Performance practice - Mad About a Boy

The importance of delivery

'There is a difference in the songs Gypsies sing...this latency – the power within to express these things, like the power within everything, trees, plants, the inanimate' [the guardian]

Willy O'Connor - On the bridge of Graig

An Irish traveller, now living in County Wexford, Ireland.

-Rhythm-

Songs sung accapella have the freedom to play with rhythm in a way that bands do not. Although a band could stretch the tempo and shorten certain phrases by cutting out beats etc. the organic and improtu change of tempo and rhythm of singers such a Willy, cannot be easily replicated.

Often a pause comes in the middle and end of a phrase as a note is held to emphasise that word. Very noticable in most traveller singers, each of the verses do not come in at the next bar, but simply wait for a breath before the story is continued. This is the main thing, I think, that the songs are telling a story, which is even reflected in the way they were/are performed, 'at every get-together, be it at a campfire or a pub'. [songcollectors.org/tradition-bearers/willie-and-gilly-oconnor]. So the way the words are delivered are in a very natural, conversational way, not necessarily keeping to tempo.

Gilly O'Connor - There is an alehouse all in the town (2:43 onwards)

-Tone + melismas -

Not a rounded tone, so there is a harsher, flatter sound much more like speaking, lends itself to the storytelling. Each singer obviously has their own technique which is what makes listening to all the different recordings of the same song so interesting. It is not the technical ability that the travellers recognise as prowess in singing but the ability to convey the emotion and story and as Gilly says of her mother, 'she made it her own'. Gilly uses a lot of melismas in this rendition of the song, which mainly consist of half note movement. These small musical ornaments combined with her voice, gives a warbling and almost wailing/crying sound, which reflects the heartbreak in this song.

1. Original

2. Experimenting

3. Acapella

Focusing on direct delivery, experimenting with a harsher tone (reminiscent of speaking).

--Find this gives more obvious emotion at some points, specifically pleading.

Thinking about free timing

--Being used to listening to music with an obvious rhythm, it took a few tries to get used to singing without a clear pulse at all times. I started out expanding bars and extending notes almost randomly, but even by the 3rd verse, I found it coming naturally and certain words and notes I felt needed more time, or a break was too long so I would come in with the next verse earlier. It becomes more of a conversation and different each time, keeping it organic and interesting.

'Gypsy music is synonymous with the freedom of imrpovisation' -[The gypsy caravan]

-- Interestingly, while writing the song I found it difficult to find new vocal 'riffs', once I had the melody for the verses clearly written. However, when trying out the new technique with a more 'direct' delivery and tone, along without the constraints of tempo, I found myself finding new melodies each time, and in fact, it felt more natural to change them throughout the song.

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IDEA TO TRY

Not wanting to entirely recreate traditional Irish traveller music - I'm wanting to use aspects of it to incorperate into my own style and genres of music.

---> After writing a song on guitar/piano, and trying the above technique (experimenting with timing and tone without an instrument), record and listen back then try again with the instrument but with the new rhythmic and tonal/melisma ideas.

Bibliography

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/oct/28/sam-lee-gypsy-folk-music

http://songcollectors.org/tradition-bearers/willie-and-gilly-oconnor/

The Gypsy Caravan

#madaboutaboy #performance