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Poll: Tune Of The Month For August, 2014


Jim Besser

Poll: Tune of the Month, August 2014  

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Hope your summers are all going well, wherever in the world you are. I know a lot of you are on holiday, but hopefully you'll have some time to learn a new tune in August. Here are a few tunes from different genres; please vote - and learn and post the winner!


French: Polka de L’Ase


I first heard this wonderful French polka on this forum, played by Tona on his amazing Dipper duet, and it became an instant favorite. Tona set a high standard of playing that should keep us all busy if it's your choice.


Here's his version that was posted on c.net: https://soundcloud.com/thoon-1/polka-de-lase-pour-cnet-totm-june-2014


And here's the notation he kindly supplied: http://www.fichier-pdf.fr/2014/06/25/polka-de-l-ase/


English / Welsh: The White Joak


I love this crooked tune, one of a number of “joak” tunes of varying hues (I play the Black Joak for my Morris side; John Kirkpatrick recorded a great medley that includes the white, black, yellow and 'true' joaks. I think there's a Blue Joak as well, and probably others). Its origins are a matter of debate - some say it’s English, some say Welsh, and the meaning of the term “joak” is not entirely clear. But we aren't semanticists or ethno-musicologists, we’re musicians who like to play great tunes, dammit, and this is definitely one.


Here's a nice, somewhat elaborate version on melodeon: https://soundcloud.com/oysterboy6/white-joak

And a couple on fiddle:




And here's some notation:




___________________


It’s been called to my attention that a very high proportion of tunes that appear in TOTM polls - probably too high a proportion -- are dance tunes. This isn't surprising, since I've been a dance musician for a lot of years, but I promise to include more non-dance tunes from now on. Here are a couple for the August poll; I’d really welcome suggestions of tunes in this category for future polls.


___________________


African / Jazz: Lullaby


This is a really nice tune I first heard played by a jazz trio that includes our own Randy Stein. I believe it’s African in origin, and it works nicely on various concertina systems.


Here's a great version by Randy's group, the Rodger French Trio.



The basic melody is simple, and can be lovely played by itself, but this tune really shines when played capably on the English system, with its awesome chord potential. It's a little more challenging on Anglo, with its more limited chord pallette, but the potential is there for a really great sounding piece. I'd love to hear what you duet concertinists out there will do with it.


I"m not sure notation for this is available without violating copyright, so be aware that if this is the choice, you may be learning Lullaby by ear. But the basic tune is really straightforward, and I'm guessing it won't be a problem for most of you.


Classical: March from Scipio


This march was written by George Frideric Handel in the early 1700s for his opera Scipione.


A strange choice for concertina players, you say? Then rush out and buy a copy of Anglo International, where you’ll hear a splendid version played on Anglo by Andy Turner. This is what the liner notes have to say about this tune: The March is from Act 1 of Handel's opera. It can be heard every year at the Trooping of the Colour, as it is the regimental slow march of the Grenadier Guards. It was also one of several classical pieces in the fiddle tunes of the nineteenth century Northamptonshire poet John Clare.


I can’t offer you his version, but there are plenty of interesting renditions on YouTube, including ones on organ, on baritone and by a full orchestra.


There it is: a fine (I hope) selection of tunes for your learning pleasure in August. Vote, and then let's get to work!

Edited by Jim Besser
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An organ score for March from Scipio is available in PDF format here:

 

http://imslp.org/wiki/Scipione,_HWV_20_(Handel,_George_Frideric)

 

Use the index on the left - score is public domain.

 

A direct link to the PDF is here:

 

http://javanese.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/4/4b/IMSLP318806-PMLP44850-haendel_hwv_020_scipio_marsch.pdf

 

ABC is available here:

 

http://abcnotation.com/tunePage?a=www.village-music-project.org.uk/abc/clare_J/0060

Edited by sqzbxr
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Excellent fiddle/concertina rendition of the white joak

 

https://soundcloud.com/nick-hart-tom-moore/the-white-joak-the-black-joak

 

Yes indeed! Thanks a lot for pointing me / us at these guys, more great tracks overthere, had to repost their "Child Grove"... :)

 

(besides, now I know one way to involuntarily be exclulded from a recent poll: hit the "last post" button on an iPhone or iPad :angry: )

Edited by blue eyed sailor
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African / Jazz: Lullaby

 

This is a really nice tune I first heard played by a jazz trio that includes our own Randy Stein. I believe it’s African in origin, and it works nicely on various concertina systems.

Africa is big. More specifically, Lullabye was composed by Tony Schilder, a prominent member of the South African jazz community.

 

Here's a great version by Randy's group, the Rodger French Trio.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYCk1trBgbM

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any other recordings of this tune on the internet, though I have found YouTube videos of Tony himself performing other pieces. Having little experience playing jazz, I would really like to listen to more than one interpretation before trying to come up with an arrangement of my own.

 

I'm not sure notation for this is available without violating copyright, so be aware that if this is the choice, you may be learning Lullaby by ear. But the basic tune is really straightforward, and I'm guessing it won't be a problem for most of you.

No, the difficulty for many of us -- though I hope not all -- would be in choosing what chords and harmonies to use, even (or maybe especially) if that means trying to figure out what chords Randy's trio is playing. Clearly, the "three chord trick" is not going to suffice. B)

 

I'm sure it would be copyright, and I haven't found any notation for it on the web. Where did Randy's group encounter it, and did they have something published to work from, or did they learn it entirely by ear?

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Classical: March from Scipio

 

This march was written by George Frideric Handel in the early 1700s for his opera Scipione.

I like the idea of offering something classical, but to my taste this is one of Handel's less inspired works. Melody alone or full orchestra, it just doesn't "send" me, so I'm not voting for it.

 

Other are free to disagree.

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Classical: March from Scipio

 

This march was written by George Frideric Handel in the early 1700s for his opera Scipione.

I like the idea of offering something classical, but to my taste this is one of Handel's less inspired works. Melody alone or full orchestra, it just doesn't "send" me, so I'm not voting for it.

 

Other are free to disagree.

 

 

I put it in the poll because it's relatively accessible to players of all systems. I'm very open to other classical selections.

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I really like the White Joak, shame it had to come head to head with this little beauty, abc for those that like to collect such things.

 

X:1
T:Polka de l'ase
T:Version J. Vayssade & M. Bernard
T:Releve JP. Simonnet
M:2/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=100
K:G
P:A
z3D|:"G"B>^A B>G|"Am"AE E2|"D7"A2 BA|"G"G/F/G/A/ BD|
"G"B>^A B>G|"Am"AE E2|"D7"AB/A/ GF|1"G"G3D:|2"G"G3d||
P:B
|:"G"Bd Gd|"Am"c/d/c/B/ Ad|"D7"cd Ae|"G"d/e/d/B/ dd|
"G"Bd Gd|"Am"c/d/c/B/ Ad|"D7"c/d/c/B/ AB|1"G"G3D:|2"G"G3 D||
P:A
|:"G"B>^A B>G|"Am"AE E2|"D7"A2 BA|"G"G/F/G/A/ BD|
"G"B>^A B>G|"Am"AE E2|"D7"AB/A/ GF|1"G"G3D:|2"G"G3 F/G/||
K:D
P:C
|:"D"AA AB|A/B/A/F/ Ad|"A7"^cd/e/ dG|"D"B2 AF/G/|
"D"AA AB| A/B/A/F/ Ad|"A7"cd/e/ Bc|1"D"d3 F/A/:|2"D"d3 d||
K:G
P:Inter
|:"D7"c>Ace| "G"d>B dA/B/|"Am"cd/c/ "D7"BA|1"G"G3 "D7"D:|2"G"G3|]

Edited by tallship
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I'm not sure notation for this is available without violating copyright, so be aware that if this is the choice, you may be learning Lullaby by ear. But the basic tune is really straightforward, and I'm guessing it won't be a problem for most of you.

 

I'm not sure that not providing a written score or abc transcription gets around copyright laws, in fact I'm certain that it doesn't in the UK at least. melodeon.net always seeks the composer's permission before a tune is allowed to be Tune of the Month. Most composers say yes to amateur only use but some (usually American composers) like Jay Ungar insist on wording along the lines of:

 

© Jay Ungar. Used by permission. All rights reserved. To be posted with each recording.

 

Without the composer's blessing I think TOTM submissions are on very dodgy ground, especially on the internet where international laws apply. My wife is a lawyer, I do not say this lightly!

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I'm not sure notation for this is available without violating copyright, so be aware that if this is the choice, you may be learning Lullaby by ear. But the basic tune is really straightforward, and I'm guessing it won't be a problem for most of you.

 

I'm not sure that not providing a written score or abc transcription gets around copyright laws, in fact I'm certain that it doesn't in the UK at least. melodeon.net always seeks the composer's permission before a tune is allowed to be Tune of the Month. Most composers say yes to amateur only use but some (usually American composers) like Jay Ungar insist on wording along the lines of:

 

© Jay Ungar. Used by permission. All rights reserved. To be posted with each recording.

 

Without the composer's blessing I think TOTM submissions are on very dodgy ground, especially on the internet where international laws apply. My wife is a lawyer, I do not say this lightly!

 

 

THat's the problem I face every month.

 

In most cases when I've included recently composed pieces in the polls, I've asked for permission.

 

In the case of "Lullaby," I have dots, but it's an arrangement that I believe was copyrighted. So I don't feel free to post it. I know Randy Stein's group tried to track down the composer and was never able to find him.

 

Same thing applies on things like jazz standards, which is why I don't post dots, and why traditional tunes predominate on TOTM polls.

 

I confess to not knowing the law regarding posting amateur recordings of copyrighted tunes.

Edited by Jim Besser
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I'm not sure that not providing a written score or abc transcription gets around copyright laws, in fact I'm certain that it doesn't in the UK at least. melodeon.net always seeks the composer's permission before a tune is allowed to be Tune of the Month. Most composers say yes to amateur only use but some (usually American composers) like Jay Ungar insist on wording along the lines of:

 

© Jay Ungar. Used by permission. All rights reserved. To be posted with each recording.

 

Without the composer's blessing I think TOTM submissions are on very dodgy ground, especially on the internet where international laws apply. My wife is a lawyer, I do not say this lightly!

Another, less serious (I hope) perspective is given in this comic. B)

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