My new clip: "David's Lamentation" on Elise Hayden

[MatthewVanitas]

As some of y'all may recall, back in Spring I came soliciting advice as to whether to get a duet concertina or some other variant. The duet folks convinced me, so I bought an Elise, and have been mucking around with it on deployment.

 

This clip is one of the results: my arrangement of "David's Lamentation" an old shape-note tune.

 

My playing is still pretty rough, and being indecisive between "free" rhythm and having some form of phrasing I ended up with an awkward combination, but for someone with only a couple months mucking around whilst working 12hr days 7 days a week, I'm reasonably pleased thus far. Any tips on things I'm doing wrong would always help.

 

Thanks to all those who helped convince me to get an Elise, and I continue to recommend Hayden duets to friends interested in squeezebox.

 

Link:

[JimLucas]

This clip is one of the results: my arrangement of "David's Lamentation" an old shape-note tune.

 

Link:

Well done!

[Kautilya]

This clip is one of the results: my arrangement of "David's Lamentation" an old shape-note tune.

 

Link:

Well done!

Definitely one for the

haunting tunes thread elsewhere - well chosen building for the resonance of. More please.

 

There is definitely some mileage for you praps in Jeremiah's Lamentations derived from the Gregorian Chant and for those who wonder what that may have to do with it, fear not... here's a Jazz link:

 

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=760

 

If you cant find the J Lam's music mentioned above I may be able to dig out the plain chant notation from the "liber usualis" (under the pre-Easter Sunday services). Can't put my hand on it this moment as I have buried it somewhere but will dig out and photo page if you interested.

 

Its attraction lies in its 'haunting' simplicity and if you cheat you can build it up with more chords and voices after each repetition.It can become cataclysmic on a big pipe organ and your machine there has the same potential -throw in some speakers and the whole valley would sit up and respond on the shehnai!

Edited August 13, 2010 by Kautilya

[inventor]

I regret I have no means of adding a comment on U tube but to seeing a clip of a Hayden Concertina being played in Jabberwokistan what can I say but "Twas Brillig"

Inventor.

[CheeseNote]

I regret I have no means of adding a comment on U tube but to seeing a clip of a Hayden Concertina being played in Jabberwokistan what can I say but "Twas Brillig"

Inventor.

 

Actually, 'twas Billings -- William Billings, the composer of David's Lamentation. Born in Boston, 1746 and buried 1800 in the Boston Common Burial Ground in a now-unmarked grave,

Billings was probably one of the first professional musicians in North America.

In addition to being a composer and singing-master, Billings was a patriot (so we think) and friend of Paul Revere, who engraved the frontispiece of at least one of his tunebooks.

Still, Billings need a "day job" and worked as a tanner and was also the Boston hog reeve, I believe.

He wrote wonderful tunes in what was an original, American style.

He was not shy about his artistic independence: "I don't think myself confin'd to any rules for composition laid down by any that went before me," he wrote in his introduction to The New-England Psalm-Singer, "neither should I think (were I to pretend to lay down rules) that any who come after me were any ways obligated to adhere to them...So in fact, I think it is best for every Composer to be his own Carver."

I have sung David's Lamentation, Rose of Sharon, Creation, Easter Anthem, and Boston, among others of his compositions, and they are a joy to sing, a style unlike anything common today.

 

Good to hear them played for us. Thanks.

[David Audette]

On 8/11/2010 at 1:55 PM, MatthewVanitas said:

As some of y'all may recall, back in Spring I came soliciting advice as to whether to get a duet concertina or some other variant. The duet folks convinced me, so I bought an Elise, and have been mucking around with it on deployment.

 

This clip is one of the results: my arrangement of "David's Lamentation" an old shape-note tune.

 

My playing is still pretty rough, and being indecisive between "free" rhythm and having some form of phrasing I ended up with an awkward combination, but for someone with only a couple months mucking around whilst working 12hr days 7 days a week, I'm reasonably pleased thus far. Any tips on things I'm doing wrong would always help.

 

Thanks to all those who helped convince me to get an Elise, and I continue to recommend Hayden duets to friends interested in squeezebox.

 

Link:

I know this post is old, but is there any possibility you can provide sheet music for this on the Elise?

[JimR]

I found this at abcnotation.com:

 

% Generated more or less automatically by swtoabc by Erich Rickheit KSC X:1 T:David's Lamentation M:2/4 L:1/8 K:F D2 DE| F2E-D| F2 EF|G-E CA,| D2 DE| F2 EE|F-D CD| D2 A2|G-FE-D| A2- Ad|\ c-B A2| d4| f2 e2| d4| A2G-A| D2 DE| F2 ED| C2 DE| F2 ED| C2 D2| A,2 D2|\ DE F2| E2 D2|C-D D2|

[David Barnert]

Here is the music that all other versions are based on. You can ignore the unusual note head shapes if you’re not familiar with shape-note music and just interpret it as an ordinary musical score from which you can make your own arrangement.

 

 

Edited to add: If you want o hear the above sung in 4-part harmony, here’s a video. It is, needless to say, my favorite shape-note piece.

 

BTW, they’re singing in G minor. Matthew played it in D minor, and the above abc notation in also in D minor (it says F, presumably swtoabc doesn’t distinguish between F major and D minor).

Edited May 11, 2022 by David Barnert

[David Audette]

1 hour ago, David Barnert said:

Here is the music that all other versions are based on. You can ignore the unusual note head shapes if you’re not familiar with shape-note music and just interpret it as an ordinary musical score from which you can make your own arrangement.

 

 

Edited to add: If you want o hear the above sung in 4-part harmony, here’s a video. It is, needless to say, my favorite shape-note piece.

 

BTW, they’re singing in G minor. Matthew played it in D minor, and the above abc notation in also in D minor (it says F, presumably swtoabc doesn’t distinguish between F major and D minor).

Which treble line would you recommend playing?

[d.elliott]

A Favourite of mine amongst Sacred Harp Songs, one I have sung many times. In Shape Note, the melody line is actually a mixed tenor part, so you normally need the second line up, the one above the bass clef. In this piece the 'Chorus' is in the bass line.

 

Another fine tune is Idumea. 

[David Barnert]

11 hours ago, David Barnert said:

It is, needless to say, my favorite shape-note piece.

 

3 hours ago, d.elliott said:

A Favourite of mine amongst Sacred Harp Songs, one I have sung many times.

 

Well, of course! We’re both named David.

[d.elliott]

One sing I went to we had eleven Davids in the room, we sang David Lamentation at a break, all the Davids on the bass line.