U.S. Catholic Historian, Vol. 30, No. 4, Religious Music (Fall 2012), pp. 39-62
Between 1898 and 1930, at least 70 songs using 'rosary' as a central image were published in the United States. Strikingly, most are love songs, using the rosary as an analogy within romantic themes. This phenomenon stemmed from the popularity of an art song published in 1898, 'The rosary', with words by poet Robert Cameron Rogers and music by Ethelbert Nevin. The publication of a novel featuring the song in 1910 spurred a new burst of rosary songs in the Tin Pan Alley style, many referencing the original textually and musically. The article traces how 'The rosary' became one of the most popular pieces of sheet music in its time and spawned dozens of spinoff songs. These songs differ significantly from music in Catholic publications dedicated to promoting the rosary as a prayer. Questions of the 'Catholic-ness' of the songs and Catholic response to the phenomenon are addressed.
