Lakes of Ponchartrain

Subject: Lakes of Ponchartrain
From: akenaton
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 05:06 PM

Anyone know the correct tempo for "Lakes".Martin Simpson does it in a Cajun tempo,as do The Tanyas,whereas Paul Brady ect do the song in a slow easy style ..This worries me...Ake

Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain
From: Francy
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 05:12 PM

Well written song both lyrically & musically...3/4 time I believe....But it is the kind of song that should be played at the most commfortable tempo for you....Pick your comfort zone and wail away.....Frank of Toledo

Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain
From: Gerard
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 05:25 PM

3/4 time. An excellent version can be heard on Keith & Rusty McNeil's recordings which are probably part of any reputable public library. I am not sure if it is with their Civil War CD or their Movin' West CD. They can be found on the internet WEB Records....

Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain
From: Amos
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 05:58 PM

Ake:

Second the emotion -- do it well, and don't worry about doing it "right".

A

Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 06:08 PM

"This worries me..."

Why on Earth should it? Variants are an inescapable and welcome aspect of folk music.

Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain
From: GUEST,Andre
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 06:19 PM

Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain
From: GUEST,Andrew
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 06:19 PM

Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain
From: akenaton
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 06:21 PM

Im afraid i was being a wee bit facetious . My worries are of the more tangible variety. Seriously i take your point about variations but the difference in feeling between Martin Simpsons and Paul Bradys interpretation is very marked and a bit unsettling.Perhaps I need some information on the origins of the song to clear things up.

Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain
From: GUEST,Andrew
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 06:23 PM

Sorry all that stuttering and now I forgot what I was going to say!!
Fine song though in its several varients

Andrew

Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain
From: Shane Gibbons
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 07:27 PM

Jed Marum has a beautiful version of "Lakes of Ponchartrain" on his Soul of a Wanderer cd.

He does it as a slowish waltz.

Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain
From: Jon W.
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 08:02 PM

Planxty, the great Irish Trad group from the 70's did it fairly slow also. Beautiful song.

Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 08:13 PM

I have to admiit I don't think m uch of Martin Simpson's version, though the idea of dfoing it Cajun style is interesting. But doing it Cajun style needn't actually mean doing it that fast.

Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 08:21 PM

As a traditional song, it has been found in a series of variants; by no means all set to the same tune. As such, it has been discussed here at some length a number of times in the past, and I'd suggest that you look at those discussions. They are easily found through the onsite search engine, but in any case links have now been added at the head of this thread.

Is it a particular variant of the song that you want to play? So far, only interpretations by revival performers have been mentioned, I think, and so far as I know they all got their sets from printed sources (or from recordings by other revival performers); none can be considered to be necessarily the "right" approach, therefore. They are subjective interpretations, each with a value of its own, but none can be considered definitive. In the end it is a choice that you must make for yourself, based upon your best understanding of the song, of its meaning to you, and how you wish your audience, if you envisage one, to react to it.

Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 08:27 PM

Nice pace to the song as sung on the Wolf Folklore Collection: Creole Girl- Lake of Ponchartrain

Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain
From: GUEST,still cookieless paddymac
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 09:34 PM

The usual melody used for "Lakes" is nearly the same as that for "Blarney Roses." I don't know which came first, but I suspect the melody predates both of them.

Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain
From: harpgirl
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 09:47 PM

...not the way you play Blarney Roses, Pat. The Lakes is played much more slowly and not in a singsongy way...no offense intended but you know how you are about timing!!! harpy

Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain
From: greg stephens
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 10:12 PM

welll i've been sitting in Cork rheaarsing a new version of this song today, involving hurdy gurdy, fiddle and concertina.A question like !what is the right tempo for a song! leaves me a bit flummoxed, though. It's a folk song,play it at whatever tempo you like.

Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain
From: akenaton
Date: 19 Jul 03 - 04:47 AM

Im sorry to keep harpin on after all the fine comments,and the wise words from Malcolm.
I still come back to the Martin Simpson version which to me is Cajun in feeling and intended as such..I feel thatperforming the song as an Irish waltz may be very nice for a folk audiance,but perhaps not authentic.Knowing Martins work im sure the song origins will have been very well researched.Maybe everyone else is pulling the song in the wrong direction because it sounds more comfortable to us..

Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain
From: redhorse
Date: 19 Jul 03 - 11:17 AM

Since the song is clearly about an immigrant (references to not having the right currency) I wouldn't expect it to be Cajun, which would imply a native to the area.

However as regards your original question I suspect the real issue is the oldest one in music (not just folk). Does the performer try to re-create what the composer originally conceived or does he re-interpret it to add the performer's own personality? And if the former how do you know what the composer wanted?

Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Jul 03 - 07:21 PM

Yes, of course Martin Simpson's version was intended to sound Cajun, and did sound Cajun to me, and that was an interesting enough idea. But Cajun songs aren't all the same, and I think he could have done better within the idiom.