Lyr Add: (Oz) Carol of the Birds

Subject: (Oz) Carol of the Birds
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 28 Dec 01 - 04:56 AM

G'day,

I think I was preparing to post these to the Mudcat back in December 1998 ... and probably decided not to because they are clearly under copyright – mostly written in the late 1940s. I looked back at the files when "Liland" requested Carols and Christmas songs from the southern lands of summer Christmas.

I have already posted The Three Drovers in the Christmas in NSW, Australia – Bushfires thread, but I decided to make a bird of it and post the 6 other most popular of these carols (despite Christmas 2001 now being past) so people are aware of them ... and might even wish learn one or two before Christmas 2002!

BTW: I feel that, despite copyrights, these should be posted, as they are not available in any current publication and the present bushfire menace (abating now ... until new high temperatures over the weekend ...?) highlights the way that Christmas in Australia has nothing to do with dark northern wintry forests and the trappings of pagan festivals, almost as far from Israel as they are from Australia. If you sing these, do so with joy. If you record them ... well, the references are there for copyright purposes.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Carol of the Birds
Words by John Wheeler
Music by William G. James

Out on the plains, the brolgas are dancing,
Lifting their feet, like war horses prancing:
Up to the sun, the wood larks go winging,
Faint in the dawn light, echoes their singing;
Orana! Orana!
Orana to Christmas day.

Down where the tree ferns grow by the river,
Down where the waters sparkle and quiver,
Deep in the gullies, bell birds are chiming,
Softly and sweetly, their lyric notes rhyming,
Orana! Orana!
Orana to Christmas day.

Friar birds sip, the nectar of flowers,
Currawongs chant, in wattle tree bowers.
In the blue ranges, lorikeets calling,
Carols of bush birds, rising and falling.
Orana! Orana!
Orana to Christmas day.


Glossary:
Brolga: A red-headed grey crane (grus rubicunda) of north eastern Australia, noted for its graceful courtship dances.
Currawong: A large black bird ( strepera graculina ) of eastern Australia, with an attractive call including the sounds "curra – wong".
Friar Bird: A large brown honeyeater(philemon corniculatis & spp), of eastern Australia, with the head bare of feathers, to allow access deep into flowers.
Lorikeet: Any of a number of small, arboreal parrots found in different parts of Australia
Orana: Aboriginal word for dawn ... or, in this sense, greetings

Here is the tune, in Alan of Oz's MIDItxt format:

MIDI file: carolbrd.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 6/8 36 8
Tempo: 100 (600000 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0000 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 66 080 0192 0 66 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 73 080 0096 0 73 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0144 1 73 080 0096 0 73 064 0624 1 74 080 0288 0 74 064 0072 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 74 080 0288 0 74 064 0072 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 66 080 0192 0 66 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 62 080 0552 0 62 064
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:
M:6/8
Q:1/4=100
K:C
DDE^F2G|ABAG2^F|EE^FG2A|B^cBA2G|^F^FGA2^F|
EE^FG2E|DDE^FED|E^FGAB2|^c6|d3A2^F|d3B2^F|
dBG^F2E|D37/8||

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Oz) Carol of the Birds
From: Noreen
Date: 28 Dec 01 - 06:46 AM

Five other linked carols posted by Bob: (Oz) Carol: Christmas Bush for His Adorn

Lyr Add: (Oz) Carol: Merry Christmas

Lyr Add: (Oz) Carol: The Silver Stars are in the Sky

Lyr Add: (Oz) Carol: Sing Gloria

Lyr Add: (Oz) Carol: Christmas Day

(Hope this is ok, Bob.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Oz) Carol of the Birds
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 28 Dec 01 - 07:49 AM

G'day Noreen,

Thanks ... I referred back in the subsequent posts - but not forward in this. Very neat and tidy of you to fix my oversight!

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Oz) Carol of the Birds
From: toadfrog
Date: 28 Dec 01 - 09:53 PM

Bob: Great work, as always! But your clickie to March 10 MIDItext 98 software does not work.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Oz) Carol of the Birds
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Dec 01 - 11:57 PM

bob, thank you so much! It is wonderful to *see* this other perspective of this time of year. I esp. love this one, the Carol of the Birds!

May the winds die down and the fires burn out, quickly and safely.

kat

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: (Oz) Carol of the Birds
From: katlaughing
Date: 29 Dec 01 - 12:18 AM

Here are some Neat Bird Songs of some of the birds mentioned in the Carol.

kat