Hunting the Hare - duet for clarinet and guitar

Folksong snapshots for clarinet and guitar
(electronic preview - awaiting first performance...)
Scores (with guitar part edited and fingered by Alessandro Balsimini),
available from
http://dwsolo.load.cd/sheetmusic/sm-69260_folksong_snapshots_for_clarinet_and...

1 Gilderoy
Gilderoy was a "devil- may care" brave Scottish rascal, maybe even highwayman, who would lead many a young lady astray with his charm and fortitude, but eventually ran foul of the law....
Failing an image of the man himself, the images used are public domain engravings and painting of various highwaymen and robbers.


2 Bobby Shaftoe
Variations on the old song of the sailor who promises to marry his girl when he finally gets home - the singer believes him; well, she is clearly besotted.
The original Bobby Shafto(e) has been identified by some with a resident of Hollybrook, County Wicklow, Ireland, who died in 1737, and by others as one of the Shaftoes of Bavinngton who ran away to sea to escape the attentions of a lady of fortune.
The song was also used by the 18th century politician Robert Shafto who broke lady's heart by marrying another - he certainly used the song for electioneering purposes.
But the tune is all!
Image of the lady watching the ship disappear over the horizon from:
The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Real Mother Goose
Illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright


3 David of the White Rock (Dafydd y Garreg Wen)
OWEN, DAVID (Dafydd y Garreg Wen '; 1711/12-1741), blind harpist; He attained fame both as harpist and as the reputed composer of the airs called Dafydd y Garreg Wen (David of the White Rock), Codiad yr Ehedydd (The rising of the lark), and Difyrrwch gwŷr Criccieth (The delight of the men of Criccieth).
The WHite Rock was the name of a farm near Morfa Bychan, near where he lived.
Tradition has it that as Owen lay on his death bed at age 29, he called for his harp and composed this air.
The words were added nearly a hundred years later in by the poet John Ceiriog Hughes.
Image of the gravestone of Daffyd y Garreg Wen by Alan Fryer under Creative Commons licence:
http://www.geograph.org.uk/reuse.php?id=955169


4 Hunting the hare
Traditional folksong - illustrated here by a young hare, based on the engraving by Albrecht Dürer
and a cartoon of three jolly huntsmen by Randolph Caldecott


5 I have a bonnet laced with blue
(also known as "I'll tell me ma when I get home")
Images of young ladies in bonnets from Mirror Image (Mitch Young) at flickr.com
http://www.flickr.com/people/mirrorimagegallery/


6 The Scottish banana
This is an original tune dressed up to appear as a traditional Scottish folksong
To date no words have been associated with it, but (clean!) suggestions are welcome
Note - the Tartan background does not belong to any clan - it is merely an invention based on various models


7 Hoe down in the ash grove
Based on the old folksong "The Ash Grove", this version is an upbeat hoe-down version.
Photo of Ash tree: Mike aus dem Bayerwald (creative commons licence 3)
Hoe Down http://www.flickr.com/photos/43153185@N00/2896816271/ (Lori / DisneyLori at FLickr

Category:

Music

Tags:

• clarinet
• guitar
• classical duet
• folk songs
• folksongs
• arrangement
• david w solomons
• score
• gilderoy
• shafto
• hunting
• hare
• hoedown
• ash grove
• bonnet
• banana
• british
• scottish
• welsh
• english
• irish
• white rock