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Poll: Tune Of The Month For October, 2014


Jim Besser

Poll: Tune of the Month for October, 2014  

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Thanks all for the thoughtful comments in the ‘future of the TOTM’ thread.


I toyed with the idea of continuing the September tunes in October, but already had this poll ready to go. And I'm all for a fresh start.


There were a lot of good ideas in the thread, and many of your suggestions will be incorporated into future TOTM selections. It'll be an ongoing process, but hopefully we can all work together to make the TOTM forum more useful, more fun and more accessible to players of every level.


For October, here are a few tasty tunes for your perusal. Pick the one you most want to learn. In the event of a tie, we’ll use the odds/evens procedure; if the number of total votes is even, we’ll do the first of the tied tunes in the polling order, if odd, the second.


I will leave the September poll pinned at the top of the thread list, since I know a lot of people are still working on the two tunes.


Irish: Down by the Sally Gardens.


A song that melded a poem by Yeats to a traditional Irish air, which, according to postings on thesession.org, may have been a tune by the name of The Maids of Mourne Shore. This can be lovely as a very straightforward melody only piece, but there are also exciting ways to play this in a harmonic style.



And an instrumental on concertina: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq70e3T7jVo

Another instrumental version by a band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4nnO3-oMMg


American: Nelly Bly


As per a suggestion by a TOTM participant, why not a song by Stephen Foster, sometimes dubbed the Father of American Popular Music? The minstrel song Nelly Bly, published in 1850, is simple but fun I've played it in my Civil War (the American Civil War!) band for years at reenactment balls, where we use it as a lively dance tune.


Here's a popular oldtime version and a version as a called square dance.

And on the other end of the spectrum,here it is sung by a small choral group.


Play it fast as a dance tune, play it slow and lilting, your choice! If you want to sing it, all the better. Or put it in a medley with other Stephen Foster tunes.


French: Crested Hens


I first heard this played by the great Irish band Solas, but it's actually a modern French tune, originally Les Poules Huppées. I've been told it often turns up at Irish sessions - possibly because of the Solas influence.


As David Fabre said in a previous C.net thread, "Originally a bourrée, it is also often played as a mazurka." It's played as a mazurka on the great Anglo International CD


It's a simple but beautiful melody that will sound great played in a variety of styles.


Here's the gorgeous Solas version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR7EfW5CeAM

And a lovely version on guitar and mandolin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MucH3O7LsE0


Classical: Bach Minuet in G Major


It’s hard to think of a better known piece of classical music than this one, or one with murkier provenance; despite the name, it might have been written by Christian Petzold but attributed to Bach until 1970. At least that’s what Wikipedia says.


Being a non-classical kind of guy, I’m not sure how I’d approach this tune. I’m sure Randy Stein will treat us to a fantastic classical arrangement, but I’ll probably end up with something that sounds more like a dance tune. Do the whole thing or just part, your choice.



Edited by Jim Besser
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ABC for Crested Hens:

 

X:1

T:Crested Hens
T:Les Poules Huppees
M:3/4
L:1/8
R:waltz
Q:110
O:Gilles Chabenat 1983, France
C:bourrée/waltz
K:Edor
|:"Em"E3 GFE|B4 Bc|"G"dc Be dc|"D"dc BA GF|"Em"E3 GFE|B4 Bc|"D"dc BA GA|"Em"B3 G FD|
E3 GFE|B4 Bc|"G"dc Be dc|"D"dc BA GF|"Em"E3 GFE|B4 Bc|"D"dc BA GA|"Em"B4 ef|
gB Bg gB|"C"=c4 ef|"D"gf ag fe|"B7"^d2 e2 f2|"Em"gB Bg gB|"C"=c4 ef|"D"gf ag fd|"Em"e3 e ef|
gB Bg gB|"C"=c4 ef|"D"gf ag fe|"B7"^d2 e2 f2| "Em"gB Bg gB|"C"=c4 ef|"D"gf ag fd|"Em"e3 G FA:|

Edited by sqzbxr
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X:1
T:Minuet in G Major
C:JS Bach
M:3/4
L:1/8
%%barnumbers 0
Q:1/4=160
K:G
(d2 GABc|d2).G2.G2|!<(!(e2cdef!<)!|g2).G2.G2|
(c2 dcBA|B2)(cBAG|F2) (GABG|A6)|
(d2 GABc|d2).G2.G2|!<(!(e2cdef!<)!|g2)G2G2|
(c2 dcBA|B2)(cBAG|A2) (BAGF|G6):|
|:b2 (ga bg|a2) (de fd|g2)(ef gd|^c2 Bc A2)|
!<(!(AB ^cd ef|!<)!g2).f2.e2|.f2(A2^c2|d6)|
d2 (GF G2)|e2 (GF G2)|.d2.c2.B2|(AG FG A2)|
!<(!(DE FG AB|.c2).B2.A2!<)!|!f!(cd) .G2.F2|G6:|

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BRAVO! A great set of choices, and far afield from the usual ones. All fine tunes. I'm not voting because I'd be happy with any of these, and might even find time to post a recording! Well, as I think of it I do have a favorite... :)

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Crested Hens was written when Gilles Chabanet was about 16. He wrote is as a Bouree, a rather fast dance as I understand it. Solas slowed it down and that has become the popular version stateside I think. Incidentally, he's a hurdygurdy player and the tune goes nicely with drones.... Because it can get played quite differently by note readers depending on how it is transcribed here are two other abc versions, a 3/4 slow waltzy one and a bouree as they are usually written (with a slightly different melodic variation).

 

X:1
T:Les Poules Huppees
C:Gilles Chabenat
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:Edor
E3|GFE|B3-|BBc|dcB|edc|dcB|AGF|
E3|GFE|B3-|BBc|dcB|AGA|1B3-|BGF:|2B3-|Bef||
|:gBB|gBB|=c3-|=cef|gfa|gfe|^d2e-|ef2|
gBB|gBB|=c3-|=cef|gfa|gf^d|1e3-|eef:|2e3-|e3|]
X:1
T:Les Poules Huppees - bourree
C:Gilles Chabenat
M:3/8
L:1/16
K:Edor
E2EGFE|B4Bc|dcBedc|dcBcBA|
E3GFE|B4Bc|dcBede|1B6:|2B4ef||
|:g2BgBf|=c4ef|geagfe|^d2=e2f2|
g2BgBf|=c4ef|geagf^d|1e4ef:|2e6|]
Edited to add the two versions.
Edited by cboody
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my own take on the minuet - albeit most of you may have already listened to it, some may not and consider it here...

 

(my anticipation of this time being mentioned as "our own..." with it - and thereby being able to feel like a welcome part of this community - was frustrated, and an attempt to resolve the new issue in private this time failed, so what am I gonna do with it? one might say "what's your beef" here, but with discomfort raising once again I'm struggling for keeping my participation - and again, you might say "so what", you're just "lowering your standing", as mentioned before, asf. - then you may read - and welcome - this as announcement of my withdrawal from at least TOTM)

 

Wolf (being truly thankful for every feedback received over 1 1/2 years)

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my own take on the minuet - albeit most of you may have already listened to it, some may not and consider it here...

 

(my anticipation of this time being mentioned as "our own..." with it - and thereby being able to feel like a welcome part of this community - was frustrated, and an attempt to resolve the new issue in private this time failed, so what am I gonna do with it? one might say "what's your beef" here, but with discomfort raising once again I'm struggling for keeping my participation - and again, you might say "so what", you're just "lowering your standing", as mentioned before, asf. - then you may read - and welcome - this as announcement of my withdrawal from at least TOTM)

 

Wolf (being truly thankful for every feedback received over 1 1/2 years)

Wolf,

I do think you need to be a little less sensitive. If you had written that Minuet or been the first person ever to play it on a concertina then some reference should have been made but this is a tune as well know as "happy birthday to you" or "somewhere over the rainbow".... I have played it myself for many years and only refrained from posting it the same month that you did just because you got in first and I thought it would annoy you if I appeared to be competing with you.

 

best regards,

Geoff.

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Hi Geoff,

 

thanks a lot for your balanced response! As to the details, why shouldn't a proper (that's how the first feedback said, and I'm happy with that) recording by one of the few contributors be mentioned when available? why not at least at hint from that member? It would be senseless and inappropriate to discuss details from a private conversation here, I just can say that I don't envision myself as being oversensitive here.

 

I might take the further discussion to the "future thread", or I might not. As to your mentioning a restraint from posting your own version, I pity that (and the general lack of more recordings from your side!), would love to hear what you've been making out of the tune, as it will be something different and therefore of true interest, at least for me. No need to look upon that as sort of "competing".

 

When I used to post a lot of recordings, TOTM tunes and beyond, here (now hesitating) it was for - of course! - being heard, for having them discussed, and - as mentioned repeatedly - sharing music on a mutual basis. The best reply is another soundfile as to me!

 

Maki, thank you very much for your comment on my track itself - I'm very glad you're enjoying it, and the style I've been developing over the last years!

 

Best regards - Wolf

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my own take on the minuet - albeit most of you may have already listened to it, some may not and consider it here...

 

(my anticipation of this time being mentioned as "our own..." with it - and thereby being able to feel like a welcome part of this community - was frustrated, and an attempt to resolve the new issue in private this time failed, so what am I gonna do with it? one might say "what's your beef" here, but with discomfort raising once again I'm struggling for keeping my participation - and again, you might say "so what", you're just "lowering your standing", as mentioned before, asf. - then you may read - and welcome - this as announcement of my withdrawal from at least TOTM)

 

Wolf (being truly thankful for every feedback received over 1 1/2 years)

 

I like the bounce you give it and the bass lines, which give it a different texture. Some very good ideas here.

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