The Call

Adventure 168 ~ Sing All The Harmonies Of My Song Together [9]

/ intrepidjane

tolkienToday I attempted to record myself singing the three harmony lines and then I tried to blend the recordings together. I have to admit that it was a bit of a faff (and there are probably very clever and sensible ways to do this which might have made the task a little easier!).

So, I sang the main melody into my phone and then uploaded it onto my laptop. Then I played the melody on my laptop and sang in the bass line whilst recording this with my phone … and then uploaded that … and repeated the operation until all three lines had been recorded together.

I had a bit of difficulty balancing the volumes for each of the lines (and  D minor performance had to be lowered to C minor – mainly because singing the top line in D minor made me sound exactly like the mice on Bagpuss .)

You can listen to the vocal version of my choral piece on SoundCloud here. It’s been really helpful for me to test its ‘singability’ and for detecting “harmony issues”! Now I’ve heard it sung, it definitely needs a huge cave or a cathedral for optimal performance – and maybe an Elvish mass choir 😛

I am just going outside and may be some time.

JT

Adventure 167 ~ Compose A Third Line Of Harmony For My Song [8]

/ intrepidjane

hildegardToday I add in a third line of harmony to my choral piece! It’s getting a bit tricky now (my brain feels pulled in several directions!). You can listen my song “The Call” in a 3-part arrangement on SoundCloud here. The latest harmony line is the loudest ~ this is so my transcriber can pick the new line out with ease.

I’m really looking forward to hearing human voices singing this together 🙂 .

I am just going outside and may be some time.

JT

Adventure 166 ~ Write The Base Line For My Song [7]

/ intrepidjane

bachOooooh. Last night I picked up an 80’s classic from my brother-in-law : a Yamaha organ! I’ve had a lot of fun working out how to use it and I really couldn’t help myself playing it “to the max” today 😛 .

For today’s adventure, I’ve written the base line for the piece. You can hear the base line and the main melody together on SoundCloud here (and yes, I couldn’t help myself fiddling with the Yamaha settings … ). You can hear my voice against the base line here (this is what I’ll send to Gareth, my transcriber).

One of the main things I’ve learned about composing so far is that when you’re relaxed, the music flows!

I am just going outside and may be some time.

JT

 

Adventure 165 ~ Publish The Lyrics Of My Own Song

/ intrepidjane

sleepIt’s Day 6 of my song-writing adventure and today I’ve written the lyrics for the final verse and published the lyrics in full here. It was only when I’d written the very last line did I realise what the song is really about!

It turns out I have written a song that works on two levels : it’s both a lullaby and a ‘goodbye’, it’s both an invitation to sleep and an invitation to the ‘final long sleep’. I’ve put the lyrics to the final verse below today’s video for you to read 🙂 .

 

Verse 3 

Close your eyes, it’s late,

I’ll be waiting at the gate

Where the coracle willows are grown.

*

By the crimson lake

Where the water skippers skate,

Where the seeds of sweet sleep are sown.

Refrain

I’ll meet you there

With my hands in the air,

A dance in my heart

And my soul without care!

*

Where the fireflies burn bright,

Where souls sink soft into the night,

Meet me there and I’ll row you safe home.

[Jane Talbot © 2014]

 

I am just going outside and may be some time 🙂 .

JT