Today I found a goldmine: The liner notes of Max Parker's record, Al Tocar Diana, with songs the Franco prisoners sung in the San Pedro de Cardena prison. He recorded the tracks just over a year before he died, when 70 years old. I hope to find the record stashed in ALBA, the Avery Fischer Center, or maybe even the NYPL.

Parker's parents were Lithuanian Jews, who came to the US around 1904. During the transition, their name changed from Parkelchick to the Americanized Parker. He learned to sing in the family's orthodox synogogue alongside his siblings. He dropped out of school at 15 to work. Being very involved in the New York Jewish community, he saw from the outset the personal threat posed by Nazi Germany. In 1933, he took part in his first anti-Nazi rally, selling ice cream to marchers heading down Broadway to the German Embassy at South Ferry. His business sense combined with his social justice sense. When the Spanish Civil War broke out, he had to stand up against Fascism. In February 1937, he set sail for Paris en route to Spain.

After crossing the Pyrenees Mountains, he arrived in Spain, and after training served as a truck driver out of Albacete. During one harrowing search mission at Gandesa, where he was being ordered to travel behind enemy lines, his truck was captured by Italians. The Spanish soldiers were lined up, and one in every 10 or 20 was shot dead on the spot. The Italians wanted the Internationals alive to later trade in exchange for Fascist prisoners. Being the only man who spoke Spanish and English, Parker served as translater.

They first were held in Zaragoza. I believe it was in a church, and the Fascists made them relieve themselves behind the Church alter, while press took pictures. The pictures would be used to exemplify Republican disrespect for the Church. After some time, the prisoners were taken to San Pedro de Cardena. At this time, they realized that they would be in prison for some time, an unknown amount of time. They had all been sentenced to decades of time in jail. The men began to sing, teach educational lessons to each other, play chess, and do any other activities to mimic normal life and retain some sanity. He remembers his captain, Frank Ryan, as an inspiration, a man who maintained his honor in the face of brutal treatment. After being forced to sing the Fascist national anthem each morning, the internationals would return to their holding cell and sing Jarama. At the line "Before we continue this reunion, let us stand to our glorious dead," all the men stood and saluted. One of the prisoners was a choral director, and managed to create a steller choir out of the prisoners. They performed multiple times for the guards.

When Parker heard a group singing "Muera Negrin" in the prison courtyard, he knew the Republic was defeated for good. In February 1939 the Fascists decided to release some of the international prisoners. He was sent to San Sabastian, and soon after taken back to Paris and sent home. Amazingly, he answered the call again to fight in World War II.

His record, Al Tocar Diana (At Break of Dawn): Songs From a Franco Prison, was released from Folkways Records in 1982, FH 5435. Parker also recommends Songs of the Spanish Civil War Vols. I and II, Folkways FH 5436 and FH 5437.