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
Oā??Carolan and rarely
heard melodies by
anonymous composers; all
have stood the test of
time. Arranged for
soprano or tenor
recorder, these include
Oā??Carolanā??s
classically influenced
ā??Lord Inchiquinā? and
ā??Eleanor Plunkettā? as
well as ā??O Gentle
Doveā? and ā??Cuckoo
Dearā?ā?? both examples
of the strong tradition
of song in Wales. Among
other tunes, the haunting
modal melodies of ā??The
Dark Slender Boyā? and
ā??Enchanted Valleyā?
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.
ā??Bonny at Mornā?, a
popular traditional tune
of northern England and
Scotland, was arranged
for soprano voice and
harp by the 20th century
British composer,
Benjamin Britten. ā??The
Skye Boat Songā?
originally recounted
Bonnie Prince Charles
Edward Stuartā??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.