Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: GUEST,strad
Date: 09 Nov 07 - 06:58 AM

Reading Tom Anderson's words regarding this tune seems to me to indicate a sense of nostalgia and the tune is usually played in Shetland at a slowish speed. That said, I have heard the Shetland Band Fradenr Gamla play it up tempo at a dance. Play it at the speed that feels right for you.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 09 Nov 07 - 05:10 AM

I wonder if the recording on "The Silver Bow" was more driven by Bain than Anderson. I learnt it in Edinburgh from people who had got it direct from Anderson, and the practice round here is to play it much slower than on that recording.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 09 Nov 07 - 02:24 AM

Thanks, Terrier, for citing his own explanation in Ringing Strings. That was the explanation I was referring to. Mr. Red, I'm confused by your comment that if anyone should know, Aly Bain should. Shouldn't that be if anyone should know, Tom Anderson should?

Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: terrier
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 05:21 PM

"I was coming out of Eshaness in late January,1969, the time was after 11 p.m. and as I looked back at the top of the hill leading out of the districtI saw so few lights as compared to what I remembered when I was young. As I watched, the lights started going out one by one. That, coupled with the recent death of my late wife, made me think of the old word 'Slockit', meaning, a light that has gone out, and I think that is what inspired the tune". From a tape recorded interview with Tom by a student in 1970. The second part was written by an American student in 1979.


Copied verbatim from 'Ringing Strings'.

The tune in the book is named 'Da Slockit Light' by Tom Anderson.1969.

MrH, if it's just the dots you are looking for, PM me your Email address and it's yours and you can buy O'Erindoors a drink next time you see her. BTW, where are the happy people on Wednesdays these days...Hoole?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 12:14 PM

I'm seeking a slow dots version for 'er indoors, who's learning fiddle, but is unable to play by ear

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 02:58 AM

There is no substitute for hearing it played by its writer. The phrasing is not regular, and none of the abc transcriptions comes anywhere near close enough; some seem to have filled in the pauses and held notes with little runs that don't really belong (though I often hear them played by people who don't know any better).

I first heard the tune during a tour Aly Bain did with Tom Gilfellon back in 1989; it was relatively little known then. Bain played it rather differently from the 1976 recording, of course, but absolutely in the right spirit.

Since then, sadly, many insensitive players have turned it into a bouncy wee thing, a travesty really. Not, of course, a waltz as I unguardedly said earlier, but with, if you understand me, the flavour (if not the rhythm) of one.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 02:26 AM

I for one don't understand all the confusion, if you need to know how it SHOULD sound, get a copy of the album ' The Magic Bow ' and listen to Tom Anderson and Aly Bain play it......................... as Tom meant it to be played.

eric

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: Sorcha
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 08:07 PM

Mr Happy, are you sure you need 'different dots' to play it as an aire? Why can't you just slow down what is there? Take a few liberties with the timing...??

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 06:12 PM

I too am puzzled by Malcolm's censure of session players who play it "as a jolly waltz".

I have never heard it played other than as a slow air in 4/4.

That said, I could envisage it being played as a quick march, and I can envisage it as a strathspey, but as a waltz ???????

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 12:22 PM

Thanks to all for help.

I've checked out JC's versions & 'though the tune's correct, the timing/tempo seems unlike how I've heard it done in both local & distant sessions.

Appreciating what others on here have commented, the 'soul' of the tune seems compromised by these jolly, lighthearted arrangements.

I feel it should be more as a slow air - anyone point me to the dots for such a version?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: GUEST,clockwatcher
Date: 07 Nov 07 - 08:07 AM

It's certainly a great tune, but surely it would be difficult to play it as a waltz (jolly or otherwise) as it's in 4-4.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: GUEST,Chanteyranger
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 03:37 PM

Well, wait, is it that Tom Anderson's explanation for how he came to compose the tune was influenced by someone else's explanation? I don't know if I follow. The explanation I understand is Anderson's own, in Riniging Strings. I have the book at home.

Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: Fliss
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 03:30 PM

Its a lovely tune, we play it at our session.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 03:07 PM

Most of this was covered in an earlier discussion, which I see has just been revived without explanation: Da Slockit Licht [sic].

A recording by Tom Anderson and Aly Bain is on The Silver Bow: Shetland Folk Fiddling (Topic TSCD469, 1993: comprising the earlier LPs The Silver Bow (1976, minus one track) and Shetland Folk Fiddling Volume 2 (1978)).

This should be compulsory listening for the quite large number of session players who insist nowadays on playing it as a jolly waltz.

From the 1976 sleevenotes:

''Da Slockit Light' was written after coming back from his native Eshaness where now nearly all the lights are extinguished due to depopulation'.

The notes are attributed to Tom Anderson. The earlier thread includes a longer note from his book. I recall Aly Bain's spoken intro (have it on tape somewhere, I think) which is much the same; perhaps a little embroidered.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 02:55 PM

It's still in copyright and Tom was keen that the copyrights on his music should be enforced. The royalties go to help young musicians in Shetland.

I wouldn't put one of his tunes on my website, and I would suggest that anybody who has a copy on their own site should remove it unless they get explicit approval from Shetland Young Tradition.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: Mr Red
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 01:50 PM

Ah the folk process.

Aly Bain told the story (at Chippenham FF) that Tom composed it for the crofts without lights because the young men were going to the mainland one by one. However his wife had not long died. AND a reporter published the story that it was about his lost wife. AND Tom apparently couldn't disagree with it, he was not sure any more.

That's what Aly Bain said - and if anyone knows - he should.

Lets face it - grief like that can often be a time of seeking solace in something to distract you and if you are a consumate musician, composition is a natural place to visit.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 01:12 PM

Da Slockit Light is available in the usual formats at JC's tunefinder http://ecf-guest.mit.edu/~jc/cgi/abc/tunefind

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: GUEST,Chanteyranger
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 12:28 PM

Tom Anderson composed "Da Slockit Light" as an ode to his wife who had died. He translates the title as "The light that burned out," and, in his tunebook "Ringing Strings," describes how he was inspired to write the tune after seeing lights go out one by one in homes, in the night.

Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 12:26 PM

I've always known this title by Greg's spelling, and Google brings up a lot of hits (try google.co.uk and limit to searching UK pages). There's an ABC of it here

http://www.walshaw.plus.com/abc/index/splitwwabcD.html

What exactly is it you're after - can you tell us a bit more?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: GUEST,PMB
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 12:22 PM

It's in the session as Da Sslockit Light, though elsewhere it's 'slochit'. The Wikipedia page on Tom Anderson has it as 'slockit', explaining that it's Shetland for 'extinguished', and refers to the deserted crofts due to depopulation.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: greg stephens
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 12:19 PM

Well, I think Tom Anderson(the composer of the tune) spelt it Da Slockit Light, but I'm not sure.I'm sure you'll dfind discograpies on Google if you are looking for a recording...I seem to remember one with him and Aly Bain.

Subject: Tune Req: Da Slockit Licht?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 06 Nov 07 - 12:08 PM

Firstly, I'm after finding what's the proper title of this tune.

I've tried the Session & other tune sites to no avail.

Can anyone help?