Recorder - Intermediate
SKU: MB.30963
Saddle-stitched, Solos
and Duets. British Isles.
Book. 44 pages. Mel Bay
Publications, Inc #30963.
Published by Mel Bay
Publications, Inc
(MB.30963).
ISBN
9781513468204. 8.75x11.75
inches.
This exceptional
collection of 41 truly
beautiful airs and
ballads from the British
Isles offers both
well-known tunes by the
prolific blind Irish
harpist, Turlough
Oâ??Carolan and rarely
heard melodies by
anonymous composers; all
have stood the test of
time. Arranged for
soprano or tenor
recorder, these include
Oâ??Carolanâ??s
classically influenced
â??Lord Inchiquinâ?
and â??Eleanor
Plunkettâ? as well as
â??O Gentle Doveâ?
and â??Cuckoo
Dearâ?â?? both
examples of the strong
tradition of song in
Wales. Among other tunes,
the haunting modal
melodies of â??The Dark
Slender Boyâ? and
â??Enchanted Valleyâ?
express the melancholic
heart and soul of the
British Isles.
A
few of these songs have
taken on a life of their
own in modern times.
â??Bonny at Mornâ?, a
popular traditional tune
of northern England and
Scotland, was arranged
for soprano voice and
harp by the 20th century
British composer,
Benjamin Britten. â??The
Skye Boat Songâ?
originally recounted
Bonnie Prince Charles
Edward Stuartâ??s
journey to the Isle of
Skye after his defeat at
the historic Battle of
Culloden. Later, the song
evolved into a lilting
lullaby and was more
recently used as the
theme song for the
popular Outlander
television
series.
Departing
slightly from recorder
notation practice, author
Marcia Diehl has
judiciously arranged
these melodies complete
with spare slur markings
to aid the amateur player
in authentically and
musically rendering these
tunes.
