Pairing tunes and songs

Subject: Pairing tunes and songs
From: Susan A-R
Date: 26 Mar 99 - 10:41 PM

I sing, and play the fiddle, and have found some fun pairing of tunes and songs, and would like to get otherpeople's ideas/experiences. Examples: Stan Rogers' Wreck of the Athens Queen with Whisky Before Breakfast Kitchen Girl with Gates of the Boyne (never quite sure if I have the title to that one right.) Boys of Blue Hill with Boats of Silver. Sometimes we've tried to pair tunes with appropriate names (as in the first two) but sometimes it's just stuff that sounds good together. Oh, also we've laid songs on top of each other with some success, only a verse or two to get the effect, we don't want to coonfuse the whole song, but I saw Three Ships fits with Bring a Torch Jeannete Isabella, as does Ezekiel Saw De Wheel with Swing Low Sweet Chariot. Anyone else like to do this kind of "fun with arrangements?"

Susan

Subject: RE: Pairing tunes and songs
From: Night Owl
Date: 27 Mar 99 - 02:17 AM

A hundred .....or so......years ago, I led group singing with "Rock-A-My Soul" and "Good News-Chariots A-Coming" together.

Subject: RE: Pairing tunes and songs
From: Night Owl
Date: 27 Mar 99 - 02:19 AM

Together meaning---sung at the same time.

Subject: RE: Pairing tunes and songs
From: Ferrara
Date: 27 Mar 99 - 08:44 AM

Once in a while we do a workshop on this theme at the FSGW Getaways. The whole thing was the brainchild of a woman named Laura Sailer. Her biggest success, I think, was getting a large roomful of people singing four songs together, with each quarter of the room having their own part and a big songsheet with the words. I think the songs she combined were all military theme songs. I remember The Caissons Go Rolling Along and the Marines Hymn, the others must have been Anchors Away and Off We Go into the Wild Blue Yonder.

ALso, a different game, after the Rick Fielding concert Roger in Baltimore sang the words of Amazing Grace to the tune of House of the Rising Sun. He's a good blues guitarist and it was mind boggling.

Subject: RE: Pairing tunes and songs
From:
Date: 27 Mar 99 - 10:50 AM

This is a game you can play with songs, movies itc. Some years ago there was a song call [someting like] "You are all the World to Me", which I always thought should be sung with [Eddy Arnold's] "Make the World Go Away".

Subject: RE: Pairing tunes and songs
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 27 Mar 99 - 11:48 AM

Susan, do you really mean simultaneously playing songs or pairing them up as part of a program segment? Both are fun. Sol Weber, the round-singing guru, has fun with what he calls (I think accurately) quodlibets- simultaneous songs. We do Wade in the Water, Shalom, Chaverim, & What a goodly thing; also Blue Moon and Fish Gotta Swim, Birds Gatta Fly (to get way off the folk track!). It al depends on the chord progression to make it work.
Creatively matching up songs to be performed in sequence is another art form all together. I do similar things with my chorus, but can't at the moment think of an inspiring example!
Allison

Subject: RE: Pairing tunes and songs
From: Don Meixner
Date: 27 Mar 99 - 01:55 PM

When I play with the band we like to do vocal medleys. The Boys of the Old Brigade/The Outlawed Rapparee, Sean South From Gerryowen/Roddy Mc Corley(due to the sharred melody).

When I play a gig by myself I like to do set pieces with a song, a poem, and a song. Or a poem first then a song.

Spainish Johnny/When the Works All Done This Fall. The Sea Wife/ Three Score and Ten. Or The Child's/ Sully's Pail(recited)? Coal Tattoo. Poems and songs together are a powerful combination.

Susan, Do you know the Staudt family in Montpelier? The ran a health club and lived on the hill up near The Horn of The Moon?

Don Meixner

Subject: RE: Pairing tunes and songs
From: Sam Pirt
Date: 27 Mar 99 - 01:57 PM

Ye I think its good to link tunes and songs. I play accordion with my dad who sings and one set we do consists of: - Doli Are, New high level (reel) and dance to your daddy. IT WORKS well. I often fing linking the bass to the song to a tune is a good way of linking songs with tunes or tunes with songs! I think the more you experiment the better, who's to stop you!

Bye, Sam

Subject: RE: Pairing tunes and songs
From: Don Meixner
Date: 27 Mar 99 - 02:14 PM

That should read The Child's Dream/Sully's Pail/Coal Tattoo

Don

Subject: RE: Pairing tunes and songs
From: Susan A-R
Date: 27 Mar 99 - 10:33 PM

The suggestion re. the base line is a good one, although we have moved around the keys on some of the dance tunes in order to make them work. I know that when I was growing up we used to sing Anchors Aweigh with a WAVES song. Maybe that's where I got the idea, at a young and impressionable age.

Jeeze Don, I ought to know them. There are only some seven thousand souls in Montpelier, and there are only two health clubs. They may have just sold it (bet it was Wedgewood) They probably come in to eat now and then. will check it out. I find that Vermont is a nice small town (less than 600,000 souls) and I'm constantly running into people to whom I am related, who know my family, or who know someone I met far, far away through strange circumstances. More later.

Susan

Subject: RE: Pairing tunes and songs
From: DonMeixner
Date: 27 Mar 99 - 11:18 PM

Susan,

Yes, it was Wedgewood.

Don