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Singing two songs at the same time.
Related thread:
Help:Partner songs (aka:quodlibets, counterpoints) (41)
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: BobL Date: 01 Jan 19 - 02:49 AM The New Moon Morris band plays "Theme Vannetaise" aka Twiglet, interspersed with a couple of verses of "Drunken Sailor" (sung). Chords don't quite match so we don't actually play them at the same time. However I have managed to work in "Rambling Sailor" as a countermelody. |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: GUEST,Dan Date: 31 Dec 18 - 02:50 PM One of my favorite pairs of partner songs, learned a decade ago with a folk ensemble in New Bedford, Mass., is the anonymous round "Evening Breeze" sung with the chorus to "Wade in the Water." I haven't heard this anywhere else, so I'm including abc notation below. A footnote to "Solomon Levi" and "The Spanish Cavalier" mentioned upthread: These two songs were published together, in four-part SATB harmony, in _The Golden book of Favorite Songs_ (Minneapolis, 1915/1923/1946: Schmitt, Hall & McNeary) under the title "A Vocal Combat." X:1 T:Evening Breeze L:1/4 M:4/4 K:Dminor D A A2 | G A D2 | F F E F/E/ | D A A2 | w:Eve-ning breeze, spi-rit song, Come to me when the day is done, D A A>A | G A D D/E/ | F F E (D/C/) | D4 |] w:Mo-ther Earth a-wak-ens me, with the heart beat of the_ sea. X:2 T:Wade in the Water L:1/4 M:4/4 K:Dminor (D2D/) F D/ | F>(D D2) | (A2 A/) c A/ | d c (A/G/) F | w:Wade_ in the wat-er,_ Wade_ in the wat-er chil-_dren, x (D2 D/) F D/ | F>(D D2) | F D/C/ D/ D D/ | (A,C/) (D/ D2) |] w:Wade_ in the wat-er,_ God's gon-na trou-ble the wat-_ter._ |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: GUEST,Hootenanny Date: 30 Dec 18 - 06:53 AM Re "Bill Bailey", at our Monday night bluegrass slanted sessions the fiddle player used to play the Kenny Baker instrumental "Washington County" which was actually his version of "Washington & Lee Swing" and had been recorded many years earlier by jazz Musicians as "Louisiana Swing". When a back up musician queried the chord progression the reply was "Bill Bailey". That is why I now sometimes sing the lyrics to Bill Bailey when I hear "Washington County". |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Genie Date: 29 Dec 18 - 04:48 PM Irving Berlin’s “Play A Simple Melody” includes a countermelody/song “I Want T Listen To Rag.” “It’s A Sin To Tell A Lie” fits perfect with “Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter.” The musical The Music Man also has a quodlibet, with one song being Lisa Rose and the countermelody being the one that goes “Dream of love (me?” but the title of which I can’t recall. And one that Amos and I recorded years ago in his garage office/studio is the duet where one person sings “Bill Bailey” and the other sings “Just Because.” I sing these often in various performances or jams or song circles but I can’t do them as a duet without technological help. |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: GUEST,Felipa Date: 28 Dec 18 - 05:15 PM something similar that we did in primary school was the verse and the chorus of Sweet potatoes together. Soon as we all cook sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes, Soo as we all cook sweet potatoes, Eat them right straight up at the same time as oo roo oo roo, sing ho dí ding dum, etc |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: John C. Bunnell Date: 28 Dec 18 - 12:33 PM I'm a bit surprised this match hasn't come up in the thread to date, but here's an instance of a "this isn't quite the same thing" that strikes me as nifty enough that someone should take the next step and actually perform these in counterpoint. For the cable TV series Outlander, music director Bear McReary and performer Raya Yarbrough have produced a setting of Robert Louis Stevenson's poem "Sing Me A Song of A Lad That Is Gone" (with "Lass" switched in, since the show centers on a woman who's sent back in time to the relevant historical era) that uses the familiar tune to "Skye Boat Song". Here's a commentary from Tor.com that discusses the song and its seasonal variations in excellent detail, with a full set of YouTube links to the various arrangements. That in itself is a dead fascinating instance of one-tune-sung-to-another-set-of-lyrics. But I find myself wanting the next logical step in the progression: that is, the point/counterpoint duet wherein one singer is doing "Skye Boat Song" and the other is doing either of the original Stevenson lyrics or the McReary/Yarbrough adaptation, verses alternating between one text and the other. And that, of course, would be precisely the sort of thing the OP was looking for.... |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: GUEST,Hootenanny Date: 28 Dec 18 - 11:13 AM I was at a picking session some years back (1982) when J P Fraley and Thornton Spencer did this with two fiddles, no vocal. J P Fraley played the tune commonly known as Home Sweet Home while Thornton Thornton Spencer fiddled "Silver Bells". The rest of the pickers just went through the chords. I got it on tape too. |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: GUEST,Peter Laban Date: 28 Dec 18 - 09:31 AM Ignore post above, hadn't noticed it had been posted already. They did similar things with other selections though. |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: GUEST,Peter Laban Date: 28 Dec 18 - 09:12 AM The Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain used to quite brilliantly layer several pieces of music over eachother. Can't quite remember which ones though but this is one of them : Fly me off the handel - UOOGB |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: GUEST,Marcia Palmater Date: 27 Dec 18 - 08:51 PM My sister and I used to sing while doing the dishes, back in the '40s ... we sang The Spanish Cavalier and Solomon Levi. Works great! Thanks for the memories. |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: FreddyHeadey Date: 27 Dec 18 - 07:41 PM Scarborough Fair & Four Loom Weaver Scarborough Fair & Cod Liver Ile* Four Loom Weaver & Cod Liver Ile* (from Scarborough Fair thread thread.cfm?threadid=111333#3707303) *Cod Liver Ile(Cod Liver Oil\Doctor dear John(\Dr de Jongh)) thread.cfm?threadid=21294#226035 not Cod Liver Oil and Orange Juice |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: The Doctor Date: 27 Dec 18 - 06:26 AM There was a book of songs like this, that could be sung in tandem. I used it when I was teaching, but can't now remember the title. Some of the above mentioned were in it, together with a lot more. I also once made an arrangement for my school orchestra of Leroy Anderson's Sleigh Ride, in which Good King Wenceslas was played at half speed against the opening tune of Sleigh Ride. |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Jack Campin Date: 27 Dec 18 - 06:19 AM There is a nice mashup on YouTube of a rap by 50 Cent and the Bluebell Polka done by Jimmy Shand and his Band. |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Joe Offer Date: 27 Dec 18 - 03:54 AM One of my favorite songs our choir does at Christmas, is a "partner song" combining "What Child Is This?" and Scott Soper's "Child of the Poor." Another is "Silent Night" teamed with Daniel Kantor's "Night of Silence" Marty Haugen did a nice arrangement of "Night of Silence/Silent Night": |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: PHJim Date: 20 Jun 14 - 02:12 AM Row Row Row Your Boat/Frere Jacques/Three Blind Mice can all be sung together. |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: GUEST,Dani Date: 29 May 14 - 08:12 PM You've all made my brain very happy tonight. Dani |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: EBarnacle Date: 29 May 14 - 01:10 PM As I have mentioned in other contexts, Pete Seeger's "How do I know my youth is all spent?" and "Officer Krupke" from West Side Story both use similar enough melodies to interpolate. Emily Dickinson is also fun to play with. |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: GUEST Date: 29 May 14 - 08:26 AM Or Mollie Malone and Clementine? |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Jason Xion Wang Date: 29 May 14 - 08:14 AM "Did You Hear John Hurt" and John Hurt's "Creole Belle" verses seem to have same chord progression |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Sooz Date: 29 May 14 - 07:48 AM Thanks each and everyone - some of the off topic replies are great. Thanks to Tattie for the three songs and yes - the Ukulele Orchestra do set the gold standard, Mark. |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: GUEST,Mark Bluemel Date: 29 May 14 - 07:25 AM Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain have played with this a number of times - I think this is the "Gold Standard" www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTIv8hP-UIA |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: GUEST,.gargoyle Date: 28 May 14 - 08:57 PM "Music Editor" from "Mudcat Moderator" (or worse clone) Profound difference. There has been a shift as we have all matured. Sincerely, Gargoyle Good stuff coming up ... I believe the flood gates of memory might be opening across the globe...they just need a listening ear. |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: GUEST,.gargoyle Date: 28 May 14 - 08:43 PM Our 4th grade (9-10 year old) teacher was amazing. She had even taught one student's grandfather. Dividing the class in half, the two parts were: "Spanish Cavalier" "Solomon Levi" Sincerely, Gargoyle Same grade the public school began dance and orchestra. |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Tattie Bogle Date: 28 May 14 - 07:19 PM For singing in a group and contemporaneously rather than sequentially (oops, swallowed a dictionary!) - a friend of mine gets 1/3 of the room singing "Rock-a-my soul on the bosom of Abraham" - another third on on "He's got the whole world in his hands" - and the last third are on "When the Saints go Marching In" - and it works! Of course, Gilbert and Sullivan operettas are renowned for their "double choruses" where half the cast is on one song and the other half on something different. And yes, Pachelbel's Canon, Little Robyn - I think there have been other threads on how many songs are based on that chord sequence (as well as the wonderful disgruntled cello player video!) And finally, I have heard some folk tack 2 unrelated songs together, just because they can see that in a busy session they're only going to get one turn tonight - is that fair play? Hmm, well tunes players do it all the time - sets of 3 or 4 tunes that go on for 20 minutes! |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Crowhugger Date: 28 May 14 - 05:56 PM Gonna go look up some of these, they'll make great segue between warm-ups and repertoire rehearsal! |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: EBarnacle Date: 28 May 14 - 05:45 PM I have found that merging House of the Rising Sun with Amazing Grace. The final verse now reads: I'm going back to New Orleans, My race is almost run; I'll spend my nights a-seeking grace In the house of the rising sun. |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: clueless don Date: 28 May 14 - 08:50 AM There is another Mudcat thread on this topic (though I don't have time to search for it at the moment.) I noted there that the Doris Day song "Everybody Loves a Lover" is a "quodlibet", much like "You're Just in Love." Don
-Joe Offer, Mudcat Music Editor- |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Joe Offer Date: 27 May 14 - 06:36 PM I see a number of comments like "this isn't what the OP (original poster) was asking for." Occasionally we DO get Original Posters who get possessive of threads and become grumpy when somebody posts lyrics instead of chords or the like. We've had a delightful tradition of "thread expansion" at Mudcat, where anything even remotely connected to the subject of the thread is fair game. And if it isn't connected, we moderators can move the offending post to another thread, so not to worry. -Joe Offer, Mudcat Music Editor- |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: PHJim Date: 27 May 14 - 04:05 PM Five Foot Two and Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone. John Hartford's Boogie, Robert Johnson's They're Red Hot, Pink Anderson's Bring It On Home, Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant and a whole bunch more songs all use the same progression and can be sung as "partner songs" or "quodlibets". The old pop song Jada also works for the A part, but not for the bridge. There are songs that have been written to sing as partner songs. An old Boy Scout song with "Fish and chips and vinegar...", "It's cold in the winter...", Don't dump your junk in my back yard..." and "One bottle of pop..." has the four songs that can all be sung together. |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Sooz Date: 27 May 14 - 01:00 PM Shepherds Hey and the Keel Row is exactly the type of thing I'm looking for. Please no more rounds (a completely different animal!) |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Will Fly Date: 27 May 14 - 11:24 AM Jey - we've done that at sessions - works very well! |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: GUEST,Henry piper of Ottery Date: 27 May 14 - 09:59 AM Not quite the same thing, but in my Barn Dance band we sometimes play the tunes "Shepherds Hey" and "The Keel Row" at the same time, If you get the phrasing Right, (and use the right version of Shepherds Hey it works well) Having said that if it goes awry, it can turn into a complete train wreck!!! |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: GUEST,matt milton Date: 27 May 14 - 06:32 AM This isn't what the OP was asking for, but I have often observed that you can sing the lyrics to "My Old Man's A Dustman" to millions of old-time American tunes. Forget a verse? Just shove in "my old man's a dustman, he wears a dustman's hat, he's wears cor-blimey trousers, & he lives in a council flat" Ditto "House of the Rising Sun". I like to mix'n'match those lyrics, usually while playing "Old Joe Clark" or "Cumberland Gap". Good old floating verses... |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Joe Offer Date: 26 May 14 - 06:42 PM A nice "partner song" is Song of Peace (Dona Nobis Pacem), by Mary Donnelly & George Strid (Alfred Music Publishing). One group sings the "Dona Nobis Pacem" round, while the other sings this: If I could have one wish come true, It would be peace for me and you. Peace in our hearts and peace of mind, Peace now and ever for all mankind. Here's a guitar version of both melodies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qZ1D5FFZfw |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Don Firth Date: 26 May 14 - 06:35 PM I haven't quite figured out how to sing two different songs simultaneously, but I do find that certain songs work well in sequence, going right from one to the other with no pause. One pair I like to do together is "Copper Kettle," then vamp on the guitar for a moment or two, slowing the tempo and segueing into the slow version of "Moonshiner." There are many versions of "Moonshiner," but the words I sing are fairly close to the ones that Bob Dylan sings, but I learned it from Rolf Cahn in Berkeley in 1959. Another is "Pull Off Your Old Coat," that I learned from a Richard Dyer-Bennet record, then speed up a bit and segue into "Wayfaring Stranger," starting softly, swelling to full blast, then backing off and finishing softly. Both of these combinations work well. Don Firth |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Bill D Date: 26 May 14 - 06:17 PM The American service songs....can ALL be sung together. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines. Can be done as a round, adding one at a time, then finishing either together or dropping out one at a time. |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Joe_F Date: 26 May 14 - 05:50 PM "Row, Row, Row Your Boat", "Frere Jacques", & "Three Blind Mice" can all be sung *as rounds* at the same time. "I've Been Working on the Railroad" & "Old Black Joe" -- the harmony is a bit rocky, but one is rewarded with a naughty coincidence. "Home, Sweet Home" & "My Silver Bell". |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Little Robyn Date: 26 May 14 - 05:02 PM I have a theory that you could sing Streets of London to the music of Pachelbel's canon. I haven't managed it myself and the chorus might not work but I can hear it in my head. Several other songs have at least part of the same progression as well, at least in part of their tune - Alan Taylor's Swallow Swallow for example. Robyn |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Sooz Date: 26 May 14 - 03:31 PM I do mean singing two songs simultaneously (at the same time!) Tim, there is a set of 3 Scottish songs which can be sung simultaneously. The Bonny Bridge o'Banff and Sandy he belangs tae the mill along with a third with nonsense lyrics. |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: RTim Date: 26 May 14 - 08:00 AM Have you heard Finest Kind's song (written by Shelley Posen) called Christmas Trilogy? They sing 3 songs at one time! see - http://www.last.fm/music/Finest+Kind/_/Christmas+Trilogy Tim Radford |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: doc.tom Date: 26 May 14 - 07:57 AM Woah!!! What are we talking about? A) Two sings simultaneously (like polying Mason's Apron and Devil's Dream AT THE SAME TIME) b) Singing one song to the tune of another (Like Byker Hill to pretty much anything). c) Singing one song straight into another (medley - like The Egg). ??????????? |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Sooz Date: 26 May 14 - 07:49 AM Thanks to you all for your contributions. Any more out there? |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Little Robyn Date: 26 May 14 - 07:20 AM Then there's the Kippers song Spenser the Wild Rover which is Spenser the rover and The Wild Rover spliced together. Robyn |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Deckman Date: 26 May 14 - 06:15 AM This song might fit, but it's a bit of a stretch! In case you don't know it, there are two very different melodies for the american cowbow balld "The Streets of Laredo." When I was a teenager, 100 years ago, I heard a guy in Seattle sing both of these different versions in the same presentation. For the verses, he sang the melody that starts on a high note and decends through the scale. For the chorus, he sang the melody that does just the opposite, starts very low and climbs up through the scale. The effect was amazing. The only problem is that it requires the singer to have a HUGE vocal range. I can sometimes pull it off, but only on a good night. CHEERS, bob(deckman)nelson |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Will Fly Date: 26 May 14 - 05:44 AM Try looking for songs with the same underlying chord progression of I-VIm-IV-V, e.g. C-Am-F-G. They'll almost all fit together - for a time at least, or until the bridge takes over! "Heart and Soul" + "Ain't Misbehavin'" + "Blue Moon"... Then try singing all the bridges (middle 8s) together - chaos! :-) |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: JHW Date: 26 May 14 - 05:18 AM A Round lets you sing the same song more than once at the same time. Harmony groups do it but I don't know why. Sounds terrible. |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Rusty Dobro Date: 26 May 14 - 03:53 AM 'The Wild Rover' to the tune of 'Streets of London'? Last night with the band I was accused of playing in one key and singing in another, but I don't think that's what you're looking for.... |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: GUEST,Grishka Date: 26 May 14 - 03:40 AM It is such a time-honoured practice, that in spite of its definite folklore character, there is a Latin term for it: quodlibet, translating "what pleases". Google it with ca. 237000 results. Like many folk traditions, it has also had an influence on high-brow culture, notably in Renaissance music. Tunes that would not fit together originally, were tweaked by composers. The result was likely to be funny, particularly if songs of different genres were combined, but could also be genuine art. |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Cool Beans Date: 25 May 14 - 12:20 PM "Walk Right Back" (Everly Brothers) and "Engine, Engine Number Nine" (Roger Miller). Same chord progressions until the bridge on "Engine". |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Joe Offer Date: 25 May 14 - 11:28 AM Then, of course, there are songs written with two melodies meant to be sung at the same time. The first one that came to mind was "I Hear Music But There's No One There" by Irving Berlin. Its official name is "You're Just in Love (I Wonder Why)," written for the 1950 musical Call Me Madam. Frank Loesser wrote lots of such songs - "Fuge for Tinhorns" from Guys and Dolls, for example (I got the horse right here...). It's fun to sing such "partner songs - the confusion is part of the fun. -Joe- |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: GUEST Date: 25 May 14 - 11:17 AM It's the Welsh art of Penillion, the singing of one set of words to the tune of another, and is sufficiently close to a road crash as to have become the point of an entire round in I'm Sorry and its brethren. Outlandish Knight and I'm Henery The Eighth I am, perhaps? |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Sooz Date: 25 May 14 - 10:56 AM Thanks, Will. That's exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for. Fred, at our club it sometimes sounds like that when people are singing the same song! |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Will Fly Date: 25 May 14 - 07:37 AM The 1st World War Classics: Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag - and It's A Long Way To Tipperary Often sung together - with each half of the audience sometimes taking a song each. |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 25 May 14 - 07:23 AM the duet from 'Call Me Madam' |
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Subject: RE: Singing two songs at the same time. From: GUEST,Fred McCormick Date: 25 May 14 - 06:53 AM Our local folk club once had a lot of floor singers to get on, so I tried to hasten things by singing The Outlandish Knight and La Donna Mobile simultaneously. Just didn't work. |
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Subject: Singing two songs at the same time. From: Sooz Date: 25 May 14 - 06:33 AM I'm trying to compile a list of pairs of songs which can be sung at the same time (and still sound reasonable!) Examples: The Ash Grove and Molly Malone Swing Low Sweet Chariot and When The Saints Go Marching In. Any more from the floor? |
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