The Arrangements

Four Green Fields
Wasko Choir (Wasko Sessions 10/26/2013)
0:00/4:01
The Rights of Man
Wasko Choir (Wasko Sessions 10/26/2013)
0:00/3:49
Rising of the Moon
Vernon Chorale (Choral Tapestry 2013)
0:00/2:53

• Recommended by Eoghan Heneghan, singer for The Merry Ploughboys.
• Opens with solo sopranos and altos, suggesting that the speaker is an old woman; for the same reason, altos and sopranos most commonly have the melody and the most significant text.
• Predominantly homophonic for clear declamation of text; hymn-like character suggests mourning.
• Striking and sudden dynamic contrasts to indicate the emotional contour of the song.
• Word painting of “wailing cries” (forte sopranos on melody over basses, tenors, and altos singing “Ah” with a crescendo) and “shook the very heavens” (one-two punch of accented entrances).
• Tenor and bass divisi on “sons had sons” creates word painting (multiplication of men), while wholesome chords represent the strength of the resistance.
• Modest countermelodies for additional interest, given the repetitive nature of the song.

• Only one of the original three songs I chose that remained throughout the project; taken from The Wolfe Tones.
• Homophonic and hymn-like, characteristic of the more ideological text (as opposed to storytelling in the other two).
• Each voice part sings the melody at least once, representing the universality of the song’s sentiment.
• Word painting of “divided” and “disorder” (polyphonic section, different entrances disguise the melody and make the message hard to follow), returning to homophony on “strife, grief, and murder” for added emphasis and clarity.
• Similarly, references to “joining in union” are sung in unison for clarity and significance.

• Recommended by Derek Warfield, original singer for The Wolfe Tones.
• Military march maintains rhythmic energy and clear tempo.
• Opens with bass and tenor drone (reminiscent of uilleann pipes, one of the three indigenous Irish instruments, and bagpipes, a similar Celtic instrument used in wartime).
• Melody most commonly in the tenor, given that the song was traditionally sung by men with lighter voices.
• Imitative entrances at second chorus evoke a call to arms and a gradual gathering of fighters.
• Word painting of “heartbeat” (rhythmic pulse) and “banshee’s croon” (sopranos take the melody).
• Tenor/bass divisi at the battle cry indicates many different men giving the cry.
• Solo singers describe the loss of the battle, representing the singers telling the story after the battle, with gradual addition of voices in the background representing the persistent spirit of rebellion despite the loss, eventually becoming an echo the crescendos to a final declaration in unison for emphasis.

ALL THREE SONGS

• “Always give deference to the melody” – Peter Bagley. The melody is in the foreground, and it is never altered from its original form (although it may be passed between voices or layered in polyphony).
• “Keep it simple” – Peter Bagley. Each arrangement uses relatively simple chord progressions with intuitive harmonic vocal lines, and these progressions often occur repeatedly throughout the piece, creating consistency and harmonic unity.
• Each of these songs once served a specific purpose: to communicate a message of resistance and rebellion. For this reason, the text is always presented in the most accessible form possible (usually via homophony or a solo line with neutral syllables in the accompanying voices), unless there was a specific artistic reason to do otherwise (such as the polyphonic section of “Rights of Man”).
• Given the a cappella singing tradition of folk music in Ireland, I refrained from using instrumental accompaniment in any of the arrangements (although each includes a piano reduction for rehearsal purposes).

I hold the copyright for all three arrangements. Choral musicians and educators are welcome to print, duplicate, perform, and record the arrangements at no charge by contacting me at the email address listed at the bottom of the page. 

NOTE: The scores links only present the first two pages of each piece. If you are interested in receiving full scores for use with your choirs, please email me at [email protected] for access to the full scores free of charge.

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