"Parting of Friends" notes/ABC?

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keithsandra
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"Parting of Friends" notes/ABC?

Post by keithsandra »

Has anyone got the score for this, or the ABC?

Best wishes.
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Cathy Wilde
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Re: "Parting of Friends" notes/ABC?

Post by Cathy Wilde »

X: 1
T:Parting of Friends, The (Henrik Norbeck ABC)
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=80
R:slow air
Z:Henrik Norbeck
K:Edor
B2 d | e3f/e/ de/f/ | g3g/ fzf/ | e2f/e/ de/f/ g2a/b/ | a/f3 e2f/e/dB/|
e2 e2 e2f/e/dB/| e2e B2d | f2g {fgfgfg}f2e2 | e8 ||
B2 B | e4{a}ef/e/ dB/A/ | Bf3 e2f/e/ d>A | BE4 E/F/ | G4A//G//F//G//A//B//c//|
d4c/d/ BB/A/ | F3 F//E//D// E3 F//E//D// | EF2 FE/D/E//F//E//D//E//F//D// | E8 ||
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Re: "Parting of Friends" notes/ABC?

Post by keithsandra »

That was quick. Thanks Cathy.

Best wishes,

Keith.
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Re: "Parting of Friends" notes/ABC?

Post by Cathy Wilde »

No problem. :-) Thank JC's Tunefinder -- it's still my favorite search resource.

http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/cgi/abc/tunefind
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Re: "Parting of Friends" notes/ABC?

Post by MTGuru »

Cathy Wilde wrote:T:Parting of Friends, The (Henrik Norbeck ABC)
M:4/4
Since this transcription is really intended as free meter, not 4/4, you could omit the M: field or use M:none to eliminate the deceptive time signature. I find that useful to help concentrate on the individual note lengths and expression, and not force things unconsciously into an arbitrary meter. Newer ABC programs should be able to handle this trick. :wink:
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Re: "Parting of Friends" notes/ABC?

Post by keithsandra »

Has anyone got the words to this please? Or perhaps the history? It is expressing something other than just the music, right?

Thank you and best wishes,

K.
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Re: "Parting of Friends" notes/ABC?

Post by keithsandra »

Thanx for the Tune Finder tip Cathy. Never thought of that.

And thanx for the timing tip, MT! I love the free expression some tunes offer that allow you to rid yourself of the formal suggestions of dots and timing ... Hence my enquiry about the (emotional?) roots of this piece, to which I would like to give my own full expression ...

Best,

K.
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Re: "Parting of Friends" notes/ABC?

Post by kenny »

From the sleeve notes to "Stony Steps" by Matt Molloy [ recommended version, probably available on iTunes, but if not, buy the CD anyway ] :

"....this tune was collected by Edward Bunting at the Belfast Harp Festival and was played by him on the piano on 11 June 1795, at Wolfe Tone's farewell party on the occasion of Tone's departure with his family for America. Matt's version helps you to understand why Tone's wife was overcome at that moment and wept for "the parting of friends".
Another story connected with this air tells how it was composed by Blind Carolan when he was told that his friend Charles McCabe had died. There was, however, an element of the practical joke involved since the man whom the blind harper met on the road and who gave him the news was Charles McCabe himself".

The sleeve notes are by the late Seamus Heaney [ RIP ].

I like a couple of other quotes from the sleeve :

About the flute - "Its' sound releases something naturally untamed, as if a squirrel were let loose in a church" :)

About Matt Molloy - "Flute music is all verb, and Matt Molloy conjugates it joyfully in all its' moods and tenses. he is out on his own".
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Re: "Parting of Friends" notes/ABC?

Post by kenny »

PS - there are no words to this air that I'm aware of. It is, as far as I know, a purely instrumental piece. [ and not a "song" ].
"There's fast music and there's lively music. People don't always know the difference"
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Re: "Parting of Friends" notes/ABC?

Post by keithsandra »

Thanx Kenny. This is great stuff. Just what I thought might be around. Perfect.

Uncanny that this piece should have this meaning as my family have had real problems with goodbyes. Someone called goodbyes "little deaths". Partings with friends, family and sons, even for a short time, have created this wrenching, bewildering and visciously debilitating pain out of nowhere at various times.

I shall approach this music with great care and in private ...

Thanx again.

Best wishes,

K.
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Re: "Parting of Friends" notes/ABC?

Post by Mr.Gumby »

The reference to Bunting playing the air (in the Molloy sleeve notes) is somewhat incomplete. The Annals of the Irish Harpers shed some more light on the story:
The annals of the Irish Harpers wrote:
We have passed over a pathetic scene connected with
the political events of that time, in which Edward Bunting
figured.

In 1795, Wolfe Tone with his family, came as a political
fugitive to Belfast in order to embark there for America.
Thence he was destined to pass to France, to launch three
forces of invasion against England and finally to die in a
condemned cell.

Passing through Belfast, he was entertained and cheered
by former friends who rallied around him. Many delightful
excursions were planned, the last of which was on the llth
June, to Rani's Island on Lough Neagh. On the return of
the picnic party to Belfast there was a final gathering, for
it was now the eve of departure. Russell, Neilson, and the
M'Crackens were present, and Bunting, whose collection
was now well on the way to completion, was asked to
play.

He chose an appropriate air known as " The Parting of
Friends." It is recorded that the wife of Tone, though
unused to the melting mood, was overcome with the pathos
of the music, and, bursting into tears, left the room.



Had they had power to see into the future, the music
chosen was singularly appropriate, for tragedy loomed darkly
over the future; for two there, the scaffold waited, for a
third, death in a condemned cell.

What was the air played by Bunting is questionable.
That published with the title of "The Parting of Friends,"
though sweet and pathetic, lacks the poignant grief of
another with the same name, which lies buried in one of
the musical note-books. It is also given the title of " An
Cuman," or " The Bond," and there are Irish words for it ; 1
but among the manuscript poems there is only one quatrain
bearing the title of " The Parting of Friends or the Scatter-
ing of the Company." It would peculiarly apply to the
case of Tone, who had been courted in Belfast, then taken
note of as a conspirator, and, finally, was separating from
these conspirators with danger and death in prospect. The
air has all the character of a Gaelic lamentation, and here
is literal English for the Gaelic words.

" I have been for some time in this town, I have been greatly caressed,
That did not last long till notice was taken of me,
No two things on earth I account to be more grievous
Than the death of friends and the separating of companions."
My brain hurts

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Re: "Parting of Friends" notes/ABC?

Post by keithsandra »

Good grief Mr Gumby, now we're getting to the nitty gritty ...

One of my friends rebuilt pianos. She sings and plays classical music mainly. I was playing "The Coolin", "Marcus Hernan's Air", and "Easter Snow" at a recent house party of friends who'd asked to hear my new 1850-ish keyless Cocus flute. My passionately lugubrious playing was heard with rapt attention and gathering mournfulness. At the end my friend said into the respectful silence: "Why are the Irish so bloody maudlin ...?" Just as well I wasn't playing "The Parting ...".

Thank you Mr Gumby for your usual priceless ITM erudition. Much appreciated.

Best wishes,

K.
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Re: "Parting of Friends" notes/ABC?

Post by highwood »

MTGuru wrote:
Cathy Wilde wrote:T:Parting of Friends, The (Henrik Norbeck ABC)
M:4/4
Since this transcription is really intended as free meter, not 4/4, you could omit the M: field or use M:none to eliminate the deceptive time signature. I find that useful to help concentrate on the individual note lengths and expression, and not force things unconsciously into an arbitrary meter. Newer ABC programs should be able to handle this trick. :wink:
Have to get rid of those pesky bar lines as well...
Probably not a bad idea since several bars don't add up to 4 beats! Personally I find it much easier to ignore bar lines than deal with bars containing a random number of beats (or partial beats) with no indication to warn you


So maybe try:
X: 1
T:Parting of Friends, The (Henrik Norbeck ABC)
M:none
L:1/8
Q:1/4=80
R:slow air
Z:Henrik Norbeck
K:Edor
B2 d e3f/e/ de/f/ g3g/ fzf/ e2f/e/ de/f/ g2a/b/ a/f3 e2f/e/dB/
e2 e2 e2f/e/dB/ e2e B2d f2g {fgfgfg}f2e2 e8 ||
B2 B e4{a}ef/e/ dB/A/ Bf3 e2f/e/ d>A BE4 E/F/ G4A//G//F//G//A//B//c//
d4c/d/ BB/A/ F3 F//E//D// E3 F//E//D// EF2 FE/D/E//F//E//D//E//F//D// E8 ||

note I have only changed M:none and removed the single |
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