ТОП просматриваемых книг сайта:
Folk Songs Hawaii Sings. John M. Kelly, Jr
Читать онлайн.Название Folk Songs Hawaii Sings
Год выпуска 0
isbn 9781462913015
Автор произведения John M. Kelly, Jr
Издательство Ingram
Some of these traditions have had to survive great pressures. At the start of World War II many Japanese burned their drums, instruments, and other symbols of their heritage. During the nineteenth century, missionary influences were brought to bear against ancient Hawaiian chants and dances. And the desire to conform to American standards on the part of many incoming peoples, especially among the second-generation youth, tends to weaken their old-country traditions.
Then, of course, folk songs of agrarian origin do not flourish in a modern commercial-industrial community. A rice-harvest song may seem only quaint to the modern generation when one need only slip behind the wheel, drive five minutes to the super-market and buy a bag of polished, vitamin-enriched rice for the equivalent of scarcely half an hour's work. Times have changed. Finishing the arduous work of planting and harvesting the crops by hand is what made these songs such a joy to sing in the old days.
Topping all challenges to folk music is that of commercial radio and television, which has made the present generation an audience of non-participating onlookers. Such a condition is the mortal enemy of the "folk process."
Despite all these obstacles, folk music still lives among all nationality groups in Hawaii, offering resources for performance, education, and entertainment. Unfortunately, only a very small number of the songs, to say nothing of the dances, have been collected, notated, and made available in English—a fact which provides sufficient excuse for the modest collection offered here.
Folklorists hesitate to define a folk song other than to say that to be genuine it must have been orally transmitted, have variant versions, and be anonymous or at least have several claims to authorship. A few songs in this book, such as "Farewell to Thee" and "Sound of Running Feet," do not strictly fulfill all these requirements. They have been included, however, as cousins to those that do and because they are notably representative of important styles of song literature that enjoy the status of folk song.
With apologies to purists among folk singers, justification is offered for this set of piano arrangements, all by the present writer, of folk songs originating in cultures where not only was the piano foreign but also all it represents historically in the way of harmony, counterpoint, and sonority. It is simply that the songs become accessible through a familiar medium. It is hoped that further steps will be taken to hear the songs in their native settings through LP recordings now available.
In Western music the piano is often used to represent a voice, drum, orchestra, or chorus—and just about every other musical instrument as well—with varying degrees of effectiveness. In making the piano arrangements given here, the intention was to give songs that belong to other instruments as friendly a setting as possible for the piano, while at the same time preserving as much as possible the qualities and elements of the native settings. It is hoped the reader will understand the serious limitations involved.
Harmony is an element of Western music not germane to the old music of Asia. Except where the songs may have been created under Western influences, the attempt has been made here to avoid diatonic chordal accompaniments. Instead, the parts for left hand, added to give sonority and depth, have generally been developed as implied by the melodic structure. In no case has a single note of the original melody been altered for the sake of the accompaniment. If a version seems different from a more familiar one, it is probably due to normal differences existing regionally and chronologically as in all folk-song literature.
To make the collection appealing to both those with and those without piano technique, accompaniments of varying degrees of difficulty have been included.
Western notation is not truly adequate for writing Asian melodies. Many in-between tones are heard in performance that cannot be indicated. These inflections and embellishments vary with the performer, as in all folk music, and are a basic feature of Asian music. It is as though the melody as we would notate it were a skeleton around which all performers build the real personality of the song. Notwithstanding this problem, much strength and beauty is found even in the basic outlines of the melodies, which are all that can be given in such a collection as this.
Probably the most popular single type of instrument for the accompanying of folk songs throughout Asia and the Pacific islands is the drum or some equivalent rhythm instrument such as the bamboo slit-gong. There are many different kinds of drums, gourds, and other percussion instruments, including huge Japanese ceremonial drums mounted on special carts, Hawaii's small coconut-shell drums used by dancers, and even pebbles held in the hand. Also widely used are various forms of flutes and stringed instruments.
With regard to the English translations of the song lyrics presented here, again difficulties arise from the great differences in language structures. Sometimes it has been possible to give nothing more than an unsingable paraphrase. But wherever it has been possible without serious affront to original poetry and melody, singable verses in English have been given. Unless stated otherwise, all the English versions have been adapted by the present writer from translations kindly provided by the persons indicated.
Although the conditions of living that generated most of the folk culture of Hawaii and the Pacific nations have radically altered and in many ways disappeared altogether, it is a matter of great interest to preserve and popularize these symbols of a former way of life. Not only are there beautiful natural works of art among folk songs but they have such a way of preserving the hopes and aspirations, the struggles for a better life, the joys and hardships of the old days, and of today as well, that it behooves us to understand them better.
The Portuguese, Puerto Ricans, and others peoples of European origin have also contributed much to the folk culture of Hawaii. However, their songs of Western origin, are already available in existing publications. It was considered desirable to devote this volume to songs of Polynesian and Asian origin, which are less known and practically unavailable in print.
Much appreciation is due the many folk musicians and others who generously contributed their knowledge and experience to this project. Among these, special thanks are extended to Mary Kawena Pukui, a leading authority in Hawaiiana; Patria Abella, teacher of native songs and music of the Philippines; Halla Huhm, dancer, drummer, and singer of both the folk and classical music of Korea; Keum Nyu Park, music teacher, linguist in Korean, Japanese, and English; Dr. Charles Tien Wei Yun, who, with extensive knowledge and encouragement, helped with the Chinese folk songs.
The Administration, Board of Trustees, and Music Advisory Committee of Palama Settlement, a Honolulu Community Chest Agency, have supported this research and publishing project since its inception, as has also the McInerny Foundation of Honolulu, with two generous grants. Their help is gratefully acknowledged.
Most of the songs and arrangements given here have made up the experimental and concert repertory of the Palama Settlement Children's Chorus in recent years. To the members of that chorus the author expresses fondest aloha and thanks for their many hours of devoted singing.
| Honolulu, 1962 | John M. Kelly, Jr. |
MUSIC OF POLYNESIA
The music of most of the Pacific islands divides itself generally between that which existed