Description
Adolphus Frederick (Fred) Godfrey was born into a musical family and, after training at the Royal Academy of Music, he followed in his father’s footsteps in becoming the Bandmaster of the Coldstream Guards in 1875. Perhaps his best known composition is Lucy Long – a set of variations written for the 17 year old bassoonist Philip Langdale. Following its first performance in Blackpool it was played at the very first Proms concert in 1895, and subsequently in almost every Proms season until 1923.
The Lucy Long theme upon which Godfrey based his work was written in the mid-19th century as a comic banjo tune by the American Billy Whitlock. Lucy Long was incredibly popular and was often performed as the closing number in blackface minstrel shows – shows that were staged by white male musicians who, with their faces painted black, played characters that demeaned and dehumanized African Americans. Given the context it will come as little surprise that the song’s lyrics are racist, misogynist and offensive to modem ears.
Putting aside its unsavoury origins, the theme is undeniably catchy! Godfrey’s version – for solo bassoon and accompaniment – consists of an introduction, theme and four variations, which wonderfully showcase the many different facets of the bassoon. A fun piece but also useful if you want to feature the bassoon, perhaps in a school performance?
