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Author Topic: Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme  (Read 60905 times)

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Clive Williams

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Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme
« on: April 01, 2010, 01:05:43 AM »

After a close well fought battle, this month's TOTM is...

Battle of the Somme

You can find a version of it here (the tune at the beginning, not the song) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS8oF1XxCmc

Bill Young provides the following info on this tune:

Quote
Any score I've seen for "The Battle of the Somme", even in pipe books, hasn't attributed the composer. After a bit of a search, I found this: "Composed shortly after the infamous battle by Pipe Major William Laurie of the 8th Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, The Battle Of The Somme was commonly regarded as the best composition of the First World War. Unfortunately Pipe Major Laurie died later that year of illness after being invalided home."

I also came across a discussion on Mudcat.org where someone had heard a song set to "The Battle of the Somme". Here are the lyrics:

"One Day We'll See Them" written by Alex Campbell

Darkness is fading, the day it is dawning
The fields they are empty, nae workers today.
Farmers and young men all have been going
To battles in lands that lie far away.

Yet one day we'll see them come by the hillside
Husbands and sons will return to their homes.
Yet still my heart bleeds; the price of their young pride
Their widows and sweethearts left sadly to mourn.

The call when it came found their menfolk aye ready,
Each knew the reasons or that's what they thought.
Then came the doubting but still they were steady
Slow dying in cold clay a'cursing their lot.

Yet one day we'll see them, there on the hillside
Though knowing in hearts they are but a gleam.
The grief in the long glen, the gloom at the fireside
Will pass like a Spring breeze that never has been.

This is a lovely tune; one of my favourites, and very playable as a lament or as a march as originally written (in slip jig time), or many other combinations. Looking forward to seeing what people do with it!

Good luck!

Clive

Bill Young

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Re: Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2010, 06:55:09 AM »

After a close well fought battle, this month's TOTM is...

Battle of the Somme

You can find a version of it here (the tune at the beginning, not the song) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS8oF1XxCmc


So that's where the idea that it's a dirge came from!  Here are more representative versions of the tune:

Concertina -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGjiVFYIgNk

A local Boy's Brigade band (1st tune) [[[ 2nd tune I think actually - Cheers, Clive ]]] - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P17LFIb0hcA&feature=related

Clive, thanks; yes, you're right of course. I'm too used to hearing them played the other way round. Bill
« Last Edit: April 01, 2010, 04:55:01 PM by Bill Young »
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Lester

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Re: Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2010, 06:57:25 AM »

X: 1
T: Battle of the Somme
C: Pipe Major William Laurie (1882-1916)
B: "Army Manual of Bagpipe Tunes and Drum Beatings. Music for Massed Pipes and Drums, Book 2" 1934
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
K: G
d>c |\
BdB G3 GFG | AGE E3  D3 | EGE D3 G3 | BdB A3- Ad>c |\
BdB G3 GFG | AGE E3  D3 | EGE D3 B3 | ABA G3- G   :|
|: zG |\
GFG A3 D3  | AGA BdB G3 | GAB c3 D3 | BdB A3- Ad>c |\
BdB G3 GFG | AGE E3  D3 | EGE D3 B3 | ABA G3- G   :|

Ziachmusi/Louise

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Re: Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2010, 07:46:57 AM »

OK for all of us who have no idea about music -

whats a 9/8, and what should we do with the bass (I'm only up to Um Pah at the moment!)

Louise
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Steve_freereeder

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Re: Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2010, 07:58:18 AM »

OK for all of us who have no idea about music -

whats a 9/8, and what should we do with the bass (I'm only up to Um Pah at the moment!)

Louise
A time signature of 9/8 implies that there are 9 quavers (eighth notes) in each bar. They tend to be arranged in groups of three, so the the rhythm of the tune is based on a pulse of one-and-a two-and-a three-and-a | one-and-a two-and-a three-and-a | etc.

Basses - you could go Oom-pah-pah, but it wouldn't sound very good. With this tune, a good accompaniment style would be gentle sustained chords, almost like drones, with very sparing (if any) use of the actual bass notes.
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Ziachmusi/Louise

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Re: Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2010, 08:24:19 AM »

Quote
a good accompaniment style would be gentle sustained chords, almost like drones, with very sparing (if any) use of the actual bass notes.

Sorry for being a bit slow but are we taking about chords on the bass end or on the treble end?.
I think I'll have to wait for a few entries to get the gist.

Louise
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Steve_freereeder

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Re: Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme
« Reply #6 on: April 01, 2010, 08:31:14 AM »

Sorry for being a bit slow but are we taking about chords on the bass end or on the treble end?.
I think I'll have to wait for a few entries to get the gist.
I was referring to chords on the bass end.
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Steve
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Bill Young

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Re: Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2010, 08:49:52 AM »

Lester's ABC does not translate to the right rhythm of semi-quavers and dotted quavers. I discovered I have a book of Lawrie family tunes edited for fiddle and accordion by Willie Lawrie of Ballachulish, William Lawrie's grandson, and himself a composer and accordion player. His accordion arrangement shows the rhythm and has a simple chord accompaniment (PDF attached). It's in the key of D, the normal key for this tune.

Also to show the rhythm, I've attached the score from the Scots Guards Standard Settings of Pipe Music (4th Ed. 1960). The setting in the Queen's Own Highlanders book is identical except for one note in the B part. (Pipe tunes are invariably printed in landscape format; you should be able to turn through 900 in your reader).

I've also attached a brief biographical note on William Lawrie from Willie Lawrie's book.

Hope this helps.
« Last Edit: April 01, 2010, 08:53:57 AM by Bill Young »
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Chris Ryall

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Re: Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme
« Reply #8 on: April 01, 2010, 09:01:44 AM »

« Last Edit: April 01, 2010, 12:01:50 PM by Chris Ryall »
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Clive Williams

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Re: Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme
« Reply #9 on: April 01, 2010, 09:30:26 AM »

OK for all of us who have no idea about music -

whats a 9/8, and what should we do with the bass (I'm only up to Um Pah at the moment!)

Louise

9/8 is a slip jig, like Drops of Brandy or Foxhunters Jig - to a casual listener or player, this isn't actually radically different to a jig, except that a bar is made up of 3 sets of oom-pahs, rather than 2 sets of oom-pah per bar as would be the case in a standard jig... so, unless you're trying to follow written music, it really doesn't make much difference.  Watch Bill's concertina video link - this gives a pretty good idea of how a standard jig bass rhythm can work against this tune.

Cheers,

Clive

Susanne

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Re: Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme
« Reply #10 on: April 01, 2010, 10:30:54 AM »

There is some slow part, or at least with long notes (as it looks on the dots) in the middle, but in the concertina video he plays something else?! I think I rather would play it as the concertina guy does and skip the middle part (as I also did with Princess Royal). The middle part just seems out of place to me, and confusing. But I've never heard the tune before so I have no idea really. What do you think?
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HallelujahAl

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Re: Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme
« Reply #11 on: April 01, 2010, 01:14:40 PM »

Quote
what should we do with the bass

Louise, just give 'em a good thump every now and then to let  'em know you're there - that's what I do anyway. Not terribly musical - but then this is the melodeon we're talking about ;)
AL
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Clive Williams

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Re: Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme
« Reply #12 on: April 01, 2010, 01:36:04 PM »

There is some slow part, or at least with long notes (as it looks on the dots) in the middle, but in the concertina video he plays something else?! I think I rather would play it as the concertina guy does and skip the middle part (as I also did with Princess Royal). The middle part just seems out of place to me, and confusing. But I've never heard the tune before so I have no idea really. What do you think?

I'd say 'concertina guy' is pretty close to what I would consider the tune, although somewhat disconcertingly, he seems to drop the lead in note to the b music which disrupts the flow somewhat. Other than that, I'd go with concertina guy's version.

Cheers,

Clive

Bill Young

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Re: Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme
« Reply #13 on: April 01, 2010, 04:47:18 PM »

X: 1
T: Battle of the Somme
C: Pipe Major William Laurie (1882-1916)
B: "Army Manual of Bagpipe Tunes and Drum Beatings. Music for Massed Pipes and Drums, Book 2" 1934
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
K: G
 . . .
Lester,

I am not familiar with your source  "Army Manual of Bagpipe Tunes and Drum Beatings. Music for Massed Pipes and Drums, Book 2" 1934. Presumably this is a book of bagpipe scores, so I can't understand how you get a tune in the key of G out of it. Would it be possible for you to post the original score (or email me a copy)?

Bill
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Lester

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Re: Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme
« Reply #14 on: April 01, 2010, 05:13:00 PM »

X: 1
T: Battle of the Somme
C: Pipe Major William Laurie (1882-1916)
B: "Army Manual of Bagpipe Tunes and Drum Beatings. Music for Massed Pipes and Drums, Book 2" 1934
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
K: G
 . . .
Lester,

I am not familiar with your source  "Army Manual of Bagpipe Tunes and Drum Beatings. Music for Massed Pipes and Drums, Book 2" 1934. Presumably this is a book of bagpipe scores, so I can't understand how you get a tune in the key of G out of it. Would it be possible for you to post the original score (or email me a copy)?

Bill

Bill

Just a cut'n'paste from JCs Tune Finder so where it came from I know not! But after a bit of googling looks to be Merkin

http://scotpress.com/catalog/scottish-music-books-drum-music-c-44_57/army-manual-of-bagpipe-tunes-book-2-p-1364

Interesting line on the web page -  (Not for sale to the UK)

Bill Young

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Re: Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme
« Reply #15 on: April 01, 2010, 06:08:52 PM »

X: 1
T: Battle of the Somme
C: Pipe Major William Laurie (1882-1916)
B: "Army Manual of Bagpipe Tunes and Drum Beatings. Music for Massed Pipes and Drums, Book 2" 1934
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
K: G
 . . .
Lester,

I am not familiar with your source  "Army Manual of Bagpipe Tunes and Drum Beatings. Music for Massed Pipes and Drums, Book 2" 1934. Presumably this is a book of bagpipe scores, so I can't understand how you get a tune in the key of G out of it. Would it be possible for you to post the original score (or email me a copy)?

Bill

Bill

Just a cut'n'paste from JCs Tune Finder so where it came from I know not! But after a bit of googling looks to be Merkin

http://scotpress.com/catalog/scottish-music-books-drum-music-c-44_57/army-manual-of-bagpipe-tunes-book-2-p-1364

Interesting line on the web page -  (Not for sale to the UK)
Lester, thanks for that. Having listened to the midi of that version (via Montreal Tunebook), it doesn't have all the notes right e.g. bars 3 & 7; as well as the key and rhythm as I mentioned earlier. A better version is what came up as the first one in the search on JCs Tune Finder, tune no.36761. It's in D, has the right rhythm and sounds right via midi. I'd recommend that ABC'ers use this one:

X: 1
T:The Battle of the Somme
C:Willie Laurie
S:Forgotten
R:march
M:9/8
L:1/8
F:http://ecf-guest.mit.edu/~jc/music/abc/mirror/kirby98.fsnet.co.uk/ba/Battle_of_the_Somme_2.abc    2010-04-01 16:47:59 UT
K:D
A|f<af d3 d>cd|e>dG B3 A3| B<GB A3 d3|f<af e3 e2 A|f<af d3 d>cd|
e>dG B3 A3|B<GB A3 f3|e>fe d3 d2::z|d>cd e3 A3|e>fg f<af d3|\
f>ef g3 A3|
f<af e3 e2 A|f<af d3 d>cd|e>dG B3 A3|B<GB A3 f3|e>fe d3 d2:|]
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Howard Jones

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Re: Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme
« Reply #16 on: April 01, 2010, 11:42:19 PM »

Here's one I made earlier:

http://www.myspace.com/howardjcjones

Mostly on concertina (C/G anglo) I'm afraid, but there's a bit of melodeon (Hohner Club II C/F) in the background last time through, although it's hard to pick out as there's a G/D anglo playing as well.



oggiesnr

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Re: Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme
« Reply #17 on: April 02, 2010, 10:11:40 PM »

This is Jack Campin's version in Dmajor (which seems to be the "standard" scottish session key).

X:6
T::The Battle of the Somme
Z:Jack Campin, 2006, http://www.campin.me.uk/
M:9/8
L:1/8
Q:3/8=90
K:D
A|f<af d3 d>cd|e>dG B3 A3|B>GB A3 d3|f<af e3- e2
A|f<af d3 d>cd|e>dG B3 A3|B>GB A3 f3|e>fe d3- d2:|
A|d>cd e3 A2e |e>fg a3 d3|d>ef g3 A3|f<af e3- e2
A|f<af d3 d>cd|e>dG B3 A3|B>GB A3 f3|e>fe d3- d2:|

All the best

Steve
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Lester

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Re: Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme
« Reply #18 on: April 03, 2010, 11:03:38 AM »

My first go around thus particular buoy. A straight rendition on a Hohner 1 Row 4 Stop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlbsnRVn1dA

DaveD

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Re: Tune of the Month for April 2010 - Battle of the Somme
« Reply #19 on: April 03, 2010, 05:26:16 PM »

Lester

My first go around thus particular buoy. A straight rendition on a Hohner 1 Row 4 Stop.

Now I know where I've heard the tune before - Albion Band's 'Lark Rise to Candleford,  track ten. Similar rythem

Dave
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