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Theme Of The Month 11-2013: "comfort" Tunes


Jim Besser

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It is a cover of a song called "Sunday smile" by band named "Beirut".

 

That's great! I've just listened to their version... and while it's good too, I'm afraid that I prefer your version!

 

I like the serendipitous nature of this sort of discussion - I'd never heard of Beirut before but now I've spent a happy half hour discovering them.

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Ok I'm at a loose end while Sal puts her make-up on or something. I'll pick up the squeezebox and usually revert to this.Sarabande.mp3

 

It's by Handel from one of his keyboard suites but well known because, among other things, Stanley Kubrik created most of the soundtrack for Barry Lyndon from the orchestral version.

 

Not difficult but you need those bass notes. You can, as you see, have a lot of fun playing it thunderously and generally mucking about with the dynamics, and if you want to get clever there's a couple of variations on the theme too.

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Ok I'm at a loose end while Sal puts her make-up on or something. I'll pick up the squeezebox and usually revert to this.attachicon.gifSarabande.mp3

 

It's by Handel from one of his keyboard suites but well known because, among other things, Stanley Kubrik created most of the soundtrack for Barry Lyndon from the orchestral version.

 

Not difficult but you need those bass notes. You can, as you see, have a lot of fun playing it thunderously and generally mucking about with the dynamics, and if you want to get clever there's a couple of variations on the theme too.

Lovely stuff Dirge,

I especially like the Water Music effect ( caused by some distortion.. perhaps at this end or www coruption) ... sounds like you're playing Under water music. ;)

Thanks for the notes too, very thoughtfull.

Geoff.

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Dirge - very nice!

 

Besides, this little piece had made up the very first "real" music I had to play whilst learning to play the piano as a child. It has occupied a special place in my musical mind ever since... :)

Edited by blue eyed sailor
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Dirge - very nice!

 

Besides, this little piece had made up the very first "real" music I had to play whilst learning to play the piano as a child. It has occupied a special place in my musical mind ever since... :)

Well I think it was the first 'proper classical' piece I learnt on the concertina. And still a huge favourite. I can do much fancier stuff these days but not much gives me more pleasure, even now.

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Ok I'm at a loose end while Sal puts her make-up on or something. I'll pick up the squeezebox and usually revert to this.attachicon.gifSarabande.mp3

 

It's by Handel from one of his keyboard suites but well known because, among other things, Stanley Kubrik created most of the soundtrack for Barry Lyndon from the orchestral version.

 

Not difficult but you need those bass notes. You can, as you see, have a lot of fun playing it thunderously and generally mucking about with the dynamics, and if you want to get clever there's a couple of variations on the theme too.

Lovely stuff Dirge,

I especially like the Water Music effect ( caused by some distortion.. perhaps at this end or www coruption) ... sounds like you're playing Under water music. ;)

Thanks for the notes too, very thoughtfull.

Geoff.

 

Inept when it comes to the mechanicals as ever. But you'll recognise the instrument even through the seaweed?

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Ok I'm at a loose end while Sal puts her make-up on or something. I'll pick up the squeezebox and usually revert to this.attachicon.gifSarabande.mp3

 

It's by Handel from one of his keyboard suites but well known because, among other things, Stanley Kubrik created most of the soundtrack for Barry Lyndon from the orchestral version.

 

Not difficult but you need those bass notes. You can, as you see, have a lot of fun playing it thunderously and generally mucking about with the dynamics, and if you want to get clever there's a couple of variations on the theme too.

Lovely stuff Dirge,

I especially like the Water Music effect ( caused by some distortion.. perhaps at this end or www coruption) ... sounds like you're playing Under water music. ;)

Thanks for the notes too, very thoughtfull.

Geoff.

 

Inept when it comes to the mechanicals as ever. But you'll recognise the instrument even through the seaweed?

 

Ah Ha... that was THE instrument then ? Perhaps there is poor weather in the Ether.... shame because never did I hear a sweeter or more majestic a tone come out of a Concertina than that one produces.

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Does anyone else feel like me, that this theme is a little like opening your underwear drawer to all and sundry?

 

Pavan lachrimae

 

I recorded this for myself a few years back and decided then never to inflict it on anyone, but well Jim, you did ask for it... I still love to give it a go, especially when the rain is coming in horizontally, and you're wrapped up well at home with a good bottle of red wine! Played on my 39 button Suttner CG.

Adrian

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Adrian that has got to be one of the prettiest things I've ever heard on C net. Made my morning.

 

Can you point me to the music? I'd like to have a go at sounding so wistful and dainty.

Edited by Dirge
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Adrian that has got to be one of the prettiest things I've ever heard on C net. Made my morning.

 

I agree, except it's no longer morning here. My tears are flowing.
Adrian, how do you make a shortcut link to soundcloud like that (http://snd.sc/1eASxjX instead of https://soundcloud.com/aybee-anglo/pavan-lachrimae)?
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Does anyone else feel like me, that this theme is a little like opening your underwear drawer to all and sundry?

 

Pavan lachrimae

 

I recorded this for myself a few years back and decided then never to inflict it on anyone, but well Jim, you did ask for it... I still love to give it a go, especially when the rain is coming in horizontally, and you're wrapped up well at home with a good bottle of red wine! Played on my 39 button Suttner CG.

 

Adrian

 

Yes, I asked for it, and I'm glad I did - that's absolutely beautiful.

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Don't worry about the music; I had a ferret on the internet and I think it must be your own arrangement. So given that I'm too idle to write my own arrangements it would be cheek to steal someone else's efforts.

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Thanks for your kind comments, I feel somewhat justified in opening my drawers, so to speak...
David, great to meet you in the flesh last week - with soundcloud, I just saw an optional tick box to use a short URL when sharing.
Wolf, see you in the Wendland next year - I've just signed up with Robert to do another Concertinatreffen

Adrian

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... Theme of the Month ...

 

Each month we'll have a different theme - a genre, like Morris tunes or Irish tunes, or something else - like "the most challenging tune you've learned," or "tunes not commonly played on concertina." You pick a tune that matches the theme, record it and share it.

 

To kick it off, let’s hear your all-time favorite tune - to play, not perform.

 

What’s the tune that gives you the greatest pleasure when you’re sitting in your music room, all alone, without an audience to please/impress? What tune do you play when you just want to feel good - your musical version of comfort food?

I initially had some problems with the concept here... not "theme of the month" (that remains to be seen), but the description of this month's theme. I don't have a one-and-only "favorite" anything, for any purpose, and I think the whole idea of declaring one example somehow "better" than all others is a source of discord, all to often even in those making such a choice. Then there's that bit about "comfort food", another concept that's foreign to me. I'm not generally in need of "comfort", and if I were I don't think food would be able to provide it (not even chocolate B)). Ditto for any particular piece of music, though I'm generally comfortable with most sorts of both food and music. Finally, those things I most enjoy playing (as opposed to some I wish I could play) are those with which I'm comfortable, and so they're also the ones I select from when playing for others, including and especially folks who are encountering a concertina for the first time. I.e., there's nothing that I enjoy in private that I would consider hiding from others.

 

But there are lots of things I play that I take pleasure in and find "comfortable", so here I'll share just a few of them with you all.

 

South Wind (on treble English)

I love melody in and of itself, so even when I play a tune with harmony or chords I often start off by first playing it through without any of that, then add harmonies on repeats. That's what I've done here. The third time through is one of my earliest "arrangements" of a tune, while the seemingly simpler harmony of the second time through is something I added years later. Note that while this tune is often played as a waltz, I learned it first as a slow air, and that's still how I prefer to play it. I also tend to throw in somewhat more "twiddly" ornaments than I do in most tunes.

 

Jamie Allen (on treble English)

This Northumbrian polka has long been a favorite of mine. On the second time through, the first few notes of harmony in the A part owe a lot to Alistair Anderson's Concertina Workshop tutor, but then I went my own way.

 

Tompkins Square and Tobin's Favorite (on treble English)

The first of this pair of jigs is one of my own, which I composed on whistle but now often play on both whistle and concertina (not at the same time). I find it flows nicely into the second, which is traditional.

 

Bold Reilly (one verse sandwiched between two choruses, with tenor-treble English)

Concertina goes well with voice, too. This isn't a show off piece, but it's comfortable. In fact, this is a shanty, so I prefer to sing it without accompaniment, but if I have an audience that needs to be encouraged to sing along (more common in Scandinavia than in the US or UK), it can help to use the concertina to simulate extra voices, as I do here. And it's easy to do.

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