I'm a frequent lurker here, so first off thanks for all the collateral help you have provided.
I got a little silly today and decided to have a contest to see how the ITM family might play the old worn-out "Happy Birthday." Winner wins a hat or whistler's gig bag, your choice.
Check it out at: www.parkswhistles.com. Most info is on the blog. Let's have some fun with this.
A low whistle moans the beginning of the tune, deep in the jelly of "Celtic" atmospheric sound effects contrived to hypnotise the listener into a trance of morbid wonder. On the video, a sylph in a diaphanous nightie emerges from a prehistoric tomb and starts to disport herself under a moonbeam.
The tune recommences, this time to the hackle-raising wail of the uilleann pipes. It is played, as before, very slowly; rhythm and melody seem practically to stand still, as if time itself is being turned backwards to re-unite the majestic threnody with its primal origins in ancient time. The girl does a series of ravishing and spectacular somersaults, but we have to show them rather out of focus, to disguise the fact they've had to be done by a stuntman.
Third time through, the real girl sings along in Gaelic. Spellbound and enchanted, the audience feels they have *always* known the song and the tune, as if in some former life, but can't put their finger on where, or what it is. (The Gaelic speakers are no wiser than the rest, for the girl's Gaelic is exceedingly strange: she learnt it from Israelis who learnt it from Arabs who learnt it from Indians who learnt it from Nepalese who learnt it from Chinese who learnt it from Russians who learnt it from Japanese who were fans of The Clancy Brothers.)
Well, that's *one* novel way of presenting "Happy Birthday".
Ahhh, now nicholas, what a wonderful and weird world you inhabit....natural or inspired by some illegal substance is it?
If of a pharmacological nature would you email me, please?
I'm sure I did read somewhere that there were groups of Japanese who sang songs in Gaelic, wearing Aran sweaters; to them, I suppose, all European languages are equally far out, Gaelic no more so than any other.
mebbe - maybe.(colloquiallism) the sense is perhaps lost in translation and cyberspace; anyway I'm not interested in winning prizes, much prefer joining in...
Happy Birthday contest
Happy Birthday contest
Hi all,
I'm a frequent lurker here, so first off thanks for all the collateral help you have provided.
I got a little silly today and decided to have a contest to see how the ITM family might play the old worn-out "Happy Birthday." Winner wins a hat or whistler's gig bag, your choice.
Check it out at: www.parkswhistles.com. Most info is on the blog. Let's have some fun with this.
Good luck!
Carey Parks
Parks Whistles
# Posted on May 17th 2008 by cjp
Re: Happy Birthday contest
I'm assuming I'm barred from competition. I can throw a rock and hit this guys' house.
No dude, that wasn't me. Must have been some kids. [looks innocent]
# Posted on May 17th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Happy Birthday contest
http://www.parkswhistles.com/
One free toss for fixing the link...for the kids, of course.
# Posted on May 17th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Happy Birthday contest
Nope! All are welcome, even fiddlers! Show us what ya got.
# Posted on May 17th 2008 by cjp
Re: Happy Birthday contest
Oh yeah, the link. Forgot about that.
Thanks
# Posted on May 17th 2008 by cjp
Re: Happy Birthday contest
A contingent on this divided board will need the dots http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/360
The rest will need some links to recordings by our forefathers.
# Posted on May 17th 2008 by Mike Floorstand
Re: Happy Birthday contest
I'd do it thus:
A low whistle moans the beginning of the tune, deep in the jelly of "Celtic" atmospheric sound effects contrived to hypnotise the listener into a trance of morbid wonder. On the video, a sylph in a diaphanous nightie emerges from a prehistoric tomb and starts to disport herself under a moonbeam.
The tune recommences, this time to the hackle-raising wail of the uilleann pipes. It is played, as before, very slowly; rhythm and melody seem practically to stand still, as if time itself is being turned backwards to re-unite the majestic threnody with its primal origins in ancient time. The girl does a series of ravishing and spectacular somersaults, but we have to show them rather out of focus, to disguise the fact they've had to be done by a stuntman.
Third time through, the real girl sings along in Gaelic. Spellbound and enchanted, the audience feels they have *always* known the song and the tune, as if in some former life, but can't put their finger on where, or what it is. (The Gaelic speakers are no wiser than the rest, for the girl's Gaelic is exceedingly strange: she learnt it from Israelis who learnt it from Arabs who learnt it from Indians who learnt it from Nepalese who learnt it from Chinese who learnt it from Russians who learnt it from Japanese who were fans of The Clancy Brothers.)
Well, that's *one* novel way of presenting "Happy Birthday".
# Posted on May 17th 2008 by nicholas
Re: Happy Birthday contest
Ahhh, now nicholas, what a wonderful and weird world you inhabit....natural or inspired by some illegal substance is it?
If of a pharmacological nature would you email me, please?
# Posted on May 17th 2008 by john knoss
Re: Happy Birthday contest
Nicky,I smell smoke.And it ain't peat.
# Posted on May 17th 2008 by MattO'K
Re: Happy Birthday contest
Whoo, those dots are differnt. But that's the fun of it eh?
And could somebody do a clip of at least part of what Nicholas was describing? Maybe the Japanese fans of The Clancy Brothers would be good.
# Posted on May 17th 2008 by cjp
Re: Happy Birthday contest
While hearing a Japanese accented Wild Colonial Boy could be enjoyable, I'm holding out for the sylph in the nightie.
# Posted on May 17th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Happy Birthday contest
I'm sure I did read somewhere that there were groups of Japanese who sang songs in Gaelic, wearing Aran sweaters; to them, I suppose, all European languages are equally far out, Gaelic no more so than any other.
# Posted on May 17th 2008 by nicholas
Re: Happy Birthday contest
Has Nicholas won then, as he seems to be the only contender? Does he want the whistle bag, or the hat?
# Posted on May 18th 2008 by de Selby
Re: Happy Birthday contest
Never mind the hat or the bag, what about something to settle his nerves - a scrip for some Prozac mebbe?
# Posted on May 18th 2008 by john knoss
Re: Happy Birthday contest
I wouldn't award you any prizes for spelling
# Posted on May 18th 2008 by de Selby
Re: Happy Birthday contest
"Has Nicholas won then" - Well de Selby, he's so far winning the virtual contest, and is due to recieve a mental image of a hat or gig bag.
A fellow from Argentina has the winning entry in meat space at the moment.
http://www.box.net/shared/extrh99ssg
C'mon folks, let hear what ya got. You're not going to let bothrops walk away with it are you?
# Posted on May 18th 2008 by cjp
Re: Happy Birthday contest
mebbe - maybe.(colloquiallism) the sense is perhaps lost in translation and cyberspace; anyway I'm not interested in winning prizes, much prefer joining in...
# Posted on May 18th 2008 by john knoss
Re: Happy Birthday contest
Well of course by letting us hear your Happy Birthday rendition you'll be joining in too, and sharing with the broader set of lurker/ listeners too.
# Posted on May 18th 2008 by cjp
Re: Happy Birthday contest
Now we have a flute version...
# Posted on May 19th 2008 by cjp
Re: Happy Birthday contest
I vote for Nicholas !!!
# Posted on May 24th 2008 by hauke