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Posted (edited)

Since having recorded and posted this 24 hours ago with hardly any notice I came to the conclusion that if I'd like people to listen to a recording of my own I'd have to start a new thread (which I initially didn't because my take was meant as a reply to Stuart Estell, whose version blew me away).

 

I have to repeat myself: didn't want to improve on that but felt compelled to adopt the lovely Mixolydian version from his and adapt it to my style of self-accompaniment which is (as the interested of you might know by this time) mainly playing melody with chords in a sort of dense, rhythmic and repetetive manner.

 

=> Barbara Allen

 

I can't of course expect anybody to comment or even listen to my recordings and don't want to be understood like this. It's just that the meter overthere at the soundcloud clearly indicates to me (in comparism against former recordings of mine) that I have not reached the likely audience as yet.

 

My conclusion for the time being is: Calling attention for a new recording requires separate announcement (thank you Jim that you already got there however!). If anyone should feel embarrassed please ignore this and/or or bear with me my enthusiasm for concertina and folk music.

 

Again - any comment appreciated. It's a work in progress with some flaws anyway...

Edited by blue eyed sailor
Posted

Hello!

I am listening to your Barbara Allen. I love it! I frankly have never heard this tune for this song before and I am delighted!! I sing many of the Child ballads. This was so refreshing and delightful!! Well SUNG my new friend! Truly well sung ... Oh! I just got to the ending and that was great! I am grinning from ear to ear! So glad I came upon this post!

 

I am new to the site, having just purchased an 18 button Hohner concertina, just recently on Valentines Day, (hence her name: 'Valentina'). The English is new to me, but I am getting the hang of it ... very worried about hurting THUMBS though! Anyway, I will give that tune a try on my Hohner or my 20 button German and see what I come up with!! I will post it here when I do!

 

Thanks for an entertaining time!

 

Eve

Posted

Hello Eve,

 

I already read about "Concertina Valentina" and the affecting story of the two of you getting together. My felicitations on the lucky outcome and your getting acqainted to her!

 

As to the song I'm not sure if I had heard this version before listening to Stuart's recording; it just sounded that familiar, furthermore I just love the Mixolydian (flat seventh) mode (which had led me to the choice of learning "Lady Eleanor and Lord Thomas" prior to this, which I might provide at one time or another).

 

Thank you very much for your kind remarks; I'm very glad that you like(d) my recording and looking forward to listening to your musical reply! Don't worry too much about the tumbs, that will pass off as long as you don't get encouraged.

 

The English concertina is such a great little (in any event) instrument; I'm very glad having finally found it for me some years ago and wish you a great time with Valentina!

 

Best wishes - Wolf

Posted

Oh! I just got to the ending and that was great! I am grinning from ear to ear! So glad I came upon this post.

You're very welcome! Just wanted to add that this is the way I listen to these old ballads as well: being moved and blessed by the story told. I thus do a lot of work with the text in general, but in this case I was lucky to find this version (linked to another version of the tune I believe) which I could use as it was in its perfect roundness.

Posted (edited)

I just realized that I'd have to clarify the classification of the mode: the melody line is open to both major (Ionian) and Mixolydian (in fact it's plain pentatonic right up to the third last note which is excluding the Lydian mode). It's thus the second chord (already in Stuart's version; Bb maj in my playing) which makes the choice in favour of the Mixolydian mode which I'm so fond of.

 

(I'm happy with anyone ignoring this if it's beyond his or her interest. :) )

Edited by blue eyed sailor
Posted

If I could ever figure out what you were talking about. :) Where can I read a sort of primer on these modes. It actually sounds like it might be interesting ...

Posted (edited)

Well, the "church" modes - I had a look at the current Wikepdia exposition this morning and got the impression of it being too detailed and thorough for a "primer" by far. I will be happy to explain it myself but I have to be busy vocationally this day.

If you have a piano keyboard at hand you might just try to play 8-note-scales starting from different notes, thereby never quitting the "white" keys. There you'll have them, the modes. If we ignore the last one - from B to B - for the moment they are six. Three of them allow to built major chords on the root note, three of them allow to built minor chords instead.

It's just an extension of the major/minor concept (you know: "natural" Amin as being "parallel" to Cmaj due to sharing all of their notes). The next common mode might be the Dorian one (from D to D using just white keys). It's the world of "Scarborough Fair" and the likes.

I have to leave it at that for the moment - you might check out this site as a starting point. Maybe this should better be resumed separately (same community, new thread).

Best wishes - Wolf

Edited by blue eyed sailor
Posted

Nice work Wolf. To sing in a non-native language besides managing the style is no mean feat even if one ignores the nice 'tina playing. It is always nice to hear versions of this story song. The one I usually hear is quite different from yours,and is usually harmonized as a simple major key tune.

 

Here's one close to what I know:

 

X: 1
T:Barbara Allen
O:English
M:3/4
L:1/8
K:D
D | FG A3 G| FE D3 E| FA d2 d2| (c A3) z c| dB G2A-B| AF D3 E| FA B2 A2 |
(F D3) z2 |]
W:

 

And, this page has four transcriptions from various singers.

 

http://folkopedia.efdss.org/Take_6_Transcription_Programme:_The_Butterworth_Archive,_MS_6a

Posted

Thanks for your kind words about my recording again Wolf - I like what you've done with this! It's a very different feel from mine - rhythmically it really means business, and I like your ornamentation too.

Posted (edited)

Stuart, I'm very glad that you like my transformation of your version as well, thank you!

 

Chuck, thank you very much for the attention and your kind and considerate commenting! You will have noticed my coming close to derailing due to sort of a jawbreaker... :)

 

And as to style, I have been very lucky to attend two workshops held by unique and amiable Shirley Collins. And with her representing kind of a wise and gracious super-ego of mine since then I realized soon after posting that I'd have to shift the accent in the significant last line of the second last verse from "from" to "her". I continue working on the song (and others) anyway...

 

I've heard the version you submitted sometime and like it as well albeit (or just because) being that different. Thank you for providing me with some more variants! Folk music is that enchanting as to me...

 

Best regards - Wolf

Edited by blue eyed sailor
Posted

Nice work Wolf. To sing in a non-native language besides managing the style is no mean feat even if one ignores the nice 'tina playing. It is always nice to hear versions of this story song. The one I usually hear is quite different from yours,and is usually harmonized as a simple major key tune.

 

Here's one close to what I know:

 

X: 1

T:Barbara Allen

O:English

M:3/4

L:1/8

K:D

D | FG A3 G| FE D3 E| FA d2 d2| (c A3) z c| dB G2A-B| AF D3 E| FA B2 A2 |

(F D3) z2 |]

W:

 

Walter, it seems to me that your voice is actually super well suited to the tune. I have gone back more than once: Sounds like a sailor to me!

 

Chuck, I am new to the concertina and this is the first time that I have seen 'Concertina Shorthand'. So glad you posted.

 

 

Posted

 

Nice work Wolf. To sing in a non-native language besides managing the style is no mean feat even if one ignores the nice 'tina playing. It is always nice to hear versions of this story song. The one I usually hear is quite different from yours,and is usually harmonized as a simple major key tune.

 

Here's one close to what I know:

 

X: 1

T:Barbara Allen

O:English

M:3/4

L:1/8

K:D

D | FG A3 G| FE D3 E| FA d2 d2| (c A3) z c| dB G2A-B| AF D3 E| FA B2 A2 |

(F D3) z2 |]

W:

 

Walter, it seems to me that your voice is actually super well suited to the tune. I have gone back more than once: Sounds like a sailor to me!

 

Chuck, I am new to the concertina and this is the first time that I have seen 'Concertina Shorthand'. So glad you posted.

 

 

 

that's not concertina shorthand, that is ABC music notation. If you copy the whole thing from the X: to the W: yoiu can paste it into a converter like the one at http://www.concertina.net/tunes_convert.html you can get standard notation, or awful MIDI files.

Posted (edited)

Walter, it seems to me that your voice is actually super well suited to the tune. I have gone back more than once: Sounds like a sailor to me!

Albeit I wouldn't mind any "Walter" taking the credits for whatever he'd done I assume it's me who was in your mind... :)

 

It's obvious that I can't (and hardly anyone ever will) meet the taste of all, but I'm truly thankful for the encouragement from someone like you who really seem to appreciate what I'm doing here. Of course I'm annoyed at the flaws whilst critically listening to the recording myself. But OTOH I believe I'm pretty much on my personal way, and I take it from you that I'm not mistaken with that.

 

Best wishes - Wolf

Edited by blue eyed sailor
Posted

Don't worry about flaws, Wolf - practice fixes those with time. The most important thing is that your co-ordination between voice and concertina is just fine, and your singing has real authenticity to it. :)

Posted

[sorry Wolf! YIKES! I don't even KNOW anybody named 'Walter'!!]

 

Stuart is right, your voice has an authenticity that is very appealing.

 

ENCORE?

Posted (edited)

 

 

my style of self-accompaniment which is (as the interested of you might know by this time) mainly playing melody with chords in a sort of dense, rhythmic and repetetive manner.

 

 

 

 

I for one find your accompaniment style interesting and as I've said before I'll have to try to analyse it when I've more time. I may talk more with you about this later. As for your singing ,I found your accent a little un-nerving at first listen, but that's the listeners problem. Well it never was a "problem" as such and now that I'm used to it it's fine. Very nice, interesting and rather unique. Go Wolf.

 

Cheers Steve.

Edited by Steve Wilson
Posted (edited)

Steve, thank you again for your interest and kind remarks! As to "accent" this is one of my own concerns ever since I took up singing; I believe the problem mainly occurs with certain songs such as this one, and - as I hear it myself - particularly at particular points (from where the effect might be sort of spreading over the whole tune for the listener) where the allocation of syllables is less-than-ideal anyway. So detailed working on the text combined with further practising as Stuart suggested may significantly reduce the unfavourable impression; at least that's what I hope.

 

Stuart and Eve, thank you very much for the recognition of "authenticity"! :)

Edited by blue eyed sailor

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