster
Molly Dear Good Night Foster
Our Willie Dear Is Dying Foster
Lizzie Dies To-Night Mary Rynon Reese
Our Bright, Bright Summer Days Are Gone Foster
I'll Be a Soldier Foster
Why Have My Loved Ones Gone? Foster
Oh! Tell Me of My Mother Foster
Farewell Mother Dear Foster
Sweet Little Maid of the Mountain Foster
Farewell Sweet Mother Foster
Little Belle Blair Foster
Nell and I Foster
A Penny for Your Thoughts! Foster
A Thousand Miles from Home Foster
1862
Little Jenny Dow Foster
I Will Be True to Thee Foster
The Merry, Merry Month of May Foster
A Dream of My Mother and My Home Foster
That's What's the Matter Foster
Better Times (Days) Are Coming Foster
Slumber My Darling Foster
Merry Little Birds Are We Foster
Why No One to Love Foster
No Home, No Home Foster
Was My Brother in the Battle? Foster
We Are Coming Father Abraam, 300,000 More James Sloane Gibbons
I'll Be Home To-Morrow Foster
Happy Hours at Home Foster
Gentle Lena Clare Foster
We've a Million in the Field Foster
Beautiful Dreamer Foster
1863
The Love I Bear to Thee Foster
Bury Me in the Morning, Mother Foster
Little Ella's an Angel! Foster
Suffer Little Children Come Unto Me Foster
Willie's Gone to Heaven Foster
I'm Nothing But a Plain Old Soldier Foster
I'd Be a Fairy Foster
Bring My Brother Back to Me George Cooper
Oh! There's No Such Girl as Mine Samuel Lover

Water's Golden Harp for Sunday Schools
Mrs. O. S. Matteson
Edward Nevin
Foster
Foster
Joseph Gilmore
Foster
Foster
Foster
Mrs. Mary Ann Kidder
Foster
Mrs. Mary Ann Kidder
Arranged by Professor Cull
While [When] the Bowl Goes Round George Cooper
Jenny June George Cooper
A Soldier in the Colored Brigade George Cooper
There Are Plenty of Fish in the Sea George Cooper
When This Dreadful War Is Ended George Cooper
Lena Our Loved One Is Gone George Cooper
Katy Bell George Cooper
Larry's Good Bye George Cooper
There Was a Time James D. Byrne
Willie Has Gone to the War George Cooper
Kissing in the Dark George Cooper
For the Dear Old Flag I Die! George Cooper
The Soldier's Home George Cooper
My Wife Is a Most Knowing Woman George Cooper
Oh! Why Am I So Happy? Francis D. Murtha
Onward and Upward! George Cooper
We Will Keep a Bright Lookout George Cooper
The Song of All Songs John Poole?

The Athenaeum Collection of Tunes for Church and Sunday School
Charles Dickens?
[music=The Pure, the Bright, the Beautiful (1863)] Foster
Foster
Emily Sullivan Oakey
Mrs. Mary Ann Kidder
J. C.
H. C.
Foster
Foster
Mrs. Mary Ann Kidder
Dearer Than Life! (Meet Me Tonight Dearest) George Cooper
My Boy Is Coming from the War George Cooper
1864
If You've Only Got a Moustache George Cooper
Mr. & Mrs. Brown George Cooper
Wilt Thou Be True? George Cooper
When Old Friends Were Here George Cooper
She Was All the World to Me Dr. Duffy
Sitting by My Own Cabin Door Foster
Somebody's Coming to See Me Tonight George Cooper
When Dear Friends Are Gone Foster
Give This To Mother S. W. Harding
Tell Me Love of Thy Early Dreams Foster
All Day Long [doubtful by Foster] Clara Morton
Little Mac! Little Mac! You're on Your Own [doubtful by Foster] Mrs. Henrietta Foster Thornton?
1865
The Voices That Are Gone Foster
Our Darling Kate [accomp. by Foster] John Mahon
1866
Sweet Emerald Isle That I Love So Well [melody by Foster] George Cooper
1867
What Does Every Good Child Say? anonymous
Praise the Lord! Foster
1869
Kiss Me Mother Ere I Die Foster
Zalmon (L. M.) (by "S. F." from The Victory by William Batchelder Bradbury) S. F.

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Copyright © 1998-2007 by Benjamin Robert Tubb.
All Rights Reserved.
Webpage created September 1998.
Last updated on 26 August 2007.