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THREE SONGS from FAR
FROM HOME |
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Almast Jewel When I first discovered this old folk song in my mother’s precious book, it was a beautiful poem. We could not locate a transcribed melody in the resources we had, so I had to rely on my mom’s memory for the melody of this love song that she had learned as a child. And I instantly fell in love with the lyrics and the simple melody that she sang to me. In this song, the singer speaks of her beloved with such admiration, comparing him to an unfading flower among the most fragrant roses. He is her hero and she lovingly describes the jewels that seem to surround him. After analyzing the moving text, we began the all important task of arranging this song. The duduk, an instrument that evokes such emotion for Armenians, seemed the best choice to introduce a new counter melody and then weave that same theme throughout the entire song, almost charming listeners as they discover more about this enchanting lover. I wanted to create an atmosphere of longing and desire; thus, we slowed down the rhythm considerably, added new textures with the percussion, and developed new harmonies. In doing so, we have tried to give this song an almost dreamlike quality in which the yearning of the singer for her beloved is felt. Composer: Koosan Shahen Gakavig Partridge This simple folk song is accredited to Gomidas, perhaps one of the best known of the musicologists who meticulously collected and transcribed the folk songs of my culture. This particular folk song is especially meaningful to me because it is the first song I ever sang in public, at the age of 4. In it, the singer is praising the partridge, a bird that symbolizes the beauty of Armenia. She describes how this delightful bird brings greetings to all the flowers and joy to the mournful sea. The partridge sings and dances, and its infectious energy gives hope to everyone. Since this song has an almost child- like quality to it, I wanted it to be full of much percussion encouraging listeners to dance and sing along. I added new harmonies to further develop the simple melody and we created a new arrangement featuring the oud, an instrument that is traditionally used in Armenian music. The sun appears from behind the dark clouds The partridge soars above the green hills From the top of the green hills The partridge brings greetings to all the flowers Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, colourful partridge You have sewn your nest with flowers With lilies and daffodils and other flowers Your nest is filled with dew You sleep and rise with songs and drums Chorus Your wings are soft and colourful You have a small beak and red feet And with your red feet You dance with the other birds Chorus When you stand on the mossy rock You sing psalms to the flowers You make the hills and valleys cheer You bring joy to the mournful sea Chorus Shogher Jan Ray of Light Another song accredited to Gomidas, this timeless folk song tells the story of Shogher Jan, the Ray of Light, who is waiting for her lover to come home. Throughout the song, she is encouraged to remain hopeful and to keep dancing and singing. The singer tells Shogher that in the distance, snow is falling, so her beloved must be on his way home. We decided to intertwine two voices throughout this song to emphasize Shogher Jan’s desire to be with her beloved. Again, we used much percussion to underline the hopeful, upbeat nature of the song. This particular folk song holds much significance for me because one of the children I worked with while I was in Armenia taught it to me. This child loved to sing, and he and I developed a close bond. While his life is full of many hardships, his spirit remains joyful. This inspired me deeply. For me, he represents the hope that this song celebrates. |
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