The Blog

Inspired by by an enjoyable and productive session with the Grade 3/4 girls earlier this evening here are some thoughts on preparing a folksong for Festivals and exams:

Folksongs are about telling a story; they were handed down vocally from person to person and later collected by composers and arrangers such as Cecil Sharp and Ralph Vaughan Williams.

Popular folk-song themes are mothers singing to babies, comical characters in funny situations, tragic stories, husband and wife stories, meetings and marriage, and men at sea. There are lots of women’s stories too, often they run off to sea, disguised as men to search for their lovers.

If you are preparing a folksong, think about where your character might be; in the country? in a cottage singing a lullaby? on a beach?  at a fair? in a country tavern?

Decide who you are, you might be one character, or two or three.

Before you start, announce the song, then think of the whole melody shape.

Make sure you choose a pitch where you can comfortably find the highest and lowest notes in your voice.

Remember a note (or two notes) which keeps recurring and try to make them the same pitch on each verse. This will usually be the home-note (tonic) of the piece (and the second note will be the dominant)

The dynamics and pacing of the song depend on the words so choose your louder and softer singing carefully. some verses might be slow, some fast.

Vary your choruses so they are different from the verse, and make each chorus special.

Start each verse at a different dynamic to the last, if you can. Usually the story development and the emotion of your character(s)  helps you do this.

Count 1,2 between each verse to give yourselves time to breathe and so your listeners can fully take in the story.

Don’t worry that there is silence when you are not singing (ie breathing)

As you breathe, think of the next phrase, it will help your face to light up with feeling.

At the end, adjudicators enjoy a soft verse, if appropriate to the words.

Good luck with your folk-song singing girls: Tailor and the Mouse, William Taylor, Dream Angus, The Keeper, Cockles and Mussels, William Taylor.