Ratchet Orchestra with Marshall Allen and Danny Ray Thompson

As a small number of you out there know, I am a part-time musician.
Living where I do, I get the chance to play with some pretty incredible musicians, both those who live here and those who pass through.

I have been playing with the Ratchet Orchestra, an ever-changing monster led by Contrabassist Nicolas Caloia, for about 20 years now, and this past May 15 we were all honored to play with two long-standing members of the Sun Ra ("insert name here") Arkestra.

Marshall Allen has been playing with the Arkestra since 1958 (and leading it since the death of John Gilmore).
Danny Ray Thompson ("Pico" to his friends) has been a member since 1967.
These two fine gentlemen joined with the Ratchet Orchestra to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Sun Ra's arrival on Planet Earth.

The music heard here is a sort of "Suite" arranged by Nicolas Caloia, comprised  almost exclusively of Sun Ra compositions, some heard in something like a standard presentation, while others have been fractured and overlayed with other themes and material and may be unrecognizable to all but the most ardent Sun Ra fanatics.

In any case, I believe that this is some very fine, exciting and beautiful music and deserves to be heard and (I hope) enjoyed by fans of Sun Ra and visitors to the Closet of Curiosities.

Marshall Allen and Danny Ray Thompson with Ratchet Orchestra
Festival International de Musique Actuelle, Victoriaville
May 15, 2014

THE BOARD MIX/ZOOM BOOTLEG

They Dwell on Other Planes/We Must Not Say No To Ourselves
Eve
Thither and Yon
Discipline No. 15
El Is A Sound of Joy
El Victor
Love on A Faraway Planet/Life is Splendid/Angels and Demons
The Shadow World
Fate in A Pleasant Mood/Life is Splendid/We'll Wait for You/Space is the Place

Marshall Allen :alto saxophone, evi, voice
Pico : flute
Lori Freedman : clarinets, wx7, voice
Ida Toninato : bassoon, baritone saxophone
Damian Nisenson : saxophones, shenai
Yves Charuest : alto saxophone
Jason Sharp : bass saxophone, flute
Ellwood Epps : trumpet
Scott Thomson : trombone
Jacques Gravel : bass trombone, tympani
Joshua Zubot : violin
Guido Del Fabbro : violin, recorder
James Annett : viola
Chris Burns : guitar, voice
Guillaume Dostaler : piano, JX3P
Ken Doolittle : percussion, voice
Michel Bonneau : percussion
John Heward : drums
Isaiah Ceccarelli : drums, tympani
Nicolas Caloia : doublebass, maxikorg, arrangements


Nic Caloia also has a site where you can download, stream and purchase other music and video (and etc) which you may very well also enjoy.
If you like this concert, visit his page
and go nuts.

 (Sorry, links removed.)

It Was Twenty Years Ago Today

(Well, maybe not EXACTLY today, but close enough)
...that Uncle Willie closed up shop at UWEB; the  Residents fan club.

While I regret not having taken advantage of all of the "members only" Residents cd's offered there, I can still look back with some satisfaction for having taken advantage of the pool of like-minded musical minds to be found among the members there.

Ca. early 1992 I sent the following letter to Uncle Willie:

The result was a musical project which had 10 musicians (plus one who could substitute for any participant unable to maintain the strict schedule), each initiating a four-track cassette which would be sent around its own particular route, reaching all the participants twice, each person adding his or her part anywhere on the cassette (a total of 4:30 - 9:00 each time,(depending on the speed of the recorder). Each person thus had equal time and equal opportunity to choose whether to work alone (building up all 4 tracks alone), or adding their own part(s) to any existing part(s) played by anyone else,wherever and whenever an empty track allowed.

I received a number of letters (remember letters?) from respondents who wrote too late to join the project, one of which contained a very interesting cassette.(Many of the respondents sent me cassettes of their music). I thought it a shame that he could not participate in the "Buddy Project", and so I asked him if he would like to collaborate with me and one other Buddy whose music I found similar enough to inspire the idea of doing a side project of Christmas music.

This project took the name of BooDooRoo X-Mas.

It had 3 cassettes making the rounds of we three until they were full.
Boo recorded at regular or double speed
Doo recorded at double speed
Roo recorded at regular speed.

this created the unusual situation where only one of the participants (Boo) could actually hear the music made by the other two at the proper speed, while Roo heard Doo's music at half-speed
and Doo heard Roo's music at double speed.

It also created a situation where the mixdowns made by each of us sounded distinctly different, not only because of the preferential musical choices of each of us, but because of this speed discrepancy.

This is a selection chosen from the mixdowns made by Roo (about one half of the total music), in which Doo is heard usually as the slow,low sounds in the mix, Roo at regular speed, and Boo at either, depending on whose part he considered the primary focus when he added his part.

Boo is: Boojer Golder, later Foe Foe Foe Foe Foe. (Canada)
Doo is: Dr. Eyescope (Canada)
Roo is: Kim Kangaroo (Belgium)

Hope you enjoy it.
Merry Christmas Too All, and to All a Good Night.

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P.S. Be forewarned that the music here is distinctly LOW-FI.

Steel Rails Under Thundering Skys

Brad Miller - Steel Rails Under Thundering Skys

released on cassette in 1972

Recordings of steam engine trains with thunderstorms in the background (or were the storms mixed in?). Brad Miller first started out recording trains. Those recordings were on several albums including this one. He later founded The Mystic Moods Orchestra and Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs, both of which he is most remembered for.

There are supposed to be separate tracks, but they were mixed together. Separating them would have been disruptive so I made the decision to rip each side as one track. It sounds coherent which I'm sure was the intention. The trains recorded are mentioned below in the tracklisting.

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1.  Steel Rails Under Thundering Skys side 1  {20:08}
No. 1702 2-8-0 Reader Railroad, Reader, Arkansas ; No. 11 2-6-2 Reader Railroad, Reader, Arkansas ; No. 8444 4-8-4 Union Pacific Railroad, Denver, Colorado ; No. 34 2-8-2 Sierra Railroad, Jamestown, California

Side 2

1.  Steel Rails Under Thundering Skys side 2  {21:01}
No. 759 2-8-4 Steamtown Foundation, Bellows Falls, Vermont (ex-Nickle Plate) ; No. 28 2-8-0 Sierra Railroad, Jamestown, California ; No. 2102 4-8-4 Steam Tours inc. (ex-Reading Railroad), Roncevert, West Virginia ; No. 1246 4-6-2 Steamtown Foundation, Bellows Falls, Vermont (ex-Canadian Pacific) ; No. 1278 4-6-2 Steamtown Foundation, Bellows Falls, Vermont (ex-Canadian Pacific) ; No. 4449 4-8-4 Amerian Freedom Train Foundation (ex-Southern Pacific GS4) ; No. 36 2-8-2 White Mountain Scenic Railway, McNary, Arizona (ex-Sierra Railroad)

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Music Box Opera

[music boxes] - Music Box Opera

released on cassette in 1989

I found this tape with Mechanical Opera on one of my shopping trips, therefore making this a companion to the prior post. This will be the last "music box" post here for some time.

From the liner notes:

A native of northeastern Italy, Rita Ford came to the United States when she was six. She spent her childhood and young womanhood on Fisher's Island, New York and in Hartford, Connecticut. She was graduated as a registered nurse when she was 19 and worked in that capacity, as well as that of social worker, for a number of years in Hartford. When she moved to New York upon her marriage in the 1930s, she started to visit antique galleries and shops and to collect in a small way. It was when her husband became incapacitated that she turned to the antique field professionally. Occasionally, when purchasing a group of antique items, a music box would come her way. She gradually developed such an interest in them that about 30 years ago she decided to specialize exclusively in the purchase, sale, and repair of music boxes, and now owns the only such all-music box shop in the country (in New York City).

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1.  Semiramide: Overture  {4:02}
composed by Gioacchino Rossini

2.  Mystery Piece: Belosi Celeh  {3:46}
composed by Gioacchino Rossini

3.  The Barber of Seville: Overture  {3:45}
composed by Gioacchino Rossini

4.  The Barber of Seville: Una Voce Poco Fa  {3:45}
composed by Gioacchino Rossini

5.  La traviata: Libiamo  {4:15}
composed by Giuseppe Verdi

6.  Carmen [excerpt]  {4:20}
composed by Georges Bizet

7.  Faust [excerpt]  {4:17}
composed by Charles Gounod

Side 2

1.  Cavalleria rusticana [excerpt]  {4:16}
composed by Pietro Mascagni

2.  Der Freischutz [excerpt]  {5:44}
composed by Carl Maria von Weber

3.  Don Giovanni [excerpt]  {5:35}
composed by Wolfgang A. Mozart

4.  Die lustige Witwe [excerpt]  {2:24}
composed by Franz Lehar

5.  Die Walkure [excerpt]  {2:36}
composed by Richard Wagner

6.  Rigoletto [excerpt]  {2:40}
composed by Giuseppe Verdi

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Mechanical Opera

[music boxes] - Meachanical Opera

released on cassette in 1987

Music boxes were a phenomenon of the 19th century and were developed during a period of immense change. The industrial revolution brought riches to a few and comparative wealth to many of the new middle class. Home entertainment became a new industry; the intricate music box was symbolic of this new age of machinery. The tastes of the day are reflected in the tunes which are included on the music box discs and cylinders: in addition to many popular songs, hymns, and an abundance of dance tunes, one finds a wealth of opera arias. Most of these opera favorites are popular to this day and will be familiar to opera lovers.
The instruments featured on this recording are from two collections: The Roy Mickleburgh Collection of Bristol and the collection of Tony Sherriff of Truro, Cornwall. All the boxes have undergone careful restoration; the voices of our "prima donnas" are much as they were a hundred or more years ago. We hope that these charming tones will delight, entertain, and possibly amuse opera and music-box lovers everywhere.  (from the liner notes)

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1.  24 1/2" Disc Polyphon (Penny-in-the-Slot) - Czar and Carpenter: Once I played with a scepter  {2:00}
composed by Albert Lortzing

2.  Paillard Vaucher Fils Cylinder Music Box - The Marriage of Figaro: Non piu andrai  {1:06}
composed by Wolfgang A. Mozart

3.  Le Croix "Mandoline" Cylinder Music Box - La dame blanche: Viens gentille dame  {0:57}
composed by Adrien Boieldieu

4.  22" Disc Polyphon with Glockenspiel Attachment (Penny-in-the Slot) - Mignon: Do You Know the Land?  {1:57}
composed by Ambroise Thomas

5.  Sublime Harmony Piccolo Cylinder Music Box - Lohengrin: Wedding March  {0:52}
composed by Richard Wagner

6.  Paillard Vaucher Fils Cylinder Music Box - Tannhauser: Grand March  {1:09}
composed by Richard Wagner

7.  Le Croix "Mandoline" Cylinder Music Box - Les cloches de Corneville: Chorus  {0:52}
composed by Robert Planquette

8.  Paillard Vaucher Fils Cylinder Music Box - A Midsummer Night's Dream: Wedding March  {1:09}
composed by Felix Mendelssohn

9.  Nicole Freres Cylinder Music Box - La fille du regiment: Ah! Mes amis, quei jour de fete  {1:41}
composed by Gaetano Donizetti

10. Nicole Freres Cylinder Music Box - Linda di Chamounix: Mia vendetta  {0:40}
composed by Gaetano Donizetti

11. 12 Air, 2 Comb Cylinder Music Box and 27" Disc Regina - Lucia di Lammermoor: Sextet  {2:00}
composed by Gaetano Donizetti

12. Paillard Vaucher Fils Cylinder Music Box - William Tell Ballet: "Tyrolienne"  {1:06}
composed by Gioacchino Rossini

13. Le Croix "Mandoline" Cylinder Music Box - William Tell: Ah Matthilde  {0:53}
composed by Gioacchino Rossini

14. Paillard Vaucher Fils Cylinder Music Box - The Barber of Seville: Una Voce Poco Fa  {1:06}
composed by Gioacchino Rossini

15. Le Croix "Mandoline" Cylinder Music Box - The Barber of Seville: La Calunnia  {0:55}
composed by Gioacchino Rossini

16. Nicole Freres 10 Air Cylinder Music Box (1841) - I puritani: Quartet: A te O cara amor talora  {0:50}
composed by Vincenzo Bellini

17. Nicole Freres Cylinder Music Box - I puritani: Se tra il buio  {0:53}
composed by Vincenzo Bellini

18. Paillard Vaucher Fils Cylinder Music Box - La sonnambula: Ah perche non posso odiarti?  {1:07}
composed by Vincenzo Bellini

19. 27" Disc Regina Music Box - Norma: Mira, O Norma  {2:01}
composed by Vincenzo Bellini

20. Le Croix "Mandoline" Cylinder Music Box - Norma: Mira, O Norma  {0:53}
composed by Vincenzo Bellini

Side 2

1. 24 1/2" Disc Polyphon (Penny-in-the-Slot) - Il trovatore: Cabaletta: Di Tale Amor  {2:03}
composed by Giuseppe Verdi

2. Le Croix "Mandoline" Cylinder Music Box - Il trovatore: Chorus: Convent Scene  {0:52}
composed by Giuseppe Verdi

3. Paillard Vaucher Fils Cylinder Music Box - Ernani: Ernani Involami  {1:14}
composed by Giuseppe Verdi

4. 27" Disc Regina Music Box - La traviata: Gypsy Chorus  {1:58}
composed by Giuseppe Verdi

5. Le Croix "Mandoline" Cylinder Music Box - La traviata: Gypsy Chorus  {1:01}
composed by Giuseppe Verdi

6. Le Croix "Mandoline" Cylinder Music Box - Rigoletto: La donna e mobile  {0:54}
composed by Giuseppe Verdi

7. Ducommum Girod Cylinder Music Box - Nabucco: Overture  {0:42}
composed by Giuseppe Verdi

8. Paillard Vaucher Fils Cylinder Music Box - Il trovatore: Miserere  {1:08}
composed by Giuseppe Verdi

9. Excelsior Piccolo 12 Air Cylinder Music Box - The Mikado: The Flowers That Bloom in the Spring  {0:44}
composed by Gilbert & Sullivan

10. Nicole Freres 19 1/2" Fortepiano Interchangeable Cylinder Box - The Mikado: The Flowers That Bloom in the Spring  {0:51}
composed by Gilbert & Sullivan

11. 45-Note Penny-in-the-Slot Piano - The Pirates of Penzance: Poor Wandering One  {1:39}
composed by Gilbert & Sullivan

12. Sublime Harmony Piccolo Cylinder Music Box - HMS Pinafore: I'm Called Little Buttercup  {0:51}
composed by Gilbert & Sullivan

13. Nicole Freres 19 half" Fortepiano Interchangeable Cylinder Box - HMS Pinafore: When I Was a Lad I Served a Term  {0:48}
composed by Gilbert & Sullivan

14. Nicole Freres 19 half" Fortepiano Interchangeable Cylinder Box - The Mikado: Tit Willow  {0:51}
composed by Gilbert & Sullivan

15. Excelsior Piccolo 12 Air Cylinder Music Box - Faust: Soldier's Chorus: Deposons Les Armes  {0:45}
composed by Charles Gounod

16. 15 1/2" Disc Regina Music Box - Faust: Soldier's Chorus: Deposons Les Armes  {0:52}
composed by Charles Gounod

17. Sublime Harmony Piccolo Cylinder Music Box - Carmen: Toreador's Song  {0:54}
composed by Georges Bizet

18. 27" Disc Regina Music Box - Carmen: Toreador's Song  {2:03}
composed by Georges Bizet

19. Nicole Freres Cylinder Music Box - Les Huguenots: Air de ballet  {0:48}
composed by Giacomo Meyerbeer

20. Paillard Vaucher Fils Cylinder Music Box - Robert le diable: Sicilienne  {1:09}
composed by Giacomo Meyerbeer

21. Le Croix "Mandoline" Cylinder Music Box - Robert le diable: Sicilienne  {0:56}
composed by Giacomo Meyerbeer

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Accent on Steam Volume One

Arkay Enterprises - Accent on Steam Volume One

released on cassette in 1978

Cassette has recordings of train engines and train whistles from various places such as Ecuador, Argentina, South Africa, what was then Czechoslavakia, what was then West Germany, Canada, and the United States. Recordings of gate and bell mechanisms, cannon fire, chipmunks, and birds make brief appearances. In my modest collection of train sound recordings, this one may be my favorite.

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1.  Guayaquil & Quito Railway #44, 2-8-0  {2:36}

2.  On Board Guayaquil & Quito Railway #44, 2-8-0  {3:57}

3.  Argentine National Railways #1321, 2-10-2  {0:58}

4.  Argentine National Railways #3035, 4-6-2  {0:59}

5.  South African Railways, Double Headed Garratts  {2:56}

6.  South African Railways #3422, 4-8-4, Class 25NC  {2:05}

7.  South African Railways, 4-8-4, Class 25NC  {1:55}

8.  South African Railways, 4-8-2, Class 15AR  {2:59}

9.  South African Railways #3693, Class 24, 2-8-4  {1:40}

10. Denver & Rio Grande Narrow Gauge #484 and #498  {2:12}

Side 2

1.  Chessie Steam Special #2101, Orleans Road  {4:24}

2.  Chessie Steam Special #2101, Sandpatch Grade  {4:37}

3.  Czechoslovakian 2-10-0, Class 566  {3:41}

4.  Czechoslovakian 2-10-0, Class 556  {2:51}

5.  German 2-10-0, 3-cylinder, Class 043  {1:26}

6.  Canadian National #6218, 4-8-4  {1:46}

7.  Cass Scenic Railway, 4 Shays, 2-3-4-5  {3:31}

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Solitudes Volume Three

Dan Gibson - Solitudes Volume Three

released on cassette in 1981

Here it is, the first post of the year. As someone helpfully wrote "thunder" on the cover of my copy, there are some sounds of thunder on side 1.

From the liner notes:

Side 1: "Among the Giant Trees of the Wild Pacific Coast" is a haven for natural sounds. Streams twist through this forest of Red Cedar, Western Hemlock, and Douglas Fir. Thunderstorms build and coat the moss laden ground. Along the river a Fox Sparrow and MacGillivray's Warbler sing, and as the delta appears, expanding into coastal waters, the peeps of the Black Oyster Catcher welcomes any explorer.

WILDLIFE SPECIES FEATURED

Fox Sparrow, Pacific Tree Frogs, Varied Thrush, White-crowned Sparrow, MacGillivray's Warbler, Winter Wren, Red-shafted Flicker, Glaucous-winged Gulls, Bald Eagle (adult and young), Black Oystercatcher

Side 2: "Spring Morning on the Prairies" contrasts the peaceful image of swaying grain in the easy breeze to the cacophony of migrating and resident wildlife that frequent the scattered sloughs. The natural energy of the Vesper Sparrow, Killdeer, American Coot, and the Marbled Godwit characterize these active sloughs.

WILDLIFE SPECIES FEATURED

Western Meadowlark, Vesper Sparrow, Canada Geese, Killdeer, Yellow-headed Blackbird, American Coot, Long-billed Marsh Wren, Red-winged Blackbird, Savannah Sparrow, Marbled Godwit, Mallard Ducks

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1.  Among the Giant Trees of the Wild Pacific Coast  {29:07}

Side 2

1.  Spring Morning on the Prairies  {28:54}

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P.S. All of the Solitudes posts should be available. I am still missing volumes nine, eleven and twelve.

The Singing Humpbacks

Marine Mammal Fund - The Singing Humpbacks

released on cassette tape (yes, Oxford Dictionary, this is still a valid term)

This one is another thrift store discovery. It's been a while since beautiful humpback whale singing has been posted. The cover and the cassette itself says that this was part of the Voices of Nature Series. Due to lack of time, I could not attempt to find more info about this series as nothing was showing up in the first few pages of my favorite search engine.

The liner notes does provide a brief explanation of this series:

The VOICES OF NATURE SERIES is a production of the Marine Mammal Fund, a non-profit organization devoted to public education of ocean and marinelife issues. This series is designed to acquaint the listener with the diversity of life on our planet through the sounds that these life forms produce.
The meaning of animal sounds is little understood. No doubt some of the sounds they generate are used in communicating with others of their kind, while other sounds are used to warn of danger. Through all of the possible meanings, one thing is crystal clear: animal sounds as perceived by the human ear are fascinating and can be listened to for hours.



Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Hawaiian Singers {7:43}
recorded by Kenneth C. Balcomb and Lon Brockelhurst off Lahaina, Maui, in March of 1979

2. Mexican Singers {6:47}
recorded by Kenneth C. Balcomb and Jorge Urban off Gordo Bank, Baja Mexico in March of 1988

Side 2

1. Humpbacks of Glacier Bay {4:49}
recorded by Dr. Lee Tepley at Glacier Bay, Alaska, no date provided

2. Caribbean Singers {9:40}
recorded by Dr. Thomas Poulter sometime during the 1960s

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Loon Talk

NorthSound - Loon Talk

released on cassette in 1992

Contains recordings of the loon's haunting and beautiful calls including wails, yodels, tremolos, and hoots. All of the loons' calls on the album were recorded in their natural environment somewhere in the Canadian wilderness.

From the liner notes:

THE TREMOLO
This is the loons' all-purpose call which can signal annoyance, worry, or greeting. Mated pairs use a tremolo duet when disturbance threatens their young. This duet is also used in early spring to reinforce pair bonding and advertise territorial rights.

Trivia: The tremolo is the only call loons can give while in flight.

THE WAIL
Often termed the "night call," the wail is considered the most primitive of loon sounds. It is also the first call attempted by loon chicks. Oliver Austin described the loon wail as "one of the loveliest sounds in nature," and it's the favorite among most loon listeners. The wail is frequently used in night chorusing and in answering the tremolo of loons flying overhead.

Trivia: This loon call is known to elicit the howls of wolves and coyotes.

THE YODEL
Sigurd Olson described the yodel as "the weirdest and wildest of calls ... beautiful and thrilling." Issued only by the male, the message of the yodel is territorial. When an intruding loon approaches another loon's territory, yodels are used as verbal attack. During confrontations, male loons may engage in "counter-singing" while the territorial female supports her mate with wails and tremolos.

Trivia: Even after the battle for turf is over, a resident male will often yodel for an hour or more.

THE HOOT
This one-note call sounds just like it reads if you go softly on the "t". A location call that lets the mate or chicks know the sender's whereabouts, the hoot is used mainly between family members. It may serve an "I'm OK, are you OK?" function. Trivia: While it is frequently used, the hoot is not often heard, because it is a quiet, intimate call.

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Loon Talk side 1 {26:02}

Side 2

1. Loon Talk side 2 {28:40}

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From Rice Paddies and Temple Yards: Traditional Music of Vietnam

Phong Thuyet Nguyen - From Rice Paddies and Temple Yards: Traditional Music of Vietnam

cassette released in 1990

This cassette accompanied the book of the same title as the cassette.

Phong Thuyet Nguyen, Ph.D. was raised in Can Tho province in the Mekong delta of South Vietnam, in a village called Tam Ngai. He was born into a musical family that played art music, music for festivals, rituals, ceremonies, Buddhist chant, chamber music and theatrical music.
...
Over the years he concentrated particularly on the dan tranh zither, dan nguyet lute, and dan bau monochord. When he was ten he moved to a town called Tra On, and several years later resettled in Saigon, where he studied Western music, earned a degree in literature and philosophy from the University of Saigon and taught high school literature and private music students. He was appointed principal of the high school and from 1970-74 introduced and taught classes in Vietnamese traditional music, not previously taught in schools, and only recently offered for credit. He left Saigon in 1974.

Dr. Nguyen earned his Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France, and served the National Center for Scientific Research through the mid-1980s. His research centered around various aspects of Vietnamese music, including traditional song, modal systems, and the mixture of Western and Vietnamese elements in the music of contemporary Vietnam and Vietnamese-American communities. He is now considered to be one of the two recognized exponents of Vietnamese music on the international scene. A well-known and widely respected teacher and scholar, he has trained a number of students (some of who have gone on to teach traditional Vietnamese music in Vietnam), performed on numerous recordings on the Lyrichord and other labels, directed and participated in international concerts in Asia, Europe and America, and has further contributed to the field of Ethnomusicology through his books and articles. He has been the recipient of a number of grants by the United States and French governments to aid in the collection and preservation of Vietnamese musics. (from biographical information in the book that included this cassette)

Tracklisting:

Side A

1. Hat Dum {0:30}
performed by an uncredited chorus

2. Cum Num Cum Niu {0:25}
performed by an uncredited chorus

3. Xay Khan {0:22}
performed by an uncredited chorus

4. Co La {4:48}
performed by Phong Nguyen - zither and monochord
and an uncredited chorus

5. Ly Chim Quyen {1:38}
performed by Phong Nguyen - zither
Thu Van and an uncredited chorus

6. Qua Cau Gio Bay {1:44}
performed by Phong Nguyen - zither
Tinh Trang and an uncredited chorus

7. Do Doc Do Ngang {2:28}
performed by Phong Nguyen - zither
Thu Van and an uncredited chorus

8. Ly Tinh Tang {2:13}
performed by Phong Nguyen - zither and monochord
Tinh Trang and an uncredited chorus

Side B

1. Kim Tien {1:53}
performed by Phong Nguyen - zither

2. Ly Ngua O {1:08}
performed by Phong Nguyen - zither and lute

3. Voice of the Trong {1:48}
performed by Phong Nguyen and Thu Van - drum and wooden bell

4. Chinh Phu Ngam Khuc {8:52}
performed by Phong Nguyen - zither; Dan bau - monochord; Dan Nguyet - moon shaped lute; Dan Tranh - 16 or 17-stringed zither; Mo - wooden bell; Trong - drum; Phong Nguyen, Thu Van, Tinh Trang, Phuong Chi - solo vocalists; Huong Lan, Kim Van, Kim Thanh, Mong Tuyet, Thu Van, Tinh Trang - chorus

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Music of East Asia: Chinese, Korean, Japanese

Sounds of the World - Music of East Asia: Chinese, Korean, Japanese

set of 3 cassettes released in 1986

About Sounds of the World

Publications in the Sounds of the World series consist of two elements: high-quality stereo cassettes containing narration, interviews, and music examples; and an accompanying illustrated teacher's guide with background information and suggestions for using these materials with students from elementary to college levels.
Ethnomusicologist Karl Signell has provided MENC [Music Educators National Conference] with episodes from his "Music in a New World" series, originally produced for National Public Radio. For this series Signell traveled across America to record the music, songs, and stories of recent immigrants to this country, immigrants keeping alive their musical traditions in their new home.

General Characteristics of the Music

Melody

* Both five- and seven-tone scales are common in a variety of forms, but pentatonic scales predominate.
* Subtle slides and shakes are common in the melodies of East Asia. Korean music is characterized by more pronounced "wavering tones."

Rhythm

* Both free rhythm and strict rhythm are present.
* The meter of Chinese and Japanese music is predominantly duple or quadruple. Korean music often cast in triple meter.
* Syncopation is rather common in East Asian musics.

Texture

* East Asian musicians use a variety of textures. They place an emphasis, however, on clearly defined musical lines.
* Monophonic texture is common, particularly in solo compositions.
* Heterophonic texture (simultaneous variations on a musical line) is quite common when singers or instrumentalists perform together.
* Some harmony is indigenous (for example, that of Chinese sheng music). Western homophonic texture is common in contemporary music.

Timbre

* The timbre of East Asian music varies considerably. Tense, nasalized timbres characterize some vocal genres.
* A variety of aerophones, chordophones, idiophones, and membranophones are used in the area. Chordophones and aerophones predominate.

Dynamics

* Some musical genres (particularly those involving small ensembles) feature soft dynamic levels (for example, Chinese zheng and xiao music). Even larger ensembles, such as the Japanese gagaku orchestra, have predominantly soft dynamic levels. Other genres, such as Peking opera, often have loud dynamic levels.

Form

* Variation form is quite common.
* Suites (compositions comprising a number of related segments) are also frequent.
* Reverting form (for example, ABA) occurs, particularly in contemporary musical selections.
* Some East Asian music uses indigenous formal structures (for example, the tripartite design in Japanese music known as Jo-Ha-Kyu.)
* Programmatic music is very common.

Tracklisting:

cassette 1

1. Chinese {28:10}

cassette 2 missing (Korean)

cassette 3

1. Japanese {28:12}

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Music of Southeast Asia: Lao, Hmong, Vietnamese

Sounds of the World - Music of Southeast Asia: Lao, Hmong, Vietnamese

set of 3 cassettes released in 1986

About Sounds of the World

Publications in the Sounds of the World series consist of two elements: high-quality stereo cassettes containing narration, interviews, and music examples, and an accompanying illustrated teacher's guide with background information and suggestions for using these materials with students from elementary to college levels.
Ethnomusicologist Karl Signell has provided MENC [Music Educators National Conference] with episodes from his "Music in a New World" series, originally produced for National Public Radio. For this series Signell traveled across America to record the music, songs, and stories of recent immigrants to this country, immigrants keeping alive their musical traditions in their new home.

THE INDOCHINESE REFUGEE

The Old World

Directly south of China and to the east of India is the region of Southeast Asia, comprising mainland countries and island nations. "Mainland" Southeast Asia refers to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, and Malaysia. Of diverse origins, the variety of peoples, lifestyles, and cultural traditions is striking within the region. Influences from China, India, and the Middle East shaped their philosophical beliefs, which are uniquely and originally expressed through their music and arts.
Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia are countries once referred to as Indochina. Despite their physical separation from neighboring China and India by mountains and often-flooded river valleys, a significant exchange of cultural practices was evident for many centuries. Many Indian artists and scholars enjoyed enjoyed a high status in the courts of Southeast Asia while they introduced aspects of Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Indochinese youths were often sent to India for training in literary, artistic, and cultural practices. Trade routes between the two regions remained firmly established until at least the tenth century.
A diversity of ethnic groups entered Southeast Asia from South China, moving down the Mekong River valley. The Mon, Lao, Shan, Siamese, and Khmer settled in Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand, while the Hmong migrated from China less than two hundred years ago. The Vietnamese became thoroughly Sinicized in the first century B.C. when China annexed the region. After an attempt to pursue an India-style civilization, around 1400 they reverted to traditional Confucianist ethics, an elite mandarin system of government, and a Chinese style of Buddhism.
The Western impact on the area was felt as early as the sixteenth century with the advent of missionaries, culminating in the colonization of the Indochinese peninsula by the French three centuries later. Despite the continued French rule until World War II, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia each maintained their unique cultural identities that had been developing for at least a millenium.
"Indochinese" is a generic term referring to the many Southeast Asian peoples who came under French colonial rule in the late nineteenth century. There is a diversity of ethnic and linguistic peoples in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. While there is a homogenous majority in each country - for example, 85 percent of those in Vietnam are Vietnamese - minority groups include Chinese in Cambodia, Hmong in Laos, and Chinese and Montagnards in Vietnam.

The New World

The disintegration of the South Vietnamese government in 1975 and similar political upheavals in Cambodia and Laos led to an unprecedented influx of refugees to the United States. They came as their governments were collapsing around them, journeying from camps in Thailand, Hong Kong, and Guam to reception centers in California, Arkansas, Florida, and Pennsylvania. Educational programs were established to facilitate the assimilation of the refugees into American life, and language, vocational, and recreational programs were initiated for adults and children. The transition was difficult as basic American values of independence clashed with the traditions of extended families and submission to one's elders. Sponsorship from church-affiliated agencies and state welfare funds provided food, clothing, and shelter for refugee families until they became self-supporting outside the centers.
There are over half a million people from Indochina now settled in the United States, living mainly in such cities as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Dallas; many continue to move from rural areas to increasingly viable and cohesive communities in the urban centers. Life in the New World holds promise for the refugees, although coping with language and cultural differences, isolation, and the separation of families has been difficult. For some, unemployment - or underemployment - and radical changes in social status have resulted in depression and loss of self-esteem. The position of the Indochinese in American society is still emerging, and the children of the refugees may know more success and security in the years to come. (from the liner notes)

Tracklisting:

cassette 1

1. Lao {28:16}

cassette 2

1. Hmong {28:03}

cassette 3

1. Vietnamese {28:21}

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Melawat Malaysia

Georgia Hesse and Russell Johnson - Melawat Malaysia

cassette released in 1985

This cassette is narrated by notable travel writer Georgia Hesse and producer and radio and TV host Russell Johnson. Melawat (Malay word for "visit") Malaysia is the second in a series of electronic travel guides produced by Travelmedia. All of the sounds and music were recorded in Malaysia. I am still trying to find out how many of these electronic travel guides were produced and released.

This tape gives a glimpse of the cultural background of Malaysia including the music, cuisine, traditions, marriage ceremonies, harvest celebrations along with the demographics (at time of recording), the fauna that inhabit the country and travel tips.

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Beasts, Brits and Bumiputras: From Jungle Cries to Semiconductors {17:24}

Side 2

1. Temples, Traditions and Travel Tips: From Cat Kites to Cuisines {17:17}

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The Art of the Hurdy-Gurdy: From the Middle Ages to Mozart

various artists compilation - The Art of the Hurdy-Gurdy: From the Middle Ages to Mozart

cassette released in 1975

Performers:

Michele Fromenteau - hurdy-gurdy
Francoise Cotte and Brigitte Haudebourg - harpsichords
orchestra directed by Roger Cotte

The hurdy gurdy or hurdy-gurdy (also known as a wheel fiddle) is a stringed musical instrument that produces sound by a crank-turned rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to a violin. Melodies are played on a keyboard that presses tangents (small wedges, usually made of wood) against one or more of the strings to change their pitch. Like most other acoustic string instruments, it has a soundboard to make the vibration of the strings audible.

Most hurdy gurdies have multiple "drone strings," which provide a constant pitch accompaniment to the melody, resulting in a sound similar to that of bagpipes. For this reason, the hurdy gurdy is often used interchangeably with or along with bagpipes, particularly in French and contemporary Hungarian folk music.
...
During the Renaissance, the hurdy gurdy was a very popular instrument, along with the bagpipe, and a characteristic form with a short neck and a boxy body with a curved tail end developed. It was about this time that buzzing bridges first appear in depictions of the instrument. The buzzing bridge (commonly called the dog) is an asymmetrical bridge that rests under a drone string on the sound board. When the wheel is accelerated, one foot of the bridge lifts up from the soundboard and vibrates, creating a buzzing sound. The buzzing bridge is thought to have been borrowed from the tromba marina (monochord), a bowed string instrument.

During the late Renaissance, two characteristic shapes of hurdy gurdies developed. The first was guitar-shaped and the second had a rounded lute-type body made of staves. The lute body is especially characteristic of French instruments.

By the end of the 17th century changing musical tastes that demanded greater polyphonic capabilities than the hurdy gurdy could offer had pushed the instrument to the lowest social classes; as a result it acquired names like the German Bauernleier ‘peasant’s lyre’ and Bettlerleier ‘beggar’s lyre.’ During the 18th century, however, French Rococo tastes for rustic diversions brought the hurdy gurdy back to the attention of the upper classes, where it acquired tremendous popularity among the nobility, with famous composers writing works for the hurdy gurdy (the most famous of which is Nicolas Chédeville’s Il pastor Fido, attributed to Vivaldi). At this time the most common style of hurdy gurdy developed, the six-string vielle à roue. This instrument has two melody strings and four drones tuned such that by turning drones on or off, the instrument can be played in multiple keys (e.g., C and G or G and D).

During this time the hurdy gurdy also spread further east, where further variations developed in western Slavic countries, German-speaking areas and Hungary (see the list of types below for more information on these). Most types of hurdy gurdy were essentially extinct by the early twentieth century, but a few have survived—the best-known of which are the French vielle à roue, the Hungarian tekerőlant, and the Spanish zanfona. In Ukraine, a variety called the lira was widely used by blind street musicians, most of whom were purged by Stalin in the 1930s. Today the tradition has resurfaced. Revivals have been underway for many years as well in Sweden, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Russia, Italy, Spain and Portugal. The revival of hurdy gurdies has resulted in the instrument’s use in a variety of styles of music including contemporary forms not typically associated with the hurdy gurdy. (from Wikipedia)

Tracklisting:

1. Danse Royale {1:08}
unknown composer, for hurdy-gurdy and percussion

2. Danceries of Thoinot Arbeau {1:21}
unknown composer, for hurdy-gurdy and percussion

3. Suite of Contredances {3:37}
unknown composer, for hurdy-gurdy and tambuorine

4. Noce Champetre {3:39}
composed by Jean Hotteterre, for hurdy-gurdy, cello and harpsichord

5. "Laissez Paitre vos Betes" {1:54}
composed by Esprit Philippe Chedeville, for hurdy-gurdy and violin

6. Suite Pastorale {6:42}
composed by Charles Buterne, for hurdy-gurdy, harpsichord and bassoon

Side 2

1. "Il Pastor Fido" Sonata No. 1 {8:56}
composed by Antonio Vivaldi, for hurdy-gurdy, cello and harpsichord

2. "La Servante au Bon Tabac" {1:59}
composed by Michel Corrette, for hurdy-gurdy and orchestra

3. "Aire de Fanchon la Vielleuse" {1:18}
composed by J.D. Doche, hurdy-gurdy solo

4. German Dance No. 3 K. 602/Menuet No. 2 K. 601 {3:33}
composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, for hurdy-gurdy and orchestra

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Solitudes Volume Eight

Dan Gibson - Solitudes Volume Eight

cassette released in 1983

Sailing to a Hidden Cove

The tug of the waves at the helm, the boat heeling until the lee rail slashes the surface, the workaday world far behind. And then, the sound of the winch, as the genoa is trimmed to a new course heading between land and a few small reefs, where gulls scream at our passing. Up ahead is a small island. When we sail close, we can hear the waves crashing on the rocks. An explosion of wings and cries tells us we are intruding on pristine territory. When we change course again, a following wind drives us through the narrow mouth of a long fjord-like bay. The boat slows as we move into protected waters, and we see the cove, hidden now by sheer cliffs and a rocky point. Driftwood rises in tortured shapes from the small sand beach. On a low hill above the cove, a beaver dam and the sounds of wildlife everywhere. We drop anchor and row ashore, towards the sounds - sounds from the trees, from the pond, from the sky. Superb digital recording, as true to life, will help you recognize each creature of the hidden cove.

WILDLIFE SPECIES FEATURED:

Herring and Ring-billed Gulls, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Common Loon, White-throated Sparrow, Yellowthroat, Swamp Sparrow, Common Glicker, Osprey, Pileated Woodpecker, Tree Swallows, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Bullfrogs, Gray Tree Frogs, Whip-poor-will

Hiking Over the Highlands

Sailing forever is the dream, but we are awakened from that dream by a sound so mysterious that we hardly realize that we are awake; the sound seems to be an extension of the dream - the eerie cry of the loon. But there is another sound too. Something more prosaic - the slap of the waves against the side of the boat. Breakfast aboard attracts voracious gulls from the rocky point - they circle and scream demanding their share. The gulls won't follow us after breakfast; because we're leaving the boat at anchor, rowing ashore and hiking over the hills to listen to many sounds we seldom hear at home and to try our luck fishing a small mountain stream. If you have fished such a stream you will relive the experience. And if you've cooked your catch over a wood fire, you will just about taste again the tender fish when you hear its magic sizzle hitting the hot buttered pan. After lunch we follow the stream down to the lake. The gulls hover over the reef expectantly and in the distance we can see our boat waiting.

WILDLIFE SPECIES FEATURED:

Common Loons, White-throated Sparrow, Yellowthroat, Herring and Ring-billed Gulls, Swamp Sparrow, Spring Peeper Frogs, Catbird, Swainson's Thrush, Winter Wren, Wood Thrush

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Sailing to a Hidden Cove {29:54}

Side 2

1. Hiking Over the Highlands {29:59}

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Solitudes Volume Seven

Dan Gibson - Solitudes Volume Seven

cassette released in 1983

*Special thanks to a friend for sharing this with me.

NIGHT IN A SOUTHERN SWAMP

Can a 14 foot alligator surface under a canoe and overturn it? What creature belongs to that eerie scream that comes from somewhere above the water, surrounded by the jungle of giant cypresses.
Why are we paddling through this southern swamp at night anyway? A search for danger? Excitement? Adventure at any price?
In fact , it's an experiment in time - a search for antiquity - a return to the primeval. For here, amid the cries of the night, under a dome of stars and walled by the ancient and towering trees, we move ever deeper into the strangness of the great swamp. The paddle dips and plays a gentle, watery obligato to the calls from the treetops, from the jungle shores, from the sky and from the hidden retreats among the swamp grasses. We have left routine behind - primeval night surrounds us. Slowly we relax into this old world, our only contact with the outside world is the feel of the paddle prodding the dark, moving us ever further into the unknown waters of the swamp - ever further away from reality.

WILDLIFE SPECIES FEATURED

Chuck-will's widow, Red-tailed Hawk, Barred Owls, wood Ducks, Great Horned Owl, Common Gallinule, Snowy Egret, Pine Woods Tree Frogs, Southern Swamp Chorus Frogs, Barking Frogs, Cricket Frogs, Gopher Frogs, Screech Owls

DON'T FEED THE ALLIGATORS

You remember those walks along a sandy, shell-strewn shore? With the surf rolling in? And the seabirds crying in a sunny sky? Most of us long to do it again at the very first opportunity. It will all come flooding back to you, now, in three dimensions. And perhaps it will add something new as well. After you stroll along the beach, you turn inland, following a trail through the heavily forested wetlands that contrast dramatically with the beach scene. Here, among ancient cypress trees four or five hundred years old, strange and distant cries float towards you through the moss-hung air. Intimate sounds surprise you - wing sounds, water sounds, unexpected splashes. From what? A waterbird? The flail of an alligator's tail? It's all part of the lush and private world of the southern swamp. The three dimensional effect is stunning - your room, or your mind will transform, your environment will change. You will be there. And just when you yearn again for the beach, you will hear the surf and the gulls in the distance. You are moving towards them. Soon you break out into the sun, sea and sky. Once again the sea wind is on your face, cooling your skin. And you are strolling back along the sand.

WILDLIFE SPECIES FEATURED

Mockingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Great Crested Flycatcher, House Wren, Great Egret*, American Wigeon*, Laughing Gulls*, Ring-billed Gulls*, Snowy Egret*, Common Gallinule*, Fish Crow*, Tufted Titmouse, Red-headed Woodpecker, Rufous-sided Towhee.

*Numerous water and shore birds in the background.

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Night in a Southern Swamp {29:38}

Side 2

1. Don't Feed the Alligators {29:27}

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Solitudes Volume Four

Dan Gibson - Solitudes Volume Four

cassette released in 1982

NIAGARA FALLS, THE GORGE AND GLEN

No matter how many photographs of Niagara Falls you've seen, your first real sight of The Falls is unforgettable. But equally unforgettable, even awesome, is the thought of descending some 180 feet to the basin of the falls, suiting up in a waterproof outfit, and sailing through the swirling waters, waters as deep as the falls are high, then through the enveloping mists, past the cascading American Falls, right up into the thundering heart of the Horseshoe Falls. The Maid of The Mist landing is the starting point of Side 1. The falls are heard in the near distance, and the gulls and terns provide an unexpected nautical feeling to the start of the adventure.
Soon we are right alongside the staggering cataract. This is the roar you will remember for the rest of your life. A roar that can dependably conjure up memories of mists and the rainbow that curves through the mists on any sunny day.
When we cross the parklands, again with the falls in the distance, we hear song birds, the cardinal and common flicker. We are on our way to the place that has enticed film producers and daredevils, one of the most treacherous stretches of white water in North America, the Niagara Gorge.
The canyon floor of the gorge, where we hear the swiftly plunging, and dangerous rapids, is 230 feet down. Now we can hear the violence of the river, a violence that has taken many lives of those who have challenged it.
From the excitement of the falls and the violence of the gorge, we move downriver to the ancient beauty and tranquility of the Niagara Glen, where, along the nature paths, past the debris of Ice Age avalanches, we hear the sounds of spring in the glen, chickadees, a nuthatch, a brown thrasher, even a chipmunk and in the background a red-tailed hawk.
Along the calmer reaches of the river, a little further downstream, a chorus of robins, some old squaw ducks, and easiest of all to identify a flock of Canada geese that happens to pass overhead.
Niagara has many moods, and each one has a vital sound that brings memories of a tour through the area flooding back.
On Side 2 we'll continue the tour through a totally different kind of Niagara experience.

WILDLIFE SPECIES FEATURED
Ring-billed Gulls, Common Tern, Cardinal, Common Flicker, Gray Squirrel, Black-capped Chickadees, Eastern Chipmunk, Red-tailed Hawk, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Thrasher, Robins, Old Squaw Ducks, Canada Geese

AMONG THE PONDS AND STREAMS OF NIAGARA

Meditation is a method of relaxation that doesn't come easily to everybody. We need help, a stimulus of some sort, something to trigger the meditating process.
Side 2 might do it.
A few minutes walk up river from the falls brings us to a delightful area of ponds and streams, diverted from the main river. Here, amid woodland trails, lovely islands, and grassy knolls, you can wander for hours, lost in a miniature Eden.
The hypnotic tunes of the rushing stream harmonize perfectly with a myriad of bird calls. This is a sequence to accompany the mind as it drifts away from 'now', and moves back to 'then.'
But, one can't drift forever, even in meditation. To bring you gently back to reality you find yourself at the river rapids above the falls, and then, the distant roar of the falls themselves urges you back into the present, and the raucous cries of herring gulls and black-backed gulls confirm the fact the meditation is over. You are back where you began the Niagara experience ... back at Niagara Falls.

WILDLIFE SPECIES FEATURED
Song Sparrow, Belted Kingfisher, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-throat, House Wren, Red-winged Blackbird, Mourning Dove, Northern Oriole, Common Crow, Mallard Ducks, American Toads, Robin, Cardinal, Eastern Phoebe, Herring Gulls, Black-backed Gulls

(from the liner notes)

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Niagara Falls, The Gorge and Glen {29:09}

Side 2

1. Among the Streams and Ponds of Niagara {29:05}

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Spring Night on a Moonlit River

Chen Lei-Shi - Spring Night on a Moonlit River

cassette released in 1984

recorded on March 7, 1982

all music performed on Chinese zither or Gu Zheng by Chen Lei-Shi (or Louis Chen)

The instrument's over 2000 year history is steeped in legend. The most famous explanation of the instrument's origin is the story of the two concubines of the Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The two women fought over a "Se," a large zither of up to 25 strings. The instrument was split into two "zheng," one of twelve strings and one of thirteen strings during the struggle and the two halves came to be known as the Qin Zheng or zither of the state of Qin, one of the kingdoms which existed during the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), a historical era of great turmoil but also of great creativity.
While the splitting of the "Se" belongs to the realm of legend, it does serve to establish the instrument's place and time of origin. Indeed for centuries, the Gu Zheng was often referred to as the Qin Zheng rather than Gu Zheng.
...
The different styles of playing were presented in various forms of notation, traditionally based on the use of Chinese characters to represent different notes. The diversity of styles and notation, some dating to before the Tang Dynasty, and the fact that there was no "official" unified form of writing down the music, suggest that the Gu Zheng was a widespread and popular folk instrument with a long and rich history. In addition to stylistic diversity, there have been developments in the instrument's construction and performing technique over the centuries. The six predominant styles of traditional Zheng music today are those of Henan, Chao Zhou, Shandong, Kejia (Hakka), ZheJiang, and Hangzhou.
...
The basic tuning of the Gu Zheng is pentatonic and is the same for both Northern and Southern styles, however variations on tuning are often employed. Each string has its own individual bridge or "Mazi," placed at staggered positions along the sound board. By pressing the string to the left of the "mazi," the player can manipulate tension so as to produce a virtually infinite number of microtones, thus the essentially pentatonic tuning belies the versatility of sounds which can be produced on the Gu Zheng. Chords and flourishes are plucked with the right hand in a manner not dissimilar to the classical guitar. The so-called "Modern style" which has been developed during this century puts more emphasis on two handed plucking and strumming to the right-hand side of the "mazi." What is significant about the selections on this recording is that they are traditional pieces played in the traditional style.
Here one should note that along with other more traditional forms of culture, traditional Chinese music was discouraged during the 10 years of the Cultural Revolution from 1966-76. During that time, traditional Chinese musicians not within the political sphere of Beijing, notably in Taiwan and Hong Kong, maintained and developed the art of the Gu Zheng. Nevertheless, the 60's and 70's were also times of rapid economic growth in both Taiwan and Hong Kong and, as is typical during such periods of rapid absorption of Western technology and economic systems, the traditional culture, music in particular, gave way to Western tastes newly acquired by the younger generation. Furthermore, the relative relaxation of attitudes towards traditional culture which has been apparent in the People's Republic since the ouster of the radical "Gang of Four" in 1976, has taken place concurrently with a period of rapid economic modernization and exposure to non-Chinese culture. Therefore, the music recorded on this album represents an art which is being maintained by literally a handful of old masters, like Professor Louis Chen. The scholarship and faithfulness to tradition which is inherent in the selections on this album, has a rich historical past, but its future is uncertain. (from the liner notes)

Tracklisting:

Side One

1. Hungry Horse/Jingling Bells {4:31}
Cantonese melody 1920s; composed by He Liutang

2. Spring Night on a Moonlit River {10:03}
traditional folk melody of South China

3. Lady Liu Qing {5:32}
traditional melody of Chao Zhou

4. Crow Playing on the Winter River {7:32}
traditional Chao Zhou melody

Side Two

1. Running Water {6:16}
traditional Qin melody

2. Entering the Palace from the North {3:45}

3. Thinking of an Old Friend {5:51}
traditional Qin melody

4. High Mountains and Running Water {3:30}
traditional melody of Central China

5. Autumn Moon in the Han Palace {5:01}

6. Deep Midnight {1:25}
traditional folk tune

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Rain Forest

Actual Sounds of Nature: Rain Forest

cassette released in 1988

This is posted a day early in the nature/environmental sounds series that are usually posted on Sundays. Severe weather is expected in my area and there is a possibility of a power outage occurring.

This cassette is a part of The Art of Relaxation series which includes environmental/nature sounds as well as soft/mellow/new age music.

From the liner notes:

Under its lofty verdant canopy the tropical rain forest is alive with the sounds of an exotic world. Toucans, macaws and parrots squawk and whistle. Monkey's [sic] chatter in the treetops. The air is alive with the whirr of insects. And a warm rain falls, dripping from leaf to leaf until it splashes on the forest floor. It is such a realistic recording that you may find yourself forgetting where you are and reaching out to touch the trees. Whether you lose yourself in this rain forest for minutes or for hours, you will emerge to a clear and untroubled world.

Art of Relaxation actual sounds of nature are based on the psychology of sound. Whether played quietly in the background or at higher volume to fill the room, they are thoroughly convincing and extremely effective. Hundreds of thousands of people have used these tapes to help them relax, meditate and concentrate. They have been used to alleviate insomnia, to enhance love-making, and to create a mood in which reading, studying or working are greatly facilitated.

Tracklisting:

1. Actual Sounds of Nature: Rain Forest {29:35}

Note: both sides of the cassette are the same

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Spielereien: The Baroque Organist's Playthings

Franz Haselbock - Spielereien: The Baroque Organist's Playthings

performed on Gabler Organ at Basilica of Weingarten

Collection of organ pieces from the Baroque period (approximately from 1600 to 1750) emphasizing accompaniment by devices such as a Zimbelstern, Glockenspiel, Tremulant, organ stops that imitate calls of the cuckoo and nightingale and more.

Zimbelstern - The Zimbelstern is a musical instrument which rings small bells at random as an accompaniment to organ music. The Zimbelstern (also called Cymbalstern) has been used for centuries in devotional music.

The word Zimbelstern means "cymbal-star". In fact, the original Zimbelsterns were made in the shape of a star with small bells at each point. The star was turned, either manually or pneumatically, and the bells were struck by stationary clappers mounted around the star. Modern Zimbelsterns are electrically operated. The bells do not rotate. Instead, a rotating device in the center strikes the bells.

On organs of the Baroque period (1550 to 1750), Zimbelstern was also a mixture stop. This would cause the organ to "break back", or repeat every octave. The higher harmonics produced in this way sounded like small bells. (from The History of the Zimbelstern)

Glockenspiel - A percussion stop whose tone resembles the orchestral glockenspiel. It is formed of dish-shaped bells, spiral rods, bars, or tubes made from steel, copper or bronze, and struck by hammers actuated by a pneumatic or electric mechanism. It is usually of short compass. Skinner gives it resonators, and considers it synonymous with the Celesta, and with the Harp, but pitched an octave higher. Grove dates it from around 1720, in Swabia, Silesia and Saxony, but the earliest known example dates from 1709 (see below). According to Maclean, on theatre organs the Glockenspiel sounds a single stroke each time a key is pressed, and Bells is the same stop with a reiterating action. (from Encyclopedia of Organ Stops)

Tremulant - A device on a pipe organ which varies the wind supply to the pipes of one or more divisions (or, in some cases, the whole organ). This causes their pitch to fluctuate, producing a vibrato effect. A large organ may have several tremulants, affecting different ranks (sets) of pipes. Many tremulants are variable, allowing for the speed and depth of tremolo to be controlled by the organist. The tremulant has been a part of organ building for many centuries, dating back to Italian organs of the sixteenth century. (from Wikipedia)

Nightingale - A stop which imitates the warbling of birds. Most sources describe the construction of these stops as consisting of two or more small metal pipes whose ends are immersed in a vessel of water or light oil. [Peter] Williams, however, writes:

"The usual distinction is between small pipes twittering when the stop-knob admits wind to their miniature chest (Uccelli, Vogelgesang), stopped pipes a third apart and successively blown, thereby creating a cuckoo (Kuckuck), and small open pipes suspended in a metal dish of water, the pipes and dish of one construction (Nachtigall, Rossignol, Usignuolo - ‘nightingale’)."

He also states the the Vogelgesang might be “a very high Zimbel or Flageolet (Adlung), repeating or only slightly varying in pitch from note to note”. Grove dates these stops from at least 1450. According to Williams, they were found mainly in the 16th and 17th centuries throughout Europe, and as late as the mid-19th century in some parts of Spain, Italy and southern Germany. (from Encyclopedia of Organ Stops)

Cuckoo - A “toy” stop which imitates the call of the cuckoo bird using two pipes pitched a major or minor third apart and blown successively. It was, according to Williams, found mainly in the 16th and 17th centuries throughout Europe, and as late as the mid-19th century in some parts of Spain, Italy and southern Germany. (from Encyclopedia of Organ Stops)

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Capriccio, "Cuckoo" {3:52}
composed by Johann Kaspar Kerll; uses Cuckoo and Nightingale

2. Carillon {1:44}
composed by Louis Couperin; uses Big Glockenspiel

3. "In dulci jubilo," Chorale prelude, BWV 751 {1:41}
composed by Johann Sebastian Bach; uses Zimbelstern

4. Echo {2:07}
composed by Gerardus Scronx

5. "Lasst unns das Kindelein wiegen," per imitationem Cuculi {5:31}
composed by Franz Xaver Murschhauser; uses Zimbelstern, Cuckoo and Nightingale

6. "Chanton de voix Hautaine," Noel {5:30}
composed by Jean Francois Dandrieu; uses Zimbelstern

Side 2

1. Les Cloches {2:22}
composed by Nicolas Lebegue; uses Big and Little Glockenspiel

2. Ballo della Battaglia {2:54}
composed by Bernardo Storace; uses Drum

3. Echo ad manuale duplex, forte et lene {4:32}
composed by Samuel Scheidt

4. Three Pieces of the Glockenspiel in Salzburg {1:20}
composed by Michael Haydn

5. Pastorale {2:56}
composed by Giambattista Martini; uses Tremulant and Nightingale

6. Nova Cyclopeias Harmonica/Aria-Ad alleorum ictus allusio {6:02}
composed by Georg Muffat; uses Zimbelstern and Little Glockenspiel

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