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My grateful thanks to Daniel for this lovely gift.
I often record a cappella folk songs and then don't know what to do with them. They're not easy to do anything with. When I sing a proper authentic traditional vocal I'm totally away with the faeries ... I let the song find its own rhythm without a clicktrack so my timing is all over the place.
Daniel bravely offered to find homes for some of the stray songs I have cluttering up my hard drive. This one is an English sailor's shanty, which he has amazingly transformed into an orchestral ocean.
From Daniel:
The orchestration is both modern and traditional. The piece opens with the call of the lowland pipes (played by the piccolo). The strings come in as a sort of drone - with the first violin mimicking parts of the melody out of sequence (being the brat of the orchestra!). This carries on through the "dream section" of the first verse. "she" comes in the second verse bringing a trio of woodwinds with her - soon to be followed by others. The introduction of death brings in the brass and timpani - which also provide the turgid "drowning sea" that follows. The brass lingers to join in the "cry" with the timpani echoing the "lowland" notes. Everything gives way to the solo piccolo making the lowland call.
I often record a cappella folk songs and then don't know what to do with them. They're not easy to do anything with. When I sing a proper authentic traditional vocal I'm totally away with the faeries ... I let the song find its own rhythm without a clicktrack so my timing is all over the place.
Daniel bravely offered to find homes for some of the stray songs I have cluttering up my hard drive. This one is an English sailor's shanty, which he has amazingly transformed into an orchestral ocean.
From Daniel:
The orchestration is both modern and traditional. The piece opens with the call of the lowland pipes (played by the piccolo). The strings come in as a sort of drone - with the first violin mimicking parts of the melody out of sequence (being the brat of the orchestra!). This carries on through the "dream section" of the first verse. "she" comes in the second verse bringing a trio of woodwinds with her - soon to be followed by others. The introduction of death brings in the brass and timpani - which also provide the turgid "drowning sea" that follows. The brass lingers to join in the "cry" with the timpani echoing the "lowland" notes. Everything gives way to the solo piccolo making the lowland call.
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Lyrics
Lowlands
words and tune traditional
orchestral arrangement by Daniel Staniforth
I dreamed a dream the other night
Lowlands, lowlands away my John
I saw my love all dressed in white
Lowlands away
She came to me at my bedside
All dressed in white like some fair bride
And nestled in her bosom there
A red, red rose my love did wear
She made no sign, no word she said
And then I knew my love was dead
She's drowning in the lowlands sea
And never more coming back to me
Then I awoke to hear the cry
"Oh watch on deck! Oh watch ahoy"
("John" is an old slang name for a merchant seaman.)
words and tune traditional
orchestral arrangement by Daniel Staniforth
I dreamed a dream the other night
Lowlands, lowlands away my John
I saw my love all dressed in white
Lowlands away
She came to me at my bedside
All dressed in white like some fair bride
And nestled in her bosom there
A red, red rose my love did wear
She made no sign, no word she said
And then I knew my love was dead
She's drowning in the lowlands sea
And never more coming back to me
Then I awoke to hear the cry
"Oh watch on deck! Oh watch ahoy"
("John" is an old slang name for a merchant seaman.)
Peter Bauckham
arrangement - I love the a cappella version of this one but still very much enjoyed (and downloaded - thanks) Daniel's lovely orchestration. I think it'll take a few listens to fully appreciate - especially as I'm so familiar with the other version. Sound quality is very good with your vocals nicely up-front in the mix.
Peter