I’m still here – kind of

•June 25, 2010 • 2 Comments

I hate to start with an apology but I am very sorry I haven’t been able to post a new song, Things have just been too crazy. We switched to 10-hour work days for summer and by the time I get home, it’s time to go raid. I can’y make it up on the weekends because I’m not there; Uprising last weekend, I’m at a friend’s house in Cinncinnati right now headed for Border Raids tonight, next weekend I’m heading back to Montana for a whirlwind tour including my nephew’s Eagle Court and an all-school reunion in Valier, my hometown. Good news is I should have some time on the 5th to catch up. After mowing the lawns and cleaning the house that is. =)

Uprising was a great time. I saw lots of friends that I hadn’t see for many years. It brought back fond memories of my early days in the SCA before I was the cynical, jaded wastrel you see today. I had a chat with the current Bard of Artemesia and we were able to settle once and for all that I never bore that particular title. (Which was a load off my mind as you must all realize by now.) We also had a chat about the differences netween minstrels and bards, and the discussion was illustrated shortly thereafter when, after I had performed a piece at the Court “pre-show”, he said that the audience should have been quiet to listen to me. I replied that I felt it was my responsibility to make them want to quiet down and listen. That’s me, always the rebel.

All is all it was a great time. Next year will also be the 25th Uprising so I’m going to try and make it then too. (Though if people there don’t stop calling me “legendary” I’ll probably bean someone.) As I said above, I’m at the Border Raid between Middle and Meridies this weekend and then pretty much off until Autumn War in An Tir in August. I know, August =/= autumn but that doesn’t stop those crazy An Tirans.

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Song of the Week – In Appreciation

•June 15, 2010 • Leave a Comment

This is the second song dealing with the Uprising and Loch Salan. If I recall it was written soon after the Uprising when feelings still ran high. Last weeks’ song sounded nasty but was intended to be fun. This song was intended to sound sweet but be nasty. I am not sorry I wrote it but you’ll notice I don’t go around singing it a lot.

In Appreciation – Lyrics

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In Appreciation by Glen E Hammer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

And as promised, here’s The Shires are Revolting II, written in case the north won.

Off to Uprising Wednesday. I expect it to be a lot of fun but perhaps a bit surreal too. =)

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Song of the Week – Oppression’s Dirge

•June 8, 2010 • Leave a Comment

As I mentioned a couple of times, I am going to be at Uprising this year. It’s been many years since I was there but I did make it to the first several of them. Looking back through the archives (okay, The Artemesian Songbook) I came across a couple of songs written for the first Uprising that I hadn’t yet recorded. So I decided that for these next two weeks I’ll record those two and also publish the lyrics to my filk, “The Shires are Revolting.” Or rather, two filks since I wrote two versions so as to be ready regardless of which side won the battles.

Looking back on it, I can remember that we approached that first Uprising as a great idea for an event and a fun time to be had by all. Some of the Loch Salaanites took umbrage at this song and felt we really were out to bash the barony but to me it is so over the top, it can’t be anything but a jest. I guess some folks just can’t take a joke. Please remember it was all in good fun. Seriously! (Until next week’s song at least.)

Oppression’s Dirge – Lyrics – Sheet Music

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Oppression’s Dirge by Glen E Hammer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

And here is the “true” version of “The Shires are Revolting.” – Lyrics

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Song of the (last) Week – Whiskey in the Jar

•June 7, 2010 • Leave a Comment

I fixed the problem with the recorder (though I’m not exactly sure how,) so here is last week’s song. It’s one of those Traditional pieces that have many different variations. I actually learned the tune from my Campfire Songs book (again) where it was called Kilgarry Mountain and had a Colonel Pepper as the victim. I picked up these lyrics on the net and prefer them to others I found. Wikipedia guesses that the song originated in the 17th Century. Cantaria doesn’t have much about it except that another alternate title, Gilgarry Mountain. People request it occasionally when they are too lazy to look at the song list but I decided to learn it after their Excellencies of Oldenfeld requested it a couple of times and I needed more songs for my A&S 50 Challenge anyway. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to perform it for them at TMT (Crown) because it was raining Saturday and we couldn’t find them on Sunday night. Oh well, I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities.

Whiskey in the Jar – Lyrics

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Whiskey in the Jar by Glen E Hammer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

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Technical Difficulties – Please stand by

•June 2, 2010 • Leave a Comment

Sorry I’m late with this week’s song, I’m having difficulties with my recorder.

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Song of the Week – Woad

•May 25, 2010 • Leave a Comment

Wikipedia refers to this song as The Woad Ode. They say it was written (to the tune of Men of Harlech) by an Eton housemaster, William Hope-Jones around the turn of the last century. I suppose it would be reaching a bit to call it “Traditional.”

Woad – Lyrics

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This work by Glen E Hammer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License

Well a busy weekend ahead. I’ll stop at Oasis Firday and then it’s TMT all weekend.

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Song of the Week – Fiddler’s Green

•May 18, 2010 • Leave a Comment

This is a reasonably modern song by an Englishman, John Connolly, but it has “passed into tradition” according to Wikipedia. The song is quite popular in Meridies and I believe it also has some connections to military traditions. I’ve decided I really need to start including the lyrics along with these posts and hopefully I can also go back and add them to earlier posts too.

Fiddler’s Green – Lyrics

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Fiddler’s Green by Glen E Hammer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Taking next weekend off and then it’s TMT weekend. I told Master Evan I’d attend the next Laurel Circle so this would be it. (I assume I’ll be ignored like the previous two times.)

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Song of the Week – Artemesian War Song

•May 11, 2010 • Leave a Comment

Oh look! Filk! Well if you’ve read some of the sidebar material here, you know that “filking,” (writing new words to old tunes) was a period practice of minstrels. There are also many Scottish and Irish songs that have been written to old pipe tunes and such. This piece is to the tune of “Bonnie Ship the Diamond” and was written for my first trip to Estrella War. I’m vaguely under the impression it was based on another filk song but I can’t seem to place it.

Artemesian War Song

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Artemesian War Song by Glen E Hammer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

It was nice to have a weekend off but I’ll probably be at the Swampkeype event this weekend. After I watch the shuttle take off Friday, I hope.

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Song of the Week – Song of the Free Company

•May 4, 2010 • Leave a Comment

I got this song from Viscount William Gallowglass many years ago. (Thanks Wicked Uncle Bill.) I’m not sure where he got it and I haven’t been able to find any more information about it. But it is quite popular, in certain circles, so I am posting it. If anyone knows more about the song, please let me know.

Song of the Free Company – Lyrics

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Song of the Free Company by Glen E Hammer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Well I get a weekend off to rest up before Cattle Raids. Of course, the car needs servicing, the lawn needs mowing….

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Song of the Week – Grey Rider

•April 27, 2010 • Leave a Comment

A little departure from the Traditional this week. This is one of the songs on my SCA list in the Partings section. It is a small group of pieces that are there for certain times when happy or clever doesn’t fit the bill. One of my earlier posts, “Castles of Air” is also in this section. This song is modern filk but fits my Society criteria of “not un-period.” It’s actually a very beautiful and somewhat haunting piece by Mike Whitaker. It makes me think of C.J. Cherryh’s Morgaine series but I’m not sure what it is based on. I got it out of an old filk songbook called Stave the Wails. Thanks to Mike for letting me post it and he has more stuff at his website www.altrion.org. Again I would remind you that though my version is Creative Commons licensed, the words and music are copyright 1988 by Mike Whitaker.

Grey Rider

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Grey Rider by Glen E Hammer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.altrion.org.

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