The Marches music
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'''Wassail''' [[Wassail]] | '''Wassail''' [[Wassail]] | ||
'''Rough Music''' In the Marches, misdeeds are sometimes rewarded with a public shaming using noise, music, even satirical performance of some kind, called Rough Music: see [[Marches Culture and Customs]]. Some chants are known throughout the Marches such as those below, some songs/performances are written especially for the occasion! | '''Rough Music''' In the Marches, misdeeds are sometimes rewarded with a public shaming using noise, music, even satirical performance of some kind, called Rough Music: see [[Marches Culture and Customs]]. Some chants are known throughout the Marches such as those below (usually interspersed with verses detailing the misdeed), some songs/performances are written especially for the occasion! | ||
* "Ran tan tan, raise your hand, a sin to us is a sin to the land" | |||
* "Old Fred Thatcher (insert name of miscreant), we know your name, Old Fred Thatcher, you are to blame, Old Fred Thatcher, we know your shame, Old Fred Thatcher, we know your name!" | |||
====One for the kids==== | ====One for the kids==== | ||
Revision as of 16:12, 14 July 2012
The Music of The Marches
Style summary
A capella harmony singing, no-nonsense, boisterous and earthy, simple folk and morality tales, minimal instrumentation, heavy ryhthms on guitars, bouzoukis or concertinas. Themes of working the land, agriculture and fishing, harvest, enjoyment of food and drink, recognition of obligation to the land and its people. The music of the Marches is drawn from the folk traditions of Devon and Cornwall: wassails, shanties, drinking songs, and work songs.
Commonly known songs
- Pretty much everyone in the Marches will know one version of a Wassail
Musical traditions
Wassail Wassail
Rough Music In the Marches, misdeeds are sometimes rewarded with a public shaming using noise, music, even satirical performance of some kind, called Rough Music: see Marches Culture and Customs. Some chants are known throughout the Marches such as those below (usually interspersed with verses detailing the misdeed), some songs/performances are written especially for the occasion!
- "Ran tan tan, raise your hand, a sin to us is a sin to the land"
- "Old Fred Thatcher (insert name of miscreant), we know your name, Old Fred Thatcher, you are to blame, Old Fred Thatcher, we know your shame, Old Fred Thatcher, we know your name!"
One for the kids
- Whose Pigs Are These? a fun round
Further examples
More examples for keen bards.
Songs
- Bringing in the Sheaves
- John Barleycorn
- Wassail
- Tom A'Bedlam's song
- Ye Mariners All
- Here's A Health to the Company
Instrumentation
Songs are usually unaccompanied in the Marches, typically sung in raucous harmony rather than using instruments. However sometimes drums, guitars, fiddles, and whistles/recorders are used.
Other performance traditions
How to adapt your repertoire
The Marches is all about people singing together so choose songs that have a chorus, or even better, a call and response line. Nothing wrong with a bard leading a song but try to encourage participation from the people around you, even if just banging their tankards off the table. Can you turn your song into a drinking song?! Think of some harmonies ahead of time and if possible teach them to your group instead of using instrumental accompaniment. Any folk song will be fine but especially those in the themes listed above. If you are mostly a solo performer perhaps learn a few easy rounds and sing them with people between your solo numbers.
Our sources
Credits, links to artists, further material etc.