Suggestions for Em Air/Lament

[jqpublick]

So I'm playing one tune in an upcoming choral concert with a choral group called Camerata Nova. (Here's their URL : http://www.cameratanova.com/08/main.php ). The title of the show is 'Falls the Shadow' and the theme is death. Originally I was going to play 'March of the High King of Laoise' as a funeral march but just today I was told that the director would prefer a lament, and that the choir will be singing a piece in Em right after -or at the same time as- I finish playing, which restricts me a little as I have to be in tune with them. I'm a little vague in my musical theory, but I think something in G would be okay. I don't know a lot of laments, so I'm hoping the hinternet tubual community will have some ideas. The director wants a piece approximately 2 minutes long. The show is in the middle of March ( no, not on the Ides ) so I have some time to get a good polish on it.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. No really, greatly appreciated. Sarcasm allowed (and not unexpected).

Mark

edited to add that I'm playing a concert pitch half set.

[PJ]

Cape Clear is a lovely piece and it's in Em. Valencia Harbour is another which is often played in Em (although Ennis played it in Gm).

The inconvenience of playing in Em is that D drones don't sound good (to me at any rate). If you can tune your drones up to E, and then play Em on the chanter you'll sound better. Otherwise, just don't play with drones.

[rorybbellows]

Forgive my ignorance on this subject as I have no knowledge of music theory ,but what notes do you play when you play in Em ?

RORY

[PJ]

E minor:

E, F#, G, A, B, C and D.

It's the relative minor of G major.

You also have E Dorian (or E in the Dorian mode) which is very similar except with C# instead of Cnat.

[rorybbellows]

So why should a chanter not sound good with the drones if its the same notes as Gmajor ?

RORY

[jqpublick]

Thanks for the suggestion of Cape Clear, PJ. That's a great piece. I've (blush) never really liked Valencia Harbour all that much. I've tried in the past to tune my drones up enough to play in Em but both the tenor and the bass get really, really unstable and often won't come in without dropping way too much pressure off the bag and clap shut if there's just a hair too much pressure, so I think it's going to be the chanter alone. Plus I'm going to be playing at night, in winter in Winnipeg in a former train station; lots of stone walls and very very little in the way of humidity. I've already had to 'adjust' my reed several times, and I'd rather avoid that if possible, because I'll just have to change back when the weather turns again. (I read somewhere that Liam O'Flynn's method of reed adjustment is to carefully pull the cap off, stare intently at the reed for a minute or so and then put the cap back on.)

Thanks again,

Mark

[MTGuru]

I think "good" is a relative judgement here. Even though the scale tones of Em and G are the same, the tonality of Em draws the ear to the tonic E, which is a Major 2nd (2 semitones) above the D drone. And that interval is heard by most people as dissonant. In E Dorian, the C# stands a minor 2nd (1 semitone) below the drone, which is even more dissonant. So "good" probably depends on all of personal taste for dissonance, experience listening to droned instruments, and the specific tune. The only way to know for sure is to try it with drones, and see if the director and audience run away screaming.

[jqpublick]

The only way to know for sure is to try it with drones, and see if the director and audience run away screaming.

I guess I didn't mention this will be my debut performance, other than in sessions and parties, and the like. Sooooo maybe not.

Having said that it'd be a good idea to play both with and without for the director and see what he thinks. He's the man with the plan, after all.

And thanks for the explanation of D drones against an Em tune. I'm just starting to educate myself on music theory, so I had this vague idea that Em and D are dissonant but I couldn't think it through farther than that.

Mark

[PJ]

So why should a chanter not sound good with the drones if its the same notes as Gmajor ?

RORY

This is all very subjective, which is why I qualified by statement with "to me at any rate". I just don't like the sound of D drones when a tune is in Em or E dorian.

[uillmann]

Were You at the Rock.

[djm]

Can't remember if you have regs or not, but if you do, you could always lean on one or two regs keys instead of drones.

djm

[jqpublick]

Can't remember if you have regs or not, but if you do, you could always lean on one or two regs keys instead of drones.

djm

I edited my first post to say I'm playing a half set.

Mark

[JR]

I always liked the sound of the drones with Em. I guess it really depends on the tune you are playing and if your drones will cut out on you pick a tune less strenuous. Or turn them off and on at strategic parts, often overlooked by modern pipers but employed to great effect by Doran, Ennis etc

Failing finding a tune you can take the Paddy Keenan route and make one up as you go along. And don't let on to anyone

[rorybbellows]

How do you know a tune is in Em as opposed to Gmaj ?

RORY

[PJ]

How do you know a tune is in Em as opposed to Gmaj ?

RORY

Often, if a tune is in Em, it'll finish on E.