Hello, all, and Merry Meet!

Over the years, I've become increasingly bothered by the Pagan Yule Carols that are out there. While many of them are lovely, nearly all of them are filked from existing Christmas carols, and perpetuate an "US vs. THEM" attitude.

So I've set about to write an original Yule carol, with its own melody. And that's where I'm running into trouble. I hear the melody clearly in my head, and could sing it for you at the drop of a hat (as a matter of fact, the melody is now stuck in my head).

But when I enter what I think I'm hearing and singing to myself into Noteworthy Composer, it just doesn't sound right on playback, no matter how I fiddle with the duration of the dots, or the placement of rests. Is there such a thing as "rhythmic dislexia" (disrhythmia?)? If so, I may have it.

So I'm coming to Mudcat, and asking for some help from our resident tunesters. Could you please take what I have so far, and help shape it into something that makes singable sense?

Here are the lyrics, and a midi-to-text file of the pitches of the melody all in quarter notes (the baseline, if you will):

COME GATHER TOGETHER
by Ann Magill

Come gather together and sing with glad hearts!
Sing for the sun's return back from the dark.
The wheel, it is turning, the dance, it goes on.
So raise up your voices. Fill the air with sweet song!

Oh, sing with the Goddess: "The world is reborn!
Shining as bright as the very first morn."
The old year has ended. Let go of old wrongs,
And raise up your voices. Fill the air with sweet song!

Though winter will bring us cold nights and fierce wind,
Know by this dawning that hardship will end,
And like the sun's rays, may our hearts all grow strong.
We'll raise up our voices -- fill the air with sweet song!

Give thanks to the Goddess, the sweet, living Earth --
Thanks for the cycle of death and rebirth.
She lives in our hearts and the love that we share.
So raise up your voices. Let sweet songs fill the air!

MIDI file: GATHER~1.MID

Timebase: 192

Text: By Ann Magill

Copyright: Copyright © 2002 by Ann Magill

TimeSig: 3/4 24 8

Name: Staff

Start

0000 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 69 110 0160 0 69 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0224 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0224 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 69 110 0160 0 69 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 69 110 0160 0 69 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0224 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000

End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the latest version of MIDItext and get instructions on how to use it click here               

ABC format:

X:1

T:Staff

M:3/4

Q:1/4=120

K:C

E2G2C2|C2E2G2|G2A2G2|F2G4|C2D2E2|F2E2D2|C2D2E2|

D4E2|G2G2A2|G2F2E2|F2G2A2|G4E2|D2C2D2|F2E2E2|

D2C2D2|G2C7/4||

Thank you all, muchly!