About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherNortheastern University Press

ISBN-101555536409

ISBN-139781555536404

eBay Product ID (ePID)47041032

Product Key Features

Number of Pages272 Pages

Publication NameSee You at the Hall : Boston's Golden Era of Irish Music and Dance

LanguageEnglish

Publication Year2005

SubjectModern / 20th Century, General, Europe / Ireland, Genres & Styles / Dance

TypeTextbook

Subject AreaMusic, History

AuthorSusan Gedutis

FormatTrade Paperback

Dimensions

Item Height0.7 in

Item Weight14.4 Oz

Item Length9.2 in

Item Width6 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceScholarly & Professional

LCCN2004-001099

Reviews"What this study does very well is reanimate a lost chapter of the history of the Irish-American community in the Boston area . . . See You at the Hall chronicles an unrecorded chapter in the coming-of-age of one of the major Irish-American communities in the United States. The community of Irish musicians and enthusiasts is greatly enriched by Gedutis's careful, yet exuberant, retelling of a vigorous period in the life of Irish music."-New Hibernia Review, "What this study does very well is reanimate a lost chapter of the history of the Irish-American community in the Boston area . . . See You at the Hall chronicles an unrecorded chapter in the coming-of-age of one of the major Irish-American communities in the United States. The community of Irish musicians and enthusiasts is greatly enriched by Gedutis's careful, yet exuberant, retelling of a vigorous period in the life of Irish music."--New Hibernia Review, "Susan Gedutis has created a highly readable, very enjoyable, and historically important memoir of this era... a loving, sensitive recreation of a scene that will never be witnessed again... [The] interviews alone are a treasure trove, but the author has given them a beautiful and understandable context within which to more fully appreciate them... See You at the Hall puts Boston on the map with other large Irish cities and it will be of interest on both sides of the Atlantic for those concerned with Irish culture in all its many forms. It is very accessible for those without formal training, yet at the same time it will be of tremendous value to researchers both now and in the future. Northeastern University Press must be commended for publishing this book."--H-Net URBAN Digest, Susan Gedutis has created a highly readable, very enjoyable, and historically important memoir of this era... a loving, sensitive recreation of a scene that will never be witnessed again... [The] interviews alone are a treasure trove, but the author has given them a beautiful and understandable context within which to more fully appreciate them... See You at the Hall puts Boston on the map with other large Irish cities and it will be of interest on both sides of the Atlantic for those concerned with Irish culture in all its many forms. It is very accessible for those without formal training, yet at the same time it will be of tremendous value to researchers both now and in the future. Northeastern University Press must be commended for publishing this book., "Susan Gedutis has created a highly readable, very enjoyable, and historically important memoir of this era... a loving, sensitive recreation of a scene that will never be witnessed again... [The interviews alone are a treasure trove, but the author has given them a beautiful and understandable context within which to more fully appreciate them... See You at the Hall puts Boston on the map with other large Irish cities and it will be of interest on both sides of the Atlantic for those concerned with Irish culture in all its many forms. It is very accessible for those without formal training, yet at the same time it will be of tremendous value to researchers both now and in the future. Northeastern University Press must be commended for publishing this book."--H-Net URBAN Digest, What this study does very well is reanimate a lost chapter of the history of the Irish-American community in the Boston area . . . See You at the Hall chronicles an unrecorded chapter in the coming-of-age of one of the major Irish-American communities in the United States. The community of Irish musicians and enthusiasts is greatly enriched by Gedutis's careful, yet exuberant, retelling of a vigorous period in the life of Irish music., "What this study does very well is reanimate a lost chapter of the history of the Irish-American community in the Boston area . . . See You at the Hall chronicles an unrecorded chapter in the coming-of-age of one of the major Irish-American communities in the United States. The community of Irish musicians and enthusiasts is greatly enriched by Gedutis's careful, yet exuberant, retelling of a vigorous period in the life of Irish music."ÑNew Hibernia Review, "Susan Gedutis has created a highly readable, very enjoyable, and historically important memoir of this era a loving, sensitive recreation of a scene that will never be witnessed again [The] interviews alone are a treasure trove, but the author has given them a beautiful and understandable context within which to more fully appreciate them See You at the Hall puts Boston on the map with other large Irish cities and it will be of interest on both sides of the Atlantic for those concerned with Irish culture in all its many forms. It is very accessible for those without formal training, yet at the same time it will be of tremendous value to researchers both now and in the future. Northeastern University Press must be commended for publishing this book."-H-Net URBAN Digest, "Susan Gedutis has created a highly readable, very enjoyable, and historically important memoir of this era... a loving, sensitive recreation of a scene that will never be witnessed again... [The] interviews alone are a treasure trove, but the author has given them a beautiful and understandable context within which to more fully appreciate them... See You at the Hall puts Boston on the map with other large Irish cities and it will be of interest on both sides of the Atlantic for those concerned with Irish culture in all its many forms. It is very accessible for those without formal training, yet at the same time it will be of tremendous value to researchers both now and in the future. Northeastern University Press must be commended for publishing this book."-H-Net URBAN Digest, "Susan Gedutis has created a highly readable, very enjoyable, and historically important memoir of this eraÉ a loving, sensitive recreation of a scene that will never be witnessed againÉ [The] interviews alone are a treasure trove, but the author has given them a beautiful and understandable context within which to more fully appreciate themÉ See You at the Hall puts Boston on the map with other large Irish cities and it will be of interest on both sides of the Atlantic for those concerned with Irish culture in all its many forms. It is very accessible for those without formal training, yet at the same time it will be of tremendous value to researchers both now and in the future. Northeastern University Press must be commended for publishing this book."ÑH-Net URBAN Digest, "Susan Gedutis has created a highly readable, very enjoyable, and historically important memoir of this eraâ€¦ a loving, sensitive recreation of a scene that will never be witnessed againâ€¦ [The] interviews alone are a treasure trove, but the author has given them a beautiful and understandable context within which to more fully appreciate themâ€¦ See You at the Hall puts Boston on the map with other large Irish cities and it will be of interest on both sides of the Atlantic for those concerned with Irish culture in all its many forms. It is very accessible for those without formal training, yet at the same time it will be of tremendous value to researchers both now and in the future. Northeastern University Press must be commended for publishing this book."- H-Net URBAN Digest, "Susan Gedutis has created a highly readable, very enjoyable, and historically important memoir of this era... a loving, sensitive recreation of a scene that will never be witnessed again... [The] interviews alone are a treasure trove, but the author has given them a beautiful and understandable context within which to more fully appreciate them... See You at the Hall puts Boston on the map with other large Irish cities and it will be of interest on both sides of the Atlantic for those concerned with Irish culture in all its many forms. It is very accessible for those without formal training, yet at the same time it will be of tremendous value to researchers both now and in the future. Northeastern University Press must be commended for publishing this book."-- H-Net URBAN Digest "What this study does very well is reanimate a lost chapter of the history of the Irish-American community in the Boston area . . . See You at the Hall chronicles an unrecorded chapter in the coming-of-age of one of the major Irish-American communities in the United States. The community of Irish musicians and enthusiasts is greatly enriched by Gedutis's careful, yet exuberant, retelling of a vigorous period in the life of Irish music."-- New Hibernia Review, "Irish dance halls were a well established fact of life in cities across much of the U.S. in the 1930s. Following World War II, through the 1940s and 1950s, some of these dance halls attained legendary status. Unique amongst its peers was Boston's Irish ballroom scene--five halls on the same street, all within very short walking distances from each other and to public transport. Here, Susan Gedutis chronicles an astonishing era in Boston's history in the words of those who lived it." -- Joe Derrane, "What this study does very well is reanimate a lost chapter of the history of the Irish-American community in the Boston area . . . See You at the Hall chronicles an unrecorded chapter in the coming-of-age of one of the major Irish-American communities in the United States. The community of Irish musicians and enthusiasts is greatly enriched by Gedutis's careful, yet exuberant, retelling of a vigorous period in the life of Irish music."- New Hibernia Review, "Susan Gedutis has created a highly readable, very enjoyable, and historically important memoir of this era... a loving, sensitive recreation of a scene that will never be witnessed again... [The interviews alone are a treasure trove, but the author has given them a beautiful and understandable context within which to more fully appreciate them... See You at the Hall puts Boston on the map with other large Irish cities and it will be of interest on both sides of the Atlantic for those concerned with Irish culture in all its many forms. It is very accessible for those without formal training, yet at the same time it will be of tremendous value to researchers both now and in the future. Northeastern University Press must be commended for publishing this book."-H-Net URBAN Digest, "Irish dance halls were a well established fact of life in cities across much of the U.S. in the 1930s. Following World War II, through the 1940s and 1950s, some of these dance halls attained legendary status. Unique amongst its peers was Boston's Irish ballroom scene--five halls on the same street, all within very short walking distances from each other and to public transport. Here, Susan Gedutis chronicles an astonishing era in Boston's history in the words of those who lived it." --Joe Derrane "See You at the Hall will stand alone as the definitive book on Irish music and dance halls in Boston. It will be welcomed not only by a general readership of Irish Americans for whom this will be a moving and nostalgic glimpse of their past, but also by libraries, museums, and colleges everywhere that offer serious programs in Irish studies."--Thomas H. O'Connor, author of The Boston Irish: A Political History and The Hub: Boston Past and Present

Dewey Edition22

Grade FromCollege Graduate Student

IllustratedYes

Dewey Decimal781.629162074461

Table Of ContentList of Illustrations 1. From Shanties to Three-Deckers, Boston as an Irish Destination 2. The 1920's, My Father's Band 3. The 130's, If You're Irish, Never mind the Parlor, Come into the Kitchen! 4. Strike Up the Band (Again) 5. If We Only Had Old Ireland Over Here, Dance, Music, and Irish Identitiy in the Postwar Dance Halls 6. There's a Sweetheart Waiting for You, Women and Romance 7. The Kings of Dudley Street, Johnny Powell and His Band 8. The Musician Crowd, A Community of Differences 9. At My Father's Knee, Learning Irish Music 10. Copley Records, Boston's Irish Label 11. The Hucklebuck and Blue Suede Shoes, Showbands 12. The Exodus 13. And The Band Played On Conclusion Discography Appendix A: Interviews Appendix B: Catalog of Musicians and Their Instruments Notes Bibliography Index

SynopsisFrom the 1940s to the mid-1960s, on several evenings a week, thousands of Irish and Irish Americans flocked from miles around to the huge, bustling dance halls -- the Intercolonial, the Hibernian, Winslow Hall, the Dudley Street Opera House, the Rose Croix -- that dotted Boston's Dudley Square. For the city's Irish population, the Roxbury neighborhood, with its ballrooms and thriving shopping district, was a vital center of social and cultural life, as well as a bridge from the old world to the new. See You at the Hall brings to life the rich history of the "American capitol of Galway" through the eyes of those who gathered and performed there. In this engaging look back at Boston's golden era of Irish traditional music, Susan J. Gedutis deftly weaves together engaging narrative with spirited personal reminiscences to trace the colorful dance hall period from its beginnings in 1940s Roxbury, when masses of young Irish flooded Boston following World War II, through its peak years in the 1950s, to its decline in the 1960s, when reduced immigration, urban social upheaval, and a shift in neighborhood demographics brought an end to the heyday of Irish dance hall music in Boston. After the last dance hall closed, Dudley Square musicians moved from the big ballrooms to pubs, social clubs, and private parties, preserving the music and passing it on to younger generations of Irish performers. Today, Irish traditional music is experiencing a major revival, and Boston still boasts a lively Irish music scene. This vivid portrait of the enduring and vibrant heritage of the dance hall era will rekindle memories of the good times in Dudley Square, and it will fascinate the legion of fans around the globe interested in the roots of the Irish music they hear today in concert halls, pubs, and clubs. The book also recounts an important period, as yet unchronicled, in the history of Irish music in America, and of the Irish in the diaspora., From the 1940s to the mid-1960s, on several evenings a week, thousands of Irish and Irish Americans flocked from miles around to the huge, bustling dance halls -- the Intercolonial, the Hibernian, Winslow Hall, the Dudley Street Opera House, the Rose Croix -- that dotted Boston's Dudley Square. For the city's Irish population, the Roxbury neighborhood, with its ballrooms and thriving shopping district, was a vital center of social and cultural life, as well as a bridge from the old world to the new. See You at the Hall brings to life the rich history of the American capitol of Galway through the eyes of those who gathered and performed there. In this engaging look back at Boston's golden era of Irish traditional music, Susan J. Gedutis deftly weaves together engaging narrative with spirited personal reminiscences to trace the colorful dance hall period from its beginnings in 1940s Roxbury, when masses of young Irish flooded Boston following World War II, through its peak years in the 1950s, to its decline in the 1960s, when reduced immigration, urban social upheaval, and a shift in neighborhood demographics brought an end to the heyday of Irish dance hall music in Boston. After the last dance hall closed, Dudley Square musicians moved from the big ballrooms to pubs, social clubs, and private parties, preserving the music and passing it on to younger generations of Irish performers. Today, Irish traditional music is experiencing a major revival, and Boston still boasts a lively Irish music scene. This vivid portrait of the enduring and vibrant heritage of the dance hall era will rekindle memories of the good times in Dudley Square, and it will fascinate the legion of fans around the globe interested in the roots of the Irish music they hear today in concert halls, pubs, and clubs. The book also recounts an important period, as yet unchronicled, in the history of Irish music in America, and of the Irish in the diaspora.

LC Classification NumberML3554G44 2004