4/23/2021 Friday "Teacher Ann Kho’s Online Music Class" Notes

All Music Lovers:

Are you like me? Perhaps, often use singing or music to relieve stress and to lift my spirits? I always observe keenly about the surrounding environment, its people, things, and related entities.  I am able to discern the “delight, anger, sadness, and happiness” through the beautiful music compiled by the famous composers and the lyricists whose works were passed down to this day with the indescribable sound, and charm.  When I close my eyes sometimes, it seems that the mountains, the water, the long-lost memory of my hometown and the footprints of my old days described by them were distinctly and indelibly marked in front of me.

Yesterday's "Informal Teachers and Students on-line Singing Presentation" either in group chorus or separate solo, which indeed gave me a remarkable experience. The warm feeling comes from singing and sharing together with members and the teacher!

The following is the summary:

1. Sophie’s Demonstration Singing - 《When It's Lamp Lighting Time in the Valley》

       The song is 《 When It's Lamp Lighting Time in the Valley. 》 If literally translated, it should be 《The Time to Light the Lamp in the Valley. 》  The music and lyrics were written by J. Lyons, S. C. Hart and sung by The Vagabonds.  It was a hit in 1933! This piece of music depicts the scenery of American country fields. The main idea of the lyrics is about a lonely son who is far away in a foreign land, thinking of his mother who lives in the valley. Later time, several different singers sang this song, and then it was translated into different languages, and different versions appeared! There are a nostalgic and melancholy feelings in the melody.

2. Helen’s Demonstration Singing - 《Danny Boy》 

This Irish folk song, 《Danny Boy》 is a legendary musical piece written in 1910 by a prominent lawyer, Frederic Weatherly, which I have already shared with you in the past note! This song is a ballad style from the United Kingdom.  Frederic Weatherly describes the fatherly love of a bereaved son. It has been passed down since 1855, although it is familiar in tune, the versions have different styles! The interpretation from the singer is also different! We saw the farewell ceremony of Lady Diana, the former princess of England. Melodious and poignant theme, sighing the unpredictability of the world! In different versions, there are also different expressions of calling the sons to come home from the battle fields!

3. Teacher and Janice - Demonstration Singing - 《Beautiful Dreamer》 

Legend has it that 《Beautiful Dreamer》 is this talented author, Stephen Collins Foster’s last song during his short-lived 38 years.

 

Stephen Collins Foster, an author (7/4/1826-1/13/1864) is also known as the "Father of American Music." Stephen Collins Foster, was born the ninth of William Barclay Foster and Eliza Clayland Tomlinson Foster's ten children, in a white cottage high on the hillside above the Allegheny River in Lawrenceville, east of Pittsburgh. It was the fiftieth anniversary of American independence at birth!  His father William Barclay Foster was of Irish descent, loved to play the violin. His mother, Eliza Clayland Tomlinson Foster, was born in a British aristocratic family and loved to write poetry. The 200+ folk songs he composed were all imbued from the influence of his parents.  One thread of the tale is that he expressed a distaste for rote-learning and recitation but was an avid reader and eventually became a literate, well-educated person by the standards of his days.   Through his parents’ inspiration, he self-taught himself violin, piano, flute, guitar, clarinet, and various instruments! So, his interest in music, it all sort of unlocked his mind.   When this song was found in 1862, the author lived in New York, in a state of utter poverty.  The lyrics were written when both parents had already passed away.  Miserably missing his divorced wife (Jane Denny McDowell) in 1854, it could be under this sentiment.  Or it could be written for his daughter, Marion born in 1851, from the point of her husband! Yearning in grief and loss, the family love of his two sisters, Charlotte & Jeanie, could also be a hint! The sentimental repetition of the musical rhythm, the lyrics were believed to be drawn from his teaching and enlightened mother’s poetry writing.

When Foster died, his leather wallet contained a scrap of paper that simply said, "Dear friends and gentle hearts", along with 38 cents (one for each year of his life) in Civil War scrip and three pennies.

At that time, there were no safeguards for all music protection and intellectual property rights! Many of his works are still very popular today. It is a pity that this well-known, recognized as "the most famous songwriter of the 19th century", most of the handwritten music manuscripts are lost, but the version released by his publisher that day is included in various collections.

His songs are simple in structure, stable in rhythm, and not too wide in musical range.   I was fortunate to have good music teachers who introduced me early on Stephen Foster’s world-known songs in my elementary school (North-Gate Elementary School-Teacher Mrs. Shirley-蘇秀齡), junior high school (Hsinchu the First Girls' Junior High School-Teacher Miss Wang-王川培), and high school (Hsinchu Girls' Senior High School-Teacher Mr. Xu-徐晉淵).  That includes:  《Oh, Susanna! - Oh, Susanna! 》  《Camptown races-Camptown Speedway》 《My old Kentucky home-My home in Kentucky》. Oh, those unforgettable school days, and the melodies remain lingering in the air throughout my lifetime.

Teacher Ann, indeed, regardless of her age, she is still “the maestro of her domain!"   Adagio 3 beats per measure, smooth and bright treble, with self-playing piano accompaniment, chord rhythm, and the piece was presented beautifully and movingly. It really shows the composer's sentimental nostalgia with her ease.  I just follow the sheet music stubbornly, 1, 2, 3 beats, shaking my head ecstatically and complacently! Three beats, without intangible music skills “I have no strength to last that long!” Frustrating!  Unlike Meihui (美恵) and Helen, the two soprano team members, they are full of air and pompous, so lucky to have inherited "singing capital" which I am terribly lacking in singing soprano part.    I just want to ask the teacher to help me how to remedy my most challenging piece!   Little did I know, unexpectedly, I would be singled out by the teacher "as a demonstration!" It was utterly helpless!  I was so embarrassed!

4. Engiau Senior - Demonstration, a ballad dedicated to his wife, Mrs. Aizhi (愛治) 《Silver Threads Among the Gold - 白髪吟》

Engiau Senior, my college class alumni, a bass member in our choir.  His strong and heavy, bass style voice is low and rich!  It sounds mesmerized, so touching! Being his wife, as Mrs. Aizhi is definitely a blessed experience! It's a pity that their daughter, Lillian, our accompanist, needs to leave at 11:30 and cannot enjoy it.   Dad "sings mom's love song to serenade her!" was stunningly beautiful!

This song is adapted from a famous poem by American writer Eden Eugene Rexford, composed by Hart Pease Danks, sung by John W. Myers (1864 – 1919), and released in 1898. Eden Eugene Rexford was a prolific writer. Most of his books were about gardening. In addition, he wrote many poems and stories.  In 1887, he published the first collection of poems 《Brothers and Lovers》. Then came another poem 《Grandmother’s Garden》.  In many of his works, he authored many lyrics to popular and gospel songs. This piece 《Silver Threads Among the Gold》

is adapted from a poem 《Growing Old》 he wrote when he was eighteen years old.

This song conveys the mood of the husband and wife growing old together with a deep and affectionate melody, which is worth savoring.

Darling, I am growing old, 
Silver threads among the gold. 
Shine upon my brow today, 
Life is fading fast away. 
But my darling, you will be, will be, 
Always young and fair to me, 
Yes, my darling, you will be, 
Always young and fair to me. 

I would like to thank the teacher for her careful planning for our voice ranges and capabilities! In the future, is it necessary to have classes like this? I hope it will not be a big humiliating challenge for everyone! We will continue to encourage and grow among ourselves! We need teacher Ann to give us suggestions and methods and teaching!

Thanks!

Janice Chang