Tune Add: Trunkles?Ever heard anything like it?

Subject: Tune Add: Trunkles?Ever heard anything like it?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 08 Jan 08 - 11:27 AM

Lately been searching the web for sheet music for 'er indoors, who's learning fiddle.

While browsing for morris tunes, came across this midi:http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/cgi/abc/tuneget?F=MIDI&U=http://www.mit.edu/~jcb/Red_Herring/dances/trunkles.abc&X=1&T=TRUNKLES

Click on mikdi in the description box - let me know what you think

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Trunkles?Ever heard anything like it
From: Splott Man
Date: 08 Jan 08 - 11:36 AM

The left hand isn't helping is it?

Tunes called Trunkles have been recorded by Morris On, Brass Monkey, and Spiers & Boden.

They might shed some light if you can get hold of them.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Trunkles?Ever heard anything like it?
From: ClaireBear
Date: 08 Jan 08 - 12:01 PM

Sounds just like the Bampton version we do in Sebastopol, CA (Apple Tree Morris), but for the left hand chords. That, however, is a very large "but"!

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Trunkles?Ever heard anything like it
From: GUEST,PMB
Date: 08 Jan 08 - 12:17 PM

That's the Schoenberg version. For unprepared piano, if they'd given it an inkling of what was going to happen it would have hid.

Two vast and trunkles legs of stone
Stand in the dessert...
Listen to my works, ye mighty, and despair.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Trunkles?Ever heard anything like it?
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 08 Jan 08 - 12:32 PM

Here it is, played by the wondrous Ian Dedic, for Hammersmith Morris.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Trunkles?Ever heard anything like it?
From: ClaireBear
Date: 08 Jan 08 - 12:47 PM

Not quite the same, especially in the B part, though close, and it's AABCBC(BC? Didn't wait around to see if there was a second repeat) rather than AABBBCCC.

I note that the text version on the referenced page identifies the tune as a Headington version, so my mistake. Apple Tree dance in a few other traditions every so often, and this must be one of those times.

Claire

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Trunkles?Ever heard anything like it?
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 08 Jan 08 - 01:22 PM

The problem is easy to see if you look at the abc for the file. They've used "A", "B", "C", "D" to identify the parts which is not the correct thing to do in abc. This usage makes them chords: A, B, C, D major. They should either have used "^A" etc to put the letter above the staff of used the P: keyword to identify parts properly.

When the midi is generated from the abc it converts those "A", "B", "C", "D" to the accompanying chord which you hear - not particularly sympathetic in the key of G

Mick

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Trunkles?Ever heard anything like it?
From: ClaireBear
Date: 08 Jan 08 - 01:27 PM

Brilliant! That had not occurred to me, but it's quite obvious now you mention it.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Trunkles?Ever heard anything like it?
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 08 Jan 08 - 04:09 PM

The wondrous Ian Dedic, indeed! Thanks for the link, Diane - has reminded me how enjoyable it was to dance with Flowers of May when Ian and others played for us, and also of what a great side Hammersmith have been for the last several decades (not to mention the inspirational effect they had on Herga Morris).

Kitty

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Trunkles?Ever heard anything like it?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 09:14 AM

Perhaps these Eurosong entrants could use it as an alternative?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3ATQdUK1gS4

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Trunkles?Ever heard anything like it?
From: pavane
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 09:50 AM

Non-Morris readers might like to know that there are several different dances, and some VERY different tunes all called Trunkles.

Basically, each village had its own version, danced in its own style, and with music adapted to suit. So for example there are at least 12 different dances or versions called Constant Billy. You normally have to qualify it by adding the vliiage name, thus Constant Billy, Headington.

Over the years, if a new musician didn't know the tune, it might have been danced to a completely different tune, but retained the old name.

I seem to recall that the oddest tune was the Badby one, but I may be wrong.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Trunkles?Ever heard anything like it?
From: Brian Peters
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 12:20 PM

The Badby 'Trunkles' - which I recorded on 'Anglophilia' - has much the same shape as the more conventional-sounding tunes, but is in the Mixolydian mode, which makes it sound a little strange. I believe the tune was collected by George Butterworth without notes on the dance it was used for - Barry Care has reconstructed the dance.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Trunkles?Ever heard anything like it?
From: Bernard
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 02:03 PM

My theory about the Badby version is that the musician was trying to play a more conventional version in G, but on a one-row C melodeon, hence the 'bluesy' sound!!

We (Earl of Stamford Morris) like the tune, as it has lots of 'character', and we do a slightly modified version of the dance - particularly the 'slows'.

Slight thread creep - the Badby version of 'Shooting' is much more interesting than the conventional tune, and odd in that there are only seven bars to a phrase instead of eight, which gives it an unusual feel.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Trunkles?Ever heard anything like it?
From: Bernard
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 02:09 PM

Bloody Nora!!

I've just listened to that MIDI! I know someone who plays just like that...

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Trunkles?Ever heard anything like it?
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 09 Jan 08 - 03:25 PM

Yes, Kitty, Ian Dedic's timing and playing are indeed wondrous, matched only by a long list of musicians who inspire feet and fingers to do what they though they couldn't achieve. It's invidious to start listing. I'll begin - and finish - by adding Pete Coe and Dan Quinn.

And to remind people that a remarkable Trunkles is on Spiers&Boden's Tunes.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Trunkles?Ever heard anything like it?
From: Brian Peters
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 06:47 AM

... and of course I should have mentioned that I learned the Badby 'Trunkles' from Bernard himself.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Trunkles?Ever heard anything like it?
From: GUEST,JohnB
Date: 10 Jan 08 - 10:54 AM

The Bible for Morris tunes by Bacon gives tunes from many different traditions. The link above gives you them all in abc format, search to your hearts content.
JohnB (Hi Brian)