Conclusion

This history of women’s music in the southern United States—one taking into account regional practices—offers new perspectives into class, social aspirations, and gender; it differs substantially from composer-centric narratives. It is the first study to interrogate the impact of the Civil War on women’s music—how it affected repertory, performance circumstances, and careers. The dissimilar women examined here prove that a single, fixed signifier, such as cultural class, social status, parlor music, or domesticity cannot sufficiently account for southern women’s music practices. Gentility provides a more satisfactory explanation by allowing a nuanced examination of southern women—both white and of color—and their musicking.

7 “A remarkable accomplishment for one of the gentle sex”

The emphasis on Sarah Smith’s reputation as an educator and the foundational role she had in establishing music programs at both the Columbia Female Institute and the Athenaeum brings to the fore opportunities for southern women to craft their own careers. Those who deliberately put themselves before a public in the antebellum period risked much damage to their social standing. Most carefully guarded their gentility by retaining as much obscurity as possible, but others notably stood out for their place in the public gaze....

4 “I have no time to tell you now half the enjoyment these operas have given us”

As Katherine Preston has argued, the impact of opera on American culture in the nineteenth century cannot be overestimated. Its imprint in the South can be detected early in Charleston and New Orleans, in both public performances and private collections.1 In the 1820s and 1830s, southern women knew Italian arias as arrangements for piano that often included several variations on a principal theme or in simplified versions often adapted to English texts. In this regard, “Away with Melancholy,” Mozart’s “O dolce concento” from ...

“A Covenant of Death”

Many southerners celebrated the war’s beginning. Others spoke in somber tones. Opinions flew in all directions after Sumter’s fall, as Americans reflected on what the war would mean. One constant presence, however, was the Bible. It helped Americans to brace for war. As the greatest crisis of their lives came into focus, they clung to the scriptures for comfort and justification. This time was remarkable for the variety of biblical responses to the war. Southern women struggled with their zeal for war, which many believed was inappropriate. If many wanted war, others drew back from the conflict, or at least worried about what the war would do to the nation, regardless of which side God was on. Just as northern preachers were sharpening their exegesis for battle, southerners did the same, as did Mormons, who hurled biblical attacks on both North and South from the West.