ylla
in
perfect_duet
Advent Calendar Day 5 - a musical miscellany
Having changed my mind about what I'm doing for the third time, I have once again managed to produce something not on the list.
So I hereby present a musical miscellany, in three parts:
Part 1 - historical instruments
The University of Edinburgh has a museum of historical musical instruments, and as part of this they have a webpage with videos demonstrating some of their instruments.
They haven't made it easy to link to particular instruments, but the ones most relevant for our purposes are numbers 5, 6 and 7 - all three instruments have videos showing music being played on them.
The first of these is a baroque violin, from before Jack's time - the time when people played in a 'moaning, small-beer-and-water kind of whine', according to him!
Jack was playing just after a time of great change for the violin. The older violins were played with the inner side to the shoulder, as you can see in the video, the bow was different, and the strings were strung more loosely - older violins which still exist have a piece set into the neck to extend it, to let it be strung more tautly, as the one Jack had would have done.
The second is of a more modern violin, which would have been current in Jack's time, and which doesn't really look different from one today.
The third is a cello from around the start of the 19th century, and includes an explanation of differences between current and older cellos.
Part 2 - Jack and Stephen and traditional tunes
The second part has to do with the only time I know of that Jack and Stephen are playing 'traditional' music together (although at the time it probably wasn't traditional yet, but only popular), in Post Captain.
'Come, let's improvise, as we used to do off Crete. What tune shall we start with?'
'Do you know St Patrick's Day?'
'How does it go?' Stephen played. 'Oh, that? Of course I know it: we call it Bacon and Greens.'
'I must decline to improve on Bacon and Greens. Let us start with Hosier's Ghost, and see where we get to.'
Their St Patrick's Day would be a version of this tune, still played now, and according to the notes there found in printed collections going back to 1740.
A set of words to the tune was published in 1810 by Thomas Moore, who was famous for publishing lyrics to Irish tunes. Two more sets of lyrics are available in the session.org comments above, but both look newer - if there were words set to the tune in the Post Captain time, I haven't found them yet.
Another comment says
I have heard that this tune was played by the pipers of the Connaught Rangers at the battle of Waterloo in 1815, and that it was also played by Irish piping regiments in the Duke of Marborough
and a third notes that it was played at a naval battle between Argentina and Spain off Montevideo in 1814!
Since the advent calender is supposed to include something that I have made myself, here is the tune - the poor fiddle was making scratchy noises because my bow hair is worn out and I put on too much rosin to compensate, but the rest of the mistakes are mine!
St Patrick's Day
The words of Bacon and Greens are easy to find, although is the attribution is correct they are newer than Jack's time - the first verse runs:
I have lived long enough to be rarely mistaken
And had my full share of life's changeable scenes
But my woes have been so laced with good greens and bacon
And my joys have been doubled by bacon and beans
What a thrill of remembrance e'en now they awaken
Of childhood's gay morning and youth's merry scenes
When one day we had greens and a plate full of bacon
And the next we had bacon and a plate full of greens.
I haven't found the tune of the song, but those words do seem to fit the tune of St Patrick's Day.
Bacon and greens were apparently a traditional Irish holiday dish, so it's quite possible that the name was attached to the tune (to replace a name that might have been seen as 'papist') long before the music hall words were written - Stephen seems to believe that the name is pejorative.
In the end, the tune that they did play was Hosier's Ghost
Again it is quite easy to find the lyrics of the song, which begins
AS, near Porto-Bello lying,
On the gently swelling Flood,
At Midnight, with Streamers flying,
Our triumphant Navy rode,
There, while Vernon sate, all glorious
From the Spaniards late Defeat,
And his Crew, with Shouts victorious
Drank Success to Englands Fleet,
and the history of Francis Hosier, who died on blockade at Porto Bello in Panama - but the tune was harder to track down.
Hosier's Ghost was apparently sung to the tune of Come Listen to my Ditty, which I also could find no sheet music for. But another song called Cease, Rude Boreas or The Tempest was set to the same tune, and I did eventually find a copy of that
Hosier's Ghost
Come listen to my ditty was also arranged by Handel!
Stephen's German flute, by the way, would have been a single keyed flute - roughly like a recorder (or English flute), except that a key was used to play the bottom hole, and played sideways like a modern flute. There are some examples of similar flutes on the website in Part 1.
Part 3 - A Grand Characteristic Piece on the Battle of Trafalgar
The last thing is more tangentially related - I am not very sure what Jack would have made of it, and very sure what Stephen would! - and it wasn't M+C trails that I was following when I found it, but it's too good to pass up.
It is The Battle of Trafalgar, A Grand Characteristic Piece Composed for a Military Band, and dedicated with high respect to Admiral Lord Collingwood.
I can't comment on it as a piece of music, as it's in many parts, but it is obviously exciting and full of action.
During it, the commanders reflect on the events of the battle, there is music on board the fleet, Lord Nelson is confident of Victory, he gives a Word of Command, the English Fleet moves to the Attack, and the General Attack takes place.
The enemy attempts to flee but is pursued, bullets fly and cannon roar, and the Spanish Admiral makes his escape. Lord Nelson is wounded and is DYING!
The enemy strike their colours, the wounded cry, and the French Admirals rage after losing the Battle, (after this movement Rule Brittania is to be played, and as most bands have that popular air, the Authory has not thought it necessary to sett it), and it all finishes with the Fleet Lamenting the Death of their Beloved Commander.
My favourite part is the few necessary Hints for the just Performance of this Work, which I enjoyed too much not to share in full.
1st The reflection of the Commanders on the event of the Battle.
This movement ought to be well conceived, because it represents the thoughts of Commanders before an Action; the first nine Barrs represent the Combined Fleet, these Barrs are picturesque of fear; the five following represent the English Fleet, and imitate confidence, the rest in the Combined Fleet, represent despondency and fear.
2d The Fleets discovering each other prepare for Battle.
Should be played as quick as possible, with the accompaniment of Drums, &c.
3d Signal of the Enemy.
The Performer ought to be placed at a distance, or use a certain contrivance, the construction of which the Author is not at liberty to disclose.
4th Music in the Enemy's Fleet.
Must be played in the same manner as No. 3.
7th Word of Command.
Must be played in the stile of Recitativo towards the end, the tempo must be gradually increased.
8th The Fleet moves to the Attack.
Very legate.
9th General Attack.
Although in appearance difficult to the Performers, yet it will be found that all the passages are well disposed for the Fingers. This the Author has always considered as an object very necessary to cause a good effect.
10th Lord Nelson wounded.
The broken cadence before this movement, requires to be well executed, because the most trifling noise immediately after it will be fatal to the effect; the movement itself must be performed with peculiar solemnity of expression.
12th Lord Nelson dying.
The time and sound gradually to die away.
14th The cries of the wounded.
In this movement the time and sound must be almost entirely lost.
15th The French Admiral's rage at losing the Battle
To be played in an agitated, boisterous manner; the number of interrupted cadences will abundantly assist the Performer in producing this effect.
16th The Fleet lamenting the death of their beloved commander.
This movement must be played extremely slow, in the stile of a dirge, accompanied by the roll of a pair of Kettle or muffled drums; within six Barrs of the end, the time and sound to be gradually diminished.
So I hereby present a musical miscellany, in three parts:
Part 1 - historical instruments
The University of Edinburgh has a museum of historical musical instruments, and as part of this they have a webpage with videos demonstrating some of their instruments.
They haven't made it easy to link to particular instruments, but the ones most relevant for our purposes are numbers 5, 6 and 7 - all three instruments have videos showing music being played on them.
The first of these is a baroque violin, from before Jack's time - the time when people played in a 'moaning, small-beer-and-water kind of whine', according to him!
Jack was playing just after a time of great change for the violin. The older violins were played with the inner side to the shoulder, as you can see in the video, the bow was different, and the strings were strung more loosely - older violins which still exist have a piece set into the neck to extend it, to let it be strung more tautly, as the one Jack had would have done.
The second is of a more modern violin, which would have been current in Jack's time, and which doesn't really look different from one today.
The third is a cello from around the start of the 19th century, and includes an explanation of differences between current and older cellos.
Part 2 - Jack and Stephen and traditional tunes
The second part has to do with the only time I know of that Jack and Stephen are playing 'traditional' music together (although at the time it probably wasn't traditional yet, but only popular), in Post Captain.
'Come, let's improvise, as we used to do off Crete. What tune shall we start with?'
'Do you know St Patrick's Day?'
'How does it go?' Stephen played. 'Oh, that? Of course I know it: we call it Bacon and Greens.'
'I must decline to improve on Bacon and Greens. Let us start with Hosier's Ghost, and see where we get to.'
Their St Patrick's Day would be a version of this tune, still played now, and according to the notes there found in printed collections going back to 1740.
A set of words to the tune was published in 1810 by Thomas Moore, who was famous for publishing lyrics to Irish tunes. Two more sets of lyrics are available in the session.org comments above, but both look newer - if there were words set to the tune in the Post Captain time, I haven't found them yet.
Another comment says
I have heard that this tune was played by the pipers of the Connaught Rangers at the battle of Waterloo in 1815, and that it was also played by Irish piping regiments in the Duke of Marborough
and a third notes that it was played at a naval battle between Argentina and Spain off Montevideo in 1814!
Since the advent calender is supposed to include something that I have made myself, here is the tune - the poor fiddle was making scratchy noises because my bow hair is worn out and I put on too much rosin to compensate, but the rest of the mistakes are mine!
St Patrick's Day
The words of Bacon and Greens are easy to find, although is the attribution is correct they are newer than Jack's time - the first verse runs:
I have lived long enough to be rarely mistaken
And had my full share of life's changeable scenes
But my woes have been so laced with good greens and bacon
And my joys have been doubled by bacon and beans
What a thrill of remembrance e'en now they awaken
Of childhood's gay morning and youth's merry scenes
When one day we had greens and a plate full of bacon
And the next we had bacon and a plate full of greens.
I haven't found the tune of the song, but those words do seem to fit the tune of St Patrick's Day.
Bacon and greens were apparently a traditional Irish holiday dish, so it's quite possible that the name was attached to the tune (to replace a name that might have been seen as 'papist') long before the music hall words were written - Stephen seems to believe that the name is pejorative.
In the end, the tune that they did play was Hosier's Ghost
Again it is quite easy to find the lyrics of the song, which begins
AS, near Porto-Bello lying,
On the gently swelling Flood,
At Midnight, with Streamers flying,
Our triumphant Navy rode,
There, while Vernon sate, all glorious
From the Spaniards late Defeat,
And his Crew, with Shouts victorious
Drank Success to Englands Fleet,
and the history of Francis Hosier, who died on blockade at Porto Bello in Panama - but the tune was harder to track down.
Hosier's Ghost was apparently sung to the tune of Come Listen to my Ditty, which I also could find no sheet music for. But another song called Cease, Rude Boreas or The Tempest was set to the same tune, and I did eventually find a copy of that
Hosier's Ghost
Come listen to my ditty was also arranged by Handel!
Stephen's German flute, by the way, would have been a single keyed flute - roughly like a recorder (or English flute), except that a key was used to play the bottom hole, and played sideways like a modern flute. There are some examples of similar flutes on the website in Part 1.
Part 3 - A Grand Characteristic Piece on the Battle of Trafalgar
The last thing is more tangentially related - I am not very sure what Jack would have made of it, and very sure what Stephen would! - and it wasn't M+C trails that I was following when I found it, but it's too good to pass up.
It is The Battle of Trafalgar, A Grand Characteristic Piece Composed for a Military Band, and dedicated with high respect to Admiral Lord Collingwood.
I can't comment on it as a piece of music, as it's in many parts, but it is obviously exciting and full of action.
During it, the commanders reflect on the events of the battle, there is music on board the fleet, Lord Nelson is confident of Victory, he gives a Word of Command, the English Fleet moves to the Attack, and the General Attack takes place.
The enemy attempts to flee but is pursued, bullets fly and cannon roar, and the Spanish Admiral makes his escape. Lord Nelson is wounded and is DYING!
The enemy strike their colours, the wounded cry, and the French Admirals rage after losing the Battle, (after this movement Rule Brittania is to be played, and as most bands have that popular air, the Authory has not thought it necessary to sett it), and it all finishes with the Fleet Lamenting the Death of their Beloved Commander.
My favourite part is the few necessary Hints for the just Performance of this Work, which I enjoyed too much not to share in full.
1st The reflection of the Commanders on the event of the Battle.
This movement ought to be well conceived, because it represents the thoughts of Commanders before an Action; the first nine Barrs represent the Combined Fleet, these Barrs are picturesque of fear; the five following represent the English Fleet, and imitate confidence, the rest in the Combined Fleet, represent despondency and fear.
2d The Fleets discovering each other prepare for Battle.
Should be played as quick as possible, with the accompaniment of Drums, &c.
3d Signal of the Enemy.
The Performer ought to be placed at a distance, or use a certain contrivance, the construction of which the Author is not at liberty to disclose.
4th Music in the Enemy's Fleet.
Must be played in the same manner as No. 3.
7th Word of Command.
Must be played in the stile of Recitativo towards the end, the tempo must be gradually increased.
8th The Fleet moves to the Attack.
Very legate.
9th General Attack.
Although in appearance difficult to the Performers, yet it will be found that all the passages are well disposed for the Fingers. This the Author has always considered as an object very necessary to cause a good effect.
10th Lord Nelson wounded.
The broken cadence before this movement, requires to be well executed, because the most trifling noise immediately after it will be fatal to the effect; the movement itself must be performed with peculiar solemnity of expression.
12th Lord Nelson dying.
The time and sound gradually to die away.
14th The cries of the wounded.
In this movement the time and sound must be almost entirely lost.
15th The French Admiral's rage at losing the Battle
To be played in an agitated, boisterous manner; the number of interrupted cadences will abundantly assist the Performer in producing this effect.
16th The Fleet lamenting the death of their beloved commander.
This movement must be played extremely slow, in the stile of a dirge, accompanied by the roll of a pair of Kettle or muffled drums; within six Barrs of the end, the time and sound to be gradually diminished.