BILL BLACK'S "SERIOUS" MUSIC PAGE
updated 2/10/08

"THANKS FOR VISITING THIS PAGE - WE HOPE YOU FIND SOMETHING YOU LIKE!
AND DON'T FORGET - IF YOU DON'T SEE IT, ASK FOR IT!"
- The Management
Explanation of file formats used on this web page

If you want the BB Song Page, click here.

If you want the BB Tunes_Online page (jigs/reels/hornpipes), click here.

If you want the Websong page (lyrics for Irish songs), click here.


All material included on this page is © Bill Black / Sunphone Ltd.

BACH MEETS BROONZY

BEAUTY IN TEARS

CAPE COD ROADS

CASADH an tSUGAIN

CHRISTMAS QUARTET

COAST MUSIC

DOWN BY THE SALLEY GARDENS

ELLIS ISLAND TRILOGY

FAIR HILLS OF EIRE O!

FALLEN TOWERS

FIDDLER'S GREEN

FROM THE IRISH TRADITION

GARTAN MOTHER'S LULLABY

IRISH AIRS ARRANGED FOR GUITAR

ISLE OF THE BLEST

KNEEL WE BY THE MANGER
  
LIMERICK'S LAMENTATION

MERCHANT MARINER'S HYMN

MY LAGAN LOVE

OH LORD AND CREATOR OF LIFE

SI BEAG, SI MOR

STRING QUARTETS #1, #2, #3

VETERANS' HYMN

VIOLA SONATA #1

WALTZ FOR DJANGO

WATCHADUNE?!


Numbers following names represent approximate performance time.

BACH MEETS BROONZY (1:55)

A piano fantasy involving a what I hope is a pretty fair imitation of ol' Johann Sebastian and my best effort at reproducing a
blues standard (Big Bill Broonzy's "CC Rider", to be exact).

Note to piano players: this may come as no surprise after you look at the tune, but I'm not one of you, so feel free to make
whatever changes in the fingering you need to make!        
                           
notation file            sound file            FINALE 2004 file


BEAUTY IN TEARS (trad. arr.)

A composition of the legendary harper known as "the last of the Irish bards", Turloch O Carolan (1670-1738). This
graceful little tune clearly demonstrates the affection O Carolan had for the baroque music of his day, with which
he was obviously quite familiar!


4 part arrangement (1:32)      notation file            sound file            Finale 2004 file
 
piano arrangement (1:31)      notation file            sound file            Finale 2004 file   
 
 
CAPE COD ROADS (violin & piano) (12:14)

I found the originals of these sitting in a folder of old manuscript dating back to the time our two boys were still
taking violin lessons. I updated them as a "suite" - hope you think the effort was worthwhile! (They could be nice
solo pieces for younger players.)

Pianists are welcome to adapt the accompaniment in whatever way they think is suitable for the piece.

I should mention too that adapting these pieces for another solo instrument (e.g. flute, viola) is not difficult. I'd be
happy to make changes for anyone interested in performing these on different instruments.


I: Back Road to the Bay (3:00)

notation file            sound file            FINALE 2004 file
 
 
II: Rain on the Road (4:21)

notation file            sound file            FINALE 2004 file


III: Long Road Home (2:03)

notation file            sound file            FINALE 2004 file


IV: The Road Not Taken (2;50)

notation file            sound file            FINALE 2004 file



CASADH an tSUGAIN (The Twisting of the Rope) (trad. arr.)


This song is from the Irish-speaking area in the West of Ireland but is well-known throughout the country
for its lovely tune and its comical story, which basically has to do with a young man trying to court a fair
maiden while her mother - who doesn't seem to care much for the lad - keeps him busy helping with the
rope-making. As the rope gets longer, the lad is forced to move further and further away from the object
of his affections (which of course the Old Woman had planned all along)!

The first words of the song translate to something like "Oh King of Heaven - how did I ever get into this
mess?" (The Irish name is pronounced approximately "cosson toogawn").
 
 
quartet arrangement (1:30)

notation file            sound file            Finale 2004 file
 
 
piano arrangement (1:35)
 
notation file            sound file            Finale 2004 file
 

CHRISTMAS QUARTET (for male chorus) (12:46)

We had a small singing group at our parish a number of years ago, and we actually performed some of these
(in SATB arrangement). In any case you can't have too much Christmas music (can you?)
 
(The notation files contain the first three pages of the complete file.)
 
I: Glory to God (2:27)
 
notation file            sound file            FINALE 2004 file
 

II: Fear Not! (4:59)

notation file            sound file            FINALE 2004 file
 

III: Song of the Ox (2:22)

notation file            sound file            FINALE 2004  file
 

IV: In the Stable (2:58)

notation file            sound file            FINALE 2004 file


COAST MUSIC (cello & piano) (10:55)

Like "Cape Cod Roads", this suite is also derived from elderly manuscript material. These pieces have a little more of
a "Celtic" flavor to them, I think. It's been so long since the originals happened that I don't remember if I did that on
purpose or not.

If the accompaniment seems lacking, pianists are welcome to adapt the material in whatever way they think is suitable for
the task at hand. (If they wish to share their ideas with me, that would be appreciated!)

I should mention too that adapting these pieces for another solo instrument (e.g. flute, viola) is not difficult. I'd be happy
to make changes for anyone interested in performing these on other instruments.


I: The Islands (4:00)

notation file            sound file            FINALE 2004 file
 
 
II: The Cliffs (3:48)

notation file            sound file            FINALE 2004 file


III: Safe Ashore (3:07)

notation file            sound file            FINALE 2004 file


DOWN BY THE SALLEY GARDENS (trad. arr.) (2:23)

This is my TTBB arrangement of the song based on W.M. Yeats' 1889 poem. It's kind of a pity the
original is only two verses. One of our singer friends does a recitation between the verses ("When I
was one-and-twenty, I heard a wise man say ...") which actually comes from the poem "A Shropshire
Lad" by A.E. Housman. The English poem's words are a perfect fit to the (? Irish) melody.

notation file            sound file            FINALE 2004 file    
   

ELLIS ISLAND TRILOGY (for male chorus) (7:15)

This was written shortly after we had an opportunity to visit the island; it represents an effort to capture some of
what those who passed through the island must have been feeling.

My Lebanese grandparents, like so many other brave souls, came through Ellis Island on their way to a new life
in America (the Irish side of the family had arrived earlier). If you ever have the chance to visit Ellis Island, I
recommend that you take it (it might be closed now for security reasons).

I have revised much of this work recently, so if you've been here before, give it another look.


1: The Emigrant's Song (2:35)
 
notation file (sample)     notation file (complete)            sound file            FINALE 2004  file


II: The Voyage (2:29)

notation file            sound file            FINALE 2004 file         


III: Welcome to America! (2:11)

notation file  (sample)    notation file (complete)          sound file            FINALE 2004 file



FAIR HILLS OF EIRE O! (trad. arr.)

"Though this song is usually attributed to the 18th Century poet Donncha Rua Mac Con Mara, it is probable that he
did little more than revise, and add to, an earlier song by an Irish soldier named Fitzgerald, who was a major in the
French army at the storming of the Dutch fortress of Bergen-op-Zoom, 16 September 1748." (D. O Sullivan, "Songs
of the Irish").

Macnamara was born in Co. Clare in 1715 and died in Co. Waterford in 1810. He was a schoolmaster by trade who
spent some years as a fisherman on the Grand Banks, and it is thought that this song in its present form was written
during his years away from Ireland.


piano version (1:52)

notation file             sound file             Finale 2004 file

quartet version (1:52)

notation file             sound file             Finale 2004 file


FALLEN TOWERS (4:33)

Originally composed as a "slow air" for pipes to commemorate September 11th, expanded here into a version for
string quartet.
 
 
notation file            sound file                Finale 2004 file
 
   


FIDDLER'S GREEN (arr. for men's chorus) (2:25)

I would guess that almost 100% of any group of musicians would tell you that this is a "folk song",  probably dating back
hundreds of years. Wrong.

I would love to lie and say I wrote "Fiddler's Green", but I cannot. I will say that we had the privilege of meeting and
playing with the man who did, Mr. John Conolly from the northeast of England, when he and his equally-talented sidekick
Pete Sumner were in the New England area a few years back. John has written other great songs, none quite as well-known
locally as "Fiddler's" but certainly equally deserving of attention from the performing ranks.


notation file            sound file            Finale 2004 file



FROM THE IRISH TRADITION: AIRS, SONGS, AND HARP TUNES ARRANGED FOR PIANO

This is a collection of pieces from the Irish tradition which in my opinion deserve to be better known.  The piano
accompaniments are simple and unobtrusive (as befits the "folk" nature of the material), and are designed to bring
out the beauty of the melody.

The book version will be augmented by a website that will contain MIDI versions of all the pieces, so that pianists
(or other instrumentalists) not familiar with the material will be able to hear what it sounds like.

The book also contains pages of notes and commentary on the pieces and their provenance.

Click here for the complete list of the pieces included.

The following are sample files:

Duan Chroi Iosa                         notation file        sound file

Limerick's Lamentation               notation file        sound file 

Page from the "Notes and Commentary" section      


GARTAN MOTHER'S LULLABY (trad. arr.)

This lovely song was collected by Herbert Hughes in Co. Donegal some time in the 19th Century. The air is traditional but
the words normally sung to it ("Hush, sweet babe, while the red bee hums / Its silent twilight song ...") seem to have been
composed at some point much later than the creation of the melody.


quartet version (2:40)

notation file            sound file            Finale 2004 file

piano version (2:19)

notation file            sound file            Finale 2004 file


IRISH AIRS ARRANGED FOR GUITAR

I did a book of these about ten years ago, a book that was actually published (!) and is presumably still available
from Frank E. Warren (email fewpub@juno.com). These are a few samples.

NOTE: I am in the process (2/08) of updating this publication, adding new material and creating MIDI files to
accompany the notation. Contact me (zouki at earthlink dot net) for more information.
 
The Dark Slender Boy (An Buachaill Caol Dubh)
 
O South Wind!
 
The Bend of the River
 
Lord Mayo


ISLE OF THE BLEST

This is a slow air originally composed for the pipes but here in a string quartet arrangement as well. It's dedicated
to the memory of Angus MacEacharn, who passed away in January 2007 at the age of 95.

In my perfect world this tune would get at least equal performance time with "Amazing Grace",  which seems to
be the only slow air any piper bothers to learn (oh yeah - and maybe "Rowan Tree").

The Isle(s) of the Blest is the Heaven or Valhalla of Celtic mythology. It lay far to the west of the world of Celtic
Europe, somewhere in mid-ocean just beyond the horizon ...

quartet arrangement (2:13)    notation file                sound file                Finale 2004 file

pipe version:                          notation file             sound file                ABC format            ABC with chords

piano arrangement (2:13)        notation file                      sound file                Finale 2004 file




KNEEL WE BY THE MANGER (arr. for TTBB chorus) (2:25)

Another attempted contribution to the Christmas repertoire!

notation file            sound file            Finale 2004 file


  
LIMERICK'S LAMENTATION (trad. arr.)

A lovely plaintive harp tune whose present title commemorates the defeat of the Irish forces by the English at
Limerick in 1690. Some commentators believe that the tune originates from - or at least is closely related to -
a Scots tune called "Lochaber No More", while others contend that the tune is in fact of Irish origin but was
well loved and often performed in Scotland. The earliest printed version (unhelpfully with no title) appeared
in 1676.
 
 
4 part arrangement (2:49)
   
notation file                sound file                Finale 2004 file
 
piano arrangement (2:46)

notation file                sound file                Finale 2004 file




MERCHANT MARINER'S HYMN (SATB arr.) (2:21)

Our local men's chorus used to sing each year at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, and it occurred to me
that of all the services who lost men during World War II, the Merchant Marine was the only one who didn't
have a song of their own (at least I didn't think so). This is my offering to remedy the situation.

notation file            sound file            Finale 2004 file            



MY LAGAN LOVE (trad. arr.)

One of the great love songs of all time, whose striking modal melody makes it unique. The "Lagan" referred to is the
Lagan River that flows through the city of Belfast and several counties in the northern part of Ireland.

The tune was collected by Herbert Hughes in the late 19th Century; the vocal version - with words by Hughes - attained
recognition through the performances of the legendary tenor John McCormack. Although the melody is ancient, there
seem to have been no lyrics associated with it either in Irish or English.
 

4 part instrumental arrangement (3:12)
 
notation file                sound file             Finale 2004 file
 

piano arranegement (3:10)
 
notation file                sound file             Finale 2004 file
 

choral arrangement (1:29)

notation file                sound file              Finale 2004 file


OH LORD AND CREATOR OF LIFE (arr. for SATB chorus) (~ 5:00)

My SATB choral arrangement of this hymn, which joins my lyrics to the well-known Irish traditional
melody known as Ar Eirinn ni nEosfainn Ce hI ("For Ireland I'd Not Tell Her Name").


lyrics file                notation file                sound file                Finale 2004 file


SI BEAG, SI MOR (trad. arr.)

One of harper Turloch O Carolan's (1670-1738) best known compositions. The name (pronounced - and sometimes
spelled as - "sheebeg, sheemore") means "Little Fairy, Big Fairy" and refers to a local legend from Co. Leitrim
concerning a war between two fairy armies. Other sources, however, claim that the title is taken from the names of
two hills near the estate of Squire George Reynolds, one of O'Carolan's first patrons. Either way it's a lovely melody
tht clearly shows the composer's respect for baroque music.

quartet arrangement (1:49)

notation file             sound file             Finale 2004 file

piano arrangement (1:40)

notation file             sound file             Finale 2004 file

solo instrument and guitar accompaniment (1:46)

notation file            sound file              Finale 2004 file


VIOLA SONATA #1 (4:24)

I have always loved the deep sound of the viola (it's tuned a fifth lower than the violin) and thought I would try
a piece for solo viola.

This piece is dedicated to Shawn Verfaillie, violist and teacher from Eastham MA, who has been very generous
in sharing his time and knowledge with me.

Note: the accompaniment is pretty much "plain vanilla". I leave it to pianists to do what needs doing in order to
make it work for them!

notation file (sample)            notation file (complete)           sound file            Finale 2004 file


STRING QUARTETS

I woke up one day a few years back and decided that I would try composing a string quartet. I ran the
idea past my friend and mentor Dr. Dick Winchell who said "Sure - why not?" and off we went.
 
It wasn't until well after this work was completed that I came across the composer Paul Hindemith's
resounding German term "gebrauchsmusik", which basically means music that is "useful", i.e. easily
playable by amateur musicians (students, non-professionals,community groups), as contrasted to music
meant strictly for the aesthetic experience. It's not that it isn't challenging or rewarding to perform -
it's just that it's not technically overwhelming for players at a certain skill level.
 
I like to think I have no pretensions to greatness as a composer, and the "useful music" concept is
one that I find very meaningful.
 
Putting these works together was a great learning experience for me and it is profoundly to be hoped
that the music is as enjoyable to the hearer as it was to the composer!

Because of the size of files, I have opted to use three sample pages from each movement, rather than
the complete file, for the "notation" file. The idea is that the samples will provide to anyone interested
an idea of the structure of the piece.

The MIDI sound files are complete, i.e. they record the sound of the entire movement. The Finale files
are also complete.


I. String Quartet #1 (16:53)
movement 1
 notation sample file
 sound file
 Finale 2004 file
movement 2
 notation sample file
 sound file
 Finale 2004 file
movement 3
 notation sample file
 sound file
 Finale 2004 file
movement 4
 notation sample file
 sound file
 Finale 2004 file


II. String Quartet #2 (18:04)

movement 1
 notation sample file
 sound file
 Finale 2004 file
movement 2
 notation sample file
 sound file
 Finale 2004 file
movement 3
 notation sample file
 sound file
 Finale 2004 file
movement 4
 notation sample file
 sound file
 Finale 2004 file



III. String Quartet #3 (20:22)

movement 1
 notation sample file
 sound file
 Finale 2004 file
movement 2
 notation sample file
 sound file
 Finale 2004 file
movement 3
 notation sample file
 sound file
 Finale 2004 file
movement 4
 notation sample file
 sound file
 Finale 2004 file



VETERANS' HYMN (arr. for TTBB chorus) (2:19)

This piece is dedicated to all veterans, but especially to the veterans of Falmouth, Mass., whose sacrifices
our town honors every Memorial Day and Veterans' Day. It is always a wonderful privilege to be able to
take part in the ceremonies.


notation file                sound file                Finale 2004 file


WALTZ FOR DJANGO (instrumental) (1:41)

Cape Cod abounds in fine guitarists (Pat Ryan and Fred Freid come to mind), but in addition to the locals,
we in Falmouth are fortunate to have the great jazz guitarist Howard Alden stop by for a visit now and then.
Howard is a great admirer of the legendary Belgian gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt, and this little piece is
dedicated to both of them. (Howard is also a "reformed" banjo player !)
 

notation file                sound file               Finale 2004 file


WATCHADUNE?! (solo piano) (3:23)

As in "Look at the sandy hilly thing near the beach there!" or perhaps a corrupt but harmless urban version of
"What are you doing?"

Certainly will not cause any Sleepless Nights Due to Gnawing Envy amongst the Fraternity of Serious Composers
but could be fun (potential players are reminded of my standard "I'm not a piano player" disclaimer, so they are free
to make whatever pianistic changes they require - within reason, of course!).
 

notation file                sound file                Finale 2004 file