Singer needs suggestions

Subject: Singer needs suggestions
From:
Date: 14 Jul 99 - 06:32 PM

looking for a Traditional song a female can perform at a bluegrass festival. am not very familiar with Traditional. what's the best way to come across some public domain songs if you want to know what they sound like as well as lyrics (short of spending a bunch of $$) I'm assuming that public domain & Traditional are the same thing? thanks for any input.

Subject: RE: Singer needs suggestions
From: Tucker
Date: 14 Jul 99 - 11:07 PM

Darlin' I just got back from a rendezvous and guess what? the thing that went over the best were sea chantys and old church music! Our celtic music was right there too, like rosin the bow and the likes. If you do some lullabyes and traditional love songs you can't miss

Subject: RE: Singer needs suggestions
From: WyoWoman
Date: 14 Jul 99 - 11:26 PM

How strong a singer? and will it be only one person, or a duo singing harmony? I have several I can recommend. A couple I do a capella...

Try "Bright Morning Stars" -- on Emmylou Harris "Angel Band" CD. But I don't like the way she did it -- it sounds better without accompaniment, as far as I'm concerned, and really wonderful in close harmony.

"MY Home's Across the Blueridge Mountains" -- or you can do the rap version, "My Homey's Across ..." ;-}

"Hard Times," by Stephen Foster is an enduring favorite. "Are You Tired of Me, My Darlin'" has some pretty harmonies.

And any of the old hymns are also really well received. I did "Sweet Hour of Prayer" with a friend, "Walk in Jerusalem Just like John," "Standing in the Need of Prayer." "Every Time I Feel the Spirit..."

A start, anyway...

WW

Subject: RE: Singer needs suggestions
From: Anders Svensson
Date: 14 Jul 99 - 11:55 PM

If your in to Irish trad songs there is a very beautiful song called "Spancil Hill" wich suits a female voice perfect!! It sounds good a capella or with backup music as well!!

Good luck!

Subject: RE: Singer needs suggestions
From: KingBrilliant
Date: 15 Jul 99 - 04:19 AM

I just found a useful site yesterday

click

May be helpful (assuming the BCT works...)

Kris

Subject: RE: Singer needs suggestions
From:
Date: 15 Jul 99 - 01:26 PM

*again*

Subject: RE: Singer needs suggestions
From: mountain tyme
Date: 15 Jul 99 - 03:42 PM

Being one who has done Bluegrass festivals most every summer weekend since the 60's I must say about the above... although the intent appears pure, I've never heard any of the above suggested songs done at a BG festival...and I hope I never do. Traditional BG is verrry traditional. There are hundreds of P'domain BG songs you could do but PD is never a concern...taste is. Learn some of the songs mother Maybell Carter or the original Coon Creek Girls or Wilma Lee Cooper or even Rose Maddox did. You can't go wrong there. As time goes on you will notice what is acceptable and what is not. What is not should be your focus. Hint...the later the night, the better and more tastefull the music becomes. Otherwise a folk festival would provide you with more liberal listeners. :-) Just my opinion from observations over the many decades. Hope this helps....ENJOY

Subject: RE: Singer needs suggestions
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 15 Jul 99 - 04:28 PM

If you are one of those rare and precious women with a voice that is almost bass, with a rasp that raises the hair on the back of the neck, absolutely the showstopper is "Bring a little water Sylvie" - but prepare to stand back when the harmonies move into contrapuntal rythms. An amazing and modest woman called Jane Petto stopped the Brodstars folk festival a couple of years ago with just that. It was at the late night singaround at the school, about 4 am and we all thought the roof was coming off.

People still talk about it.

Subject: RE: Singer needs suggestions
From: WyoWoman
Date: 15 Jul 99 - 06:47 PM

Mountain Tyme -- Ugh. Probably why I favor folk over bluegrass. I mean, if people only sing exactly the same songs they've always heard, to exactly the same people who've always been listening, what's UP with that?

BTW -- I actually have heard all the above-mentioned tunes at one time or other at b.g. festivals out here in the Southwest, but maybe we're just unorthodox out here in the provinces.

WW

Subject: RE: Singer needs suggestions
From: Neil Lowe
Date: 16 Jul 99 - 06:59 AM

Two on my wish list: 1)Long Black Veil; 2)I Never Will Marry; 3) Omie Wise ( what the hey, I'm wishing, so what difference does it make whether I can count or not?)

Neil Lowe - my 3 cents worth

Subject: RE: Singer needs suggestions
From: Dan'l (inactive)
Date: 16 Jul 99 - 08:09 AM

Tahnks Mr. or Ms. X. I added the bluegrass link to my bookmarks

Dan'l

Subject: RE: Singer needs suggestions
From: mountain tyme
Date: 16 Jul 99 - 11:53 AM

WyoWoman...It's called tradition. BG comes from a very distinct root sound. There are thousands of songs to draw upon. Some singers have favorite artists they admire and so do their songs. Some pickers have favorite artists and try to emulate them. You have the option to fit in any of these places. The lyric is profound when when it comes from the hearts of these wonderful people. There is a common bond to evoke the emotions of the original. Most of these folks spend a great deal of time ond money sharing this bond. It is not unusual for a jam session to take place surrounded by RV's costing more than some homes. The collection of vintage instruments in a given jam often exceed a couple of hundred thousand dollars. There must be something to it. With the cost of all these investments put together and divided by the few hours available at a festival, the choice of songs is important. It is not an uptight scene. It is very friendly. Where else can two males and their wives sing songs to each other while crying their hearts out in public. Where else can these emotions be shared with such depth within this society we live. Think about that. It's grand to be a part of sharing with these wonderfull people. Yes it comes with a high cost. It's a history of people who payed the price. It's a diary handed down by the earliest Americans and fasioned by their tears, toil and hard times. Its a respect for our past. It's an original style of music unique to a very special part of the country. It has survived because that is so. Thanks to all of you who try so hard to play this music as it once was.

Subject: RE: Singer needs suggestions
From: DougR
Date: 16 Jul 99 - 08:15 PM

I don't know if this song would fit in well at a bluegrass festival or not, but "The Water is Wide" is a beautiful song sung by a woman, I think.

DougR

Subject: RE: Singer needs suggestions
From: WyoWoman
Date: 16 Jul 99 - 11:30 PM

Mountain Tyme -- Thanks. I DO know all that. I apologize if I sounded like a little snot. And I HAVE been to bluegrass festivals, and certainly Wyoming is full of just the people you describe, and my own roots are, at least in some part, those of bluegrass people -- Scot-Irish from the hills of Tennessee. I guess my personal tastes run to more synthesis of styles and less adherence to tradition. I'm not discounting the music, nor the people, but I find it a little irksome that it's quite such a closed system.

But again, that's why bluegrass isn't my genre of choice. I like it, love some of the songs, but I prefer the freer give and take of other musical forms. And I know that's strictly a matter of personal preference.

ww

Subject: RE: Singer needs suggestions
From: mountain tyme
Date: 17 Jul 99 - 11:58 AM

WyoWoman...thanks for your take. We often are concerned for the feelings of the outsiders trying so hard to participate but lacking the backround. It does seem to be a closed system as you say and yes we try to keep it that way as an example of the rewards of tradition. If that were not so the music would have become even more homogenized, lost its root rules and sound and become lost. How it has lasted this long is a testiment to its uniqueness and the folks who have handed it down for so many generations. It has been said many times this probably is the hardest music to play because of all these factors. It's either in your blood or you can't feel it's depth at all. It's tradition. It's not commertialism. Most of the artists are very poor and die broke. It's love in you heart for the feelings it gives. We simply share this love with each other. There's even a little humor now and again that lightens it up. Enjoy your music for whatever it brings to you and be glad for the emotions it allows you to feel and share. Bluegrassers will not shun you, they only ask you conform to the tradition. They know how great the rewards are when one follows the rules. Participate and enjoy it from inside.

Subject: RE: Singer needs suggestions
From: WyoWoman
Date: 17 Jul 99 - 12:04 PM

Thanks there, MT.

Subject: RE: Singer needs suggestions
From: DonMeixner
Date: 25 Jul 99 - 09:48 AM

Mountain Tyme,

Try some Bradley Kincaid music. But also look for any recordings by The Mill Run Dulcimer Band. Should fill the bill.

Don