Modal Appalachian songs

Subject: Modal Appalachian songs
From: Jayto
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 11:49 AM

I want to find some more modal Appalchian songs. Kind of in the vein of Coockoo Bird, Rueben's Train, Honeybaby,.. etc. I know my spelling is off and I also know some of the ones I listed are older than what would be considered Appalachian but that gives you an idea of the type of sound. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
cya
JT

Subject: RE: Modal Appalachian songs
From: maeve
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 12:39 PM

Many of Jean Ritchie's songs would be appropriate, Jayto. She is Mudcat's kytrad, and I doubt she's ever sung or played a poor one.

maeve

Subject: RE: Modal Appalachian songs
From: Jayto
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 12:47 PM

Oh yeah I am familiar with her. Thanks for reminding me. I knew I was just needing my memory jogged a little.
thanks
JT

Subject: RE: Modal Appalachian songs
From: oombanjo
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 01:43 PM

Bangum, same old man. chilly winds. Aint got no Honey baby now,Rock the cradle.Sailaway ladies.Little Sadie.

Subject: RE: Modal Appalachian songs
From: Jayto
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 02:41 PM

I will have to check it out. I haven't heard a few of those. Little Sadie and Honey Baby are the only 2 I am familiar with.
Thanks
JT

Subject: RE: Modal Appalachian songs
From: ClaireBear
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 02:45 PM

Does Some Dark Holler qualify?

C

Subject: RE: Modal Appalachian songs
From: Sorcha
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 02:58 PM

Shady Grove, Mattie Groves, LOTS of the Child Ballads, Cluck Old Hen, Cold Frosty Morning, Home with the Girls in the Morning...

Subject: RE: Modal Appalachian songs
From: fretless
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 03:33 PM

Elzig's Farewell, East Virginia (at least in some of its variants). Try going to banjo tab sites such as Banjo Hangout and look for tunes in modal tuning, gDGCD.

Subject: RE: Modal Appalachian songs
From: fretless
Date: 24 Mar 09 - 03:34 PM

And once you've got your list, post it for the rest of us!

Subject: RE: Modal Appalachian songs
From: Nehi
Date: 05 Apr 09 - 09:03 AM

Here's 200 appalachian songs you might find interesting.

http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/english-folk-songs/

Subject: RE: Modal Appalachian songs
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 05 Apr 09 - 12:12 PM

Shall we turn that nto a BLICKY - http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/english-folk-songs/.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: Modal Appalachian songs
From: Nehi
Date: 05 Apr 09 - 12:36 PM

Thanks Geoff.

Subject: RE: Modal Appalachian songs
From: WyoWoman
Date: 05 Apr 09 - 01:15 PM

What a treasure, Nehi! Thank you so much. It is bookmarked in my world now!

--WW

Subject: RE: Modal Appalachian songs
From: open mike
Date: 05 Apr 09 - 04:15 PM

Tim Eriksen does some wonderful ones...he is in the group Cordelia's Dad and has had a hand in the music from several movies...he also specializes in shape note singing as seen in Cold Mountain.

I played a cut from "Spine" (on my radio show yesterday) by Cordellia's Dad and it has those haunting modal harmonies...

Subject: RE: Modal Appalachian songs
From: open mike
Date: 05 Apr 09 - 04:25 PM

http://www.timeriksen.net/, http:// www.cordeliasdad.com

Subject: RE: Modal Appalachian songs
From: GUEST,Michele Callaghan
Date: 05 Apr 09 - 09:51 PM

Also you can find some good songs on Elizabeth LaPrelle's CDs. She has a different kind of voice than Jean Ritchie but is a good example of Appalachian-style singing.

Subject: RE: Modal Appalachian songs
From: open mike
Date: 05 Apr 09 - 09:57 PM

see: http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/appalach.htm
and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old-time_music
and http://www.aca-dla.org/dlamusic/dlamusic.html

Subject: RE: Modal Appalachian songs
From: Tradsinger
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 02:24 AM

Check out our version of 'The Wife of Usher's Well'. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbri9Nfjcr8

Enjoy

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Modal Appalachian songs
From: Spleen Cringe
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 03:24 AM

Cath and Phil Tyler.

Lovely stuff. I believe Cath used to be in Cordelia's Dad, too.

Subject: RE: Modal Appalachian songs
From: Stringsinger
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 12:07 PM

Almeda Riddle, Texas Gladden, Horton Barker (these are voices you have to get used to)
all sang songs of this tradition. Buell Kazee, Clarence Ashley,(East Virginia) and of course Jean Ritchie carries on this tradition (as well as the Ritchie family from the Cumberlands). It's a marvelous musical style that is often not understood by new interpreters.

Peg Seeger knows about this style too. "Wedding Dress" for example. Or Hally Wood's "Saint James Hospital". The "modal" thing is speculative. Were the so-called Church modes employed by these traditional Appalachian songs? The jury is out on that one.

Check out Texas Gladden singing "I Never Will Marry". "Cousin" Emmy singing "East Virginia Girls".

Then there's the "House Carpenter", many versions of "Barbara Allen" that precede the popularization by such folks as Joan Baez.

The connection with the ballad style of Northern Ireland and the Scottish Border becomes
apparent when you hear these old-time ballads.

"Lord Randall" has some interesting variations as well.

When you bring in the conventional chord structure of the guitars and some banjos (though many tunings were used to incorporate the old-style tunes), the original
unusual quality of these old style songs were lost into the stew of early "country music".
This is what Cecil Sharp was complaining about and he may have had a point.

Early "country" music has it's own quality, though, differerent from what we're talking about here.

Frank