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18 Jul 03 - 05:06 PM (#986182) Subject: Lakes of Ponchartrain From: akenaton 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 |
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18 Jul 03 - 05:12 PM (#986184) Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain From: Francy 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 |
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18 Jul 03 - 05:25 PM (#986191) Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain From: Gerard 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.... |
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18 Jul 03 - 05:58 PM (#986214) Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain From: Amos Ake: Second the emotion -- do it well, and don't worry about doing it "right". A |
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18 Jul 03 - 06:08 PM (#986226) Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain From: McGrath of Harlow "This worries me..." Why on Earth should it? Variants are an inescapable and welcome aspect of folk music. |
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18 Jul 03 - 06:19 PM (#986237) Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain From: GUEST,Andre |
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18 Jul 03 - 06:19 PM (#986240) Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain From: GUEST,Andrew |
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18 Jul 03 - 06:21 PM (#986241) Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain From: akenaton 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. |
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18 Jul 03 - 06:23 PM (#986243) Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain From: GUEST,Andrew Sorry all that stuttering and now I forgot what I was going to say!! Fine song though in its several varients Andrew |
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18 Jul 03 - 07:27 PM (#986308) Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain From: Shane Gibbons Jed Marum has a beautiful version of "Lakes of Ponchartrain" on his Soul of a Wanderer cd. He does it as a slowish waltz. |
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18 Jul 03 - 08:02 PM (#986333) Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain From: Jon W. Planxty, the great Irish Trad group from the 70's did it fairly slow also. Beautiful song. |
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18 Jul 03 - 08:13 PM (#986341) Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain From: McGrath of Harlow 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. |
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18 Jul 03 - 08:21 PM (#986345) Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain From: Malcolm Douglas 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. |
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18 Jul 03 - 08:27 PM (#986348) Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain From: GUEST,Q Nice pace to the song as sung on the Wolf Folklore Collection: Creole Girl- Lake of Ponchartrain |
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18 Jul 03 - 09:34 PM (#986358) Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain From: GUEST,still cookieless paddymac 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. |
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18 Jul 03 - 09:47 PM (#986362) Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain From: harpgirl ...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 |
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18 Jul 03 - 10:12 PM (#986366) Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain From: greg stephens 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. |
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19 Jul 03 - 04:47 AM (#986446) Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain From: akenaton 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.. |
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19 Jul 03 - 11:17 AM (#986571) Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain From: redhorse 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? |
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19 Jul 03 - 07:21 PM (#986752) Subject: RE: Lakes of Ponchartrain From: McGrath of Harlow 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. |