Hi David-
> Verse Version 1 > http://www.arach.net.au/~algernon/deepriver/ ---- this has more passing tones, especially in the bass, than I'm familiar with, and I've *never* heard a plagal cadence on the last "campground" ! > The second variant seems to be what's printed in modern hymnals: > > Verse Version 2 > http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/d/e/deeprivr.htm ---- My goodness! UGH! Where did that ugly rhythm in the first phrase come from? The chord sequencing in the verse is all wrong from what I've always known. > > and I find that version highly problematic because of the highly > repetitive verse melody. Perhaps it takes a decent harmonization to > fix it (which none of the instances I've encountered actually > exhibit), or maybe 1/3 of it needs to be chopped out. Either way, I > can't see it being successful. ---- me either! > > This version seems to be fairly widespread, though mostly just > duplicated MIDI files (the first of the two following are the same as > the cyberhymnal example above, while the third is a slightly > different arrangement of the same tune): > > http://hjem.get2net.dk/ribeim/midi.html > http://patriot.net/~bmcgin/christmusic.html > http://members.tripod.com/~kcrowell/christian.htm ----- it's the third version here which most closely matches what I know, so far....... > Now, there are other variations, too, only a couple of which seem to > me to be musically significant. This one seems to be something of a > cross between the two, and is found on the VirtualGrammaphone page > (from 1917): > > http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/obj/m2/f7/12263.mp3 ----except for the unnecessary repetition of the campground phrase both times, and the awful wandering final cadences, this has the harmonic structure I know, even for the verse. Really, not a bad version at all. Just wish it didn't sound so schmaltzy in the cadences. > Another version has no real discernable melody for the verse, just a > short bridge: > > http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/6677/midilink.html ----this was about as bad as it gets to my ears. I couldn't even finish listening.......... > and from a source I have lost, with the same harmonization but a less > bizarre realization: > http://www.bway.net/~dfenton/Unknown_deeprive.mid ----sounds like it's meant to be instrumental only- yuk! > The other versions just seem to me to have no real verse or bridge at > all, at least not with any memorable musical shape. These include: > > http://www.lassentech.com/midi.html ---- horrid > http://realdreamy.hak.hokkyodai.ac.jp/musica.htm ---- maybe it's "dreamy," but I couldn't go to sleep by that one.... sorry.... misses the basic harmonies altogether > Now, what's my point here? > > Well, I was wondering if anyone knew anything about this and could > explain whether there is any primacy to version 1 or version 2. [snip] > Of the two, which do y'all think is the more familiar? ---- of all these the http://members.tripod.com/~kcrowell/christian.htm file and the http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/obj/m2/f7/12263.mp3 file are my choices, but, as I said before, I'd have to make some major changes to the second one for it to please me. > And does anyone have any actual background materials in the history > of this spiritual? ---- I don't- sorry...... My first experience with this song was when I was about ten years old. My best friend in the fourth grade was a black kid named Donnie- we didn't live too far from each other.... he asked me to come to his mom's funeral. What an awakening for me in regards to church music! I clearly remember a very skinny old man singing this song, accompanying himself quietly on ukelele. There wasn't a dry eye when he got done, as we say around here. An obvious question- are you preparing an arrangement? Have you looked on the American Memories website to see what they might have ? (a Library of Congress site....) http://memory.loc.gov/ Hope to hear what others think of your examples--- best to you- Cecil Rigby [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
