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The Nightingale - Concertina Arrangement


stuart estell

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Folks,

 

As part of The Village Wakes' new (and hopefully improved!) website, I've decided to start putting up occasional articles with information about the songs we're playing and the arrangements we're using.

 

The first one with scores attached to it is an arrangement of "The Nightingale", a beautiful Appalachian song that I love to bits; those of you who came to the Saturday night concert at Witney this year might recognise it. The arrangement isn't written out in full, as, to be honest, the concertina part is pretty repetitive - so if anyone fancies having a go at it, you'll need to piece it together from the component parts! - but I thought it might be of interest.

 

The article is here: The Nightingale

 

(edited, as ever, for lack of proof-reading :rolleyes:)

Edited by stuart estell
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Guest Mick Diles
The first one with scores attached to it is an arrangement of "The Nightingale", a beautiful Appalachian song that I love to bits; those of you who came to the Saturday night concert at Witney this year might recognise it. The arrangement isn't written out in full, as, to be honest, the concertina part is pretty repetitive - so if anyone fancies having a go at it, you'll need to piece it together from the component parts! - but I thought it might be of interest.

 

The article is here: The Nightingale

 

(edited, as ever, for lack of proof-reading :rolleyes:)

Stuart,

 

Compliments for the new site! FYI: I found this version. Maybe it's interesting for you. On top of that I once learned a tune called "The Nightingale" from an accordion player during a session. I later found an ABC file of it on the internet (see attached file). I think there might be a relation with your Nightingale?

Nightingale__The.txt

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Yes, that's definitely interesting, thanks - particularly the fact that in that version it's a river/spring that they're going to go and sit beside rather than the sea. The recording that page links to is marvellous - I love the vocal ornaments. The tune's got a similar shape to the one Sharp and Karpeles collected, but has a completely different feel.

 

I see what you mean about that tune too.

Edited by stuart estell
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I'd love to hear a short audio sample, do you have one? I first heard the Dubliners do this song, and I've heard a few others since. I read somewhere it was originally English, but who really knows? I do like the lyrics in your version. Although, would you reconsider this part?

 

Our version leaves off the final verse, largely because it feels to me as though the song needs a happy - or at the very least slightly ambiguous ending - which the original closing verse denies it

I have to say I consider that the essence of the song...the pleasant, happy, swingy feel of it, yet it's "business as usual" at the end. A very satisfying combination in my mind. Maybe partly because 90% of the audience probably won't be listening close enough to catch it...

 

I was working on this tune on anglo a while back, but haven't played it much because I don't like my singing. But here's an instrumental version I recorded with whistle early this year. It's pretty much exactly the Dubliners' version, including some notes which are held over to an extra measure, making the structure not quite even. Played on my old Geuns-Wakker anglo and a Sweetheart C whistle:

 

http://concertina.JeffLeff.com/audio/nightingale.mp3

Edited by Boney
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I'd love to hear a short audio sample, do you have one?

 

I might have a murky live recording lurking on a minidisc somewhere but I'm not sure I'd be able to find it!

 

I first heard the Dubliners do this song, and I've heard a few others since. I read somewhere it was originally English, but who really knows? I do like the lyrics in your version. Although, would you reconsider this part?

 

Our version leaves off the final verse, largely because it feels to me as though the song needs a happy - or at the very least slightly ambiguous ending - which the original closing verse denies it

I have to say I consider that the essence of the song...the pleasant, happy, swingy feel of it, yet it's "business as usual" at the end. A very satisfying combination in my mind. Maybe partly because 90% of the audience probably won't be listening close enough to catch it...

 

I can see what you're saying; it's just that for me the images conjured by those four verses are so very idyllic that it seems such a shame to spoil their fun completely by bringing them back down to earth with a crash :)

Edited by stuart estell
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A nice Jig named the Nightingale by Sean Ryan, fiddle player and composer.

 

|:EAA A2B|cAd cAG|EDE G3|DEF GFG|

EAG A2B|cAB cde|~g3 ege|1 dBG A2G:|2 dBG A3||

|:aea aef|gdg gdg|aea aef|gfe def|

g2e fed|edB GBd|~g3 ege|1 dBG A2G:|2 dBG A3||

 

 

Off subject, but definitely a tune suitable for the concertina.

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Guest Mick Diles
I was working on this tune on anglo a while back, but haven't played it much because I don't like my singing. But here's an instrumental version I recorded with whistle early this year. It's pretty much exactly the Dubliners' version, including some notes which are held over to an extra measure, making the structure not quite even. Played on my old Geuns-Wakker anglo and a Sweetheart C whistle:

 

http://concertinaJjeffLeff.com/audio/nightingale.mp3

Nice (as usual) Jeff. It is the same as the ABC file that I have attached in a previous mail. The URL should be http://concertina.jeffleff.com/audio/nightingale.mp3

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I can see what you're saying; it's just that for me the images conjured by those four verses are so very idyllic that it seems such a shame to spoil their fun completely by bringing them back down to earth with a crash :)

Maybe you could do it either way, depending on the audience and your temperament at the time...

 

Nice (as usual) Jeff. It is the same as the ABC file that I have attached in a previous mail. The URL should be http://concertina.jeffleff.com/audio/nightingale.mp3

Thanks and thanks...I edited my post too. There are quite a few small differences, but yeah, the tune is essentially the same.

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