Ashokan Hello

Subject: Ashokan Hello
From: GUEST,Bobby Bob, Ellan Vannin
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 05:30 PM

Seeing a thread about the pronunciation of Sliabh Luachra just before made me think of the tune that's become so very popular these days, 'Ashokan Farewell'.

However, it struck me, when a few of us were talking about it, that we, being stay-at-home types not used to the big, wide world, didn't really know how to pronounce the name 'Ashokan'.

It struck me that I didn't really know when I opened up an encyclopaedia about the Ashokan water project, and it appeared to give a phonetic guide for the pronunciation which was different again from the couple of different ways I've heard it referred to in sessions and the like.

So . . . I would be very grateful indeed if a native of that very area were to please let me know, using some sort of phonetic guide, how it actually should be pronounced.

Mish, lesh jerkallys,

Bobby Bob

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 07:15 PM

Not as bad as getting all the way to California before realising I didn't quite know how to say Yosemite.

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From: Jeri
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 07:53 PM

ah-SHOW-kun

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 08:34 PM

That's OK, I'll bet the Californians didn't know how to pronounce Fionn!

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From: catspaw49
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 08:40 PM

Oh I bet they did mark. Isn't it "Doood?"

Spaw

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From: Sorcha
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 08:50 PM

Well, um, like, um, see, it's uh, like phy-on, ya know what I mean?

PS--I pronounce it like Jeri does; accent on the middle syllable.

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From: GUEST,outlander
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 09:49 PM

What a pretty song it is. NPR had a show about it with Molly Mason and Jay Ungar a while ago. That's the easiest way to learn how to pronounce it. But it's better still to play it. Does anyone have TAB?

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From: Matt_R
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 10:10 PM

I've always said it "ASHAkon"

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From: katlaughing
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 10:27 PM

And yet another pronunciation: ASH oh kun

Outlander, if you go to the super search box at the top of the thread titles and type in Ashokan then hit GO, there should be a few threads which come up. I'll bet the TAB can be found in one of them. Welcome to the Mudcat.

kat

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From: Melani
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 11:30 PM

"Yoze-might" is considered WAY cool, Fionn.

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 12:17 AM

Like Vegemite, only drier. *G*

But then following certain language conventions I had been taught, I thought Pro-ko-feef was right for Prokofiev. Of course I had never heard it said, and I was only five, but my folks had a lot of fun with that one. (When it should, of course, be "Doooood!".)

Priscilla Herdman sings a lovely version, somewhere between Uh-SHO-k'n and Ah-SHO-kan. Tough to fit that all in one person's range, and she does.

~S~

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From: Blackcatter
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 12:54 AM

It is a tough song to sing and I really only attempt it when I'm around close friends.

It's much better on my tin whistle.

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From: Matt_R
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 08:41 AM

Ashokan ashokan ashokan my shicken!

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From: Chicken Charlie
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 04:00 PM

You say A-SHO-kan and I say ASH-o-kan;
Let's call the whole thing off.

I don't worry about the range on this, because IMO none of the lyric sets I have so far seen are as dignified as the melody. But then nobody ask me about that, did they?

I can feel a Friday afternoon coming on.

CC

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 08:54 PM

Somewhere on the net there is a sound clip of Jay Ungar telling how he came to write the tune, and he said A-sho'-ken. From memory Ashoken is the venue for a yearly music camp. Having written the tune, Ungar then didn't do anything with it for several years, because of the memories it evoked of striking camp.

Spaw,I managed to avoid that pronunciation becoming necessary, by luring some other guy into saying the word before I dared try it *G*.

And phy-on is a bit over-elaborate Sorcha - plain fin will do - as in Fin McCool (Fionn McComhaill), Leader of the Fianna.

Going back to Ashoken, no wonder the tune's taken off - I read somewhere that it got a staggering 11 hours of play during the Ken Burns Civil War series.

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From: Fiolar
Date: 16 Jun 01 - 09:11 AM

Fionn - obviously you never watched any Bugs Bunny cartoons. I thought everybody was aware of the red-haired opponent of Bugs.

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From: Sorcha
Date: 16 Jun 01 - 10:32 AM

(Fionn, I really did know that,*g*. It was just hearing "Yoz-a-mite" in my head that did it.)

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From: GUEST,Bobby Bob, Ellan Vannin
Date: 17 Jun 01 - 04:13 PM

Thanks for that. As Jay Ungar hold the school there, I'll go with that, assuming he's heard it from the local mouths. Actually, I'm assuming that the emphasised syllable, shown as -sho'- is what someone else has given as -SHOW-, because a shock'n farewell would be just too disappointing!

Actually, I didn't know that there were lyrics to it - I've only heard it played, and used to join in before I had any idea what it was called.

Shoh slaynt,

Bobby Bob

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From: GUEST,shortbuckle
Date: 17 Jun 01 - 07:51 PM

I havn't heard any lyrics either the melody doesn't seem to need any.

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From: GUEST,outsider
Date: 17 Dec 04 - 05:40 AM

hello, none of you know me, but what the hey

I was doing research online because my History teacher just showed us the Ken Burns Civil War Series, and he didn't believe me that Ashokan Farewell was NOT a Civil War song... and I came across your chat at like 5:30 in the morning...

Well, I pride myself on my fiddling abilities, and I always manage to slide Ashokan Farewell into all of my jam sessions somehow. I've always pronounced it ah-SHOW-kin.

The reason why the lyrics stink is because Jay Ungar didn't write them.

Recently, I was asked to play Ashokan Farewell at a church, and for the occasion I used a version of the words to the Irish Blessing for the lyrics of Ashokan Farewell so that I could sing it, too, like so:

May the sun shine on your face
May the wind be at your back
May the rains come, when wanted, and fall gently on your fields
May the road rise up to meet you
And until we meet again
May God bless you, and hold you in the palm of His hand


okay, I'm done intruding on your conversation... bye!

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From:
Date: 17 Dec 04 - 05:40 PM

Which lyrics are you referring to, Outsider? There are two "authorized" versions. Authorized by Jay Ungar that is.

Subject: RE: Ashokan Hello
From: Jimmy Twitcher
Date: 17 Dec 04 - 06:34 PM

Outlander:

The tab is in OLGA, which is where I learned it. Its beautiful, and a very easy tune (which is why I can do it - grin). I've only seen tab for the melody, which is natural since its a fiddle tune. But, I think it crys out for the full-on "American Primitive Guitar" treatment. A better guitarist than I will have to do that, however.