Scotty roadDELETED - Posted - 05/28/2025:  10:26:07

This is an English tune from the 14th century, the tune has been collected by several notable people and various dates have been given, I was loaned this music today for an hour by someone I know who plays lute, he assured me its 14th century, which he specialise in up to the 17th century. I read this one straight from the sheet music hence the spectacles which I need for reading. The actual music he let me read was so old it had cracks in the paper and I was a bit loathe to touch it, as he collects old music, but its now safe back in his collection, I dont really have a chance to practice this one anymore(which I would like to do) than the few run throughs I had, think it was 3. 

youtu.be/ScLfbzpZzJ4?si=47ecEa3rO-EpvwnB

Edited by - Scotty roadDELETED on 06/06/2025 16:48:12

Quincy - Posted - 05/28/2025:  10:36:11

Then it's good that you have this recording! Nice tune, sounds very dramatic. I like the dark touch.

DougD - Posted - 05/28/2025:  11:30:16

Nice reading. I guess this is a version of Child ballad #78, "The Unquiet Grave," which tells a weird, dark story:
contemplator.com/child/unquiet.html
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unquiet_Grave
There are lots of recordings around in case you want to refresh or expand your memory of the tune. Here's a suitably chilling one:
youtu.be/YusqNbEHOc4?feature=shared
I thought of you at the news of the tragedy at the football celebration. Very sad.

DougD - Posted - 05/28/2025:  11:47:58

Here's a very lengthy discussion about the song. Its interesting that the sexes of the dead and mourner seem sometimes reversed.
mainlynorfolk.info/lloyd/songs...rave.html

DougD - Posted - 05/28/2025:  14:11:26

I thought that might be a lute too, but the first comment was from the guitarist on the track who said he played a classical guitar with a capo at the fifth fret.
The Mainly Norfolk article is mostly a list of recordings, with some commentary. I read somewhere that this melody is also used for "Star of the County Down," which may be. I'm fond of that one because that's where my maternal grandfather was from, and my mother's family had a copy of the John McCormack record in the family Victrola.

pete_fiddle - Posted - 05/28/2025:  14:42:13

"Star Of The County Down" ?