“The Old Folks are Gone” is a sentimental piece about a person returning to their childhood home only to be struck by the realization that all the older important people in their life have passed away. The memories evoked by this realization are bitter sweet.

This arrangement of the song is a version sung by Edwin Christy at Christy’s Opera House in New York. Edwin Pearce Christy (1815-1862) was an American musician, performer, and composer. He is best known as the founder and leader of Christy’s Minstrels, one of the most influential and popular minstrel troupes of the 19th century. Christy was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and began his career as a singer and actor. In the early 1840s, he formed Christy’s Minstrels, which gained widespread fame for their performances that combined comedy, music, and dance. Christy’s Minstrels popularized the minstrel show genre and introduced many well-known songs, including Stephen Foster’s “Old Folks at Home” (also known as “Swanee River”).

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