Ilka Moor Baht'At Options

[vectistim]

Does anyone have, or can someone point me at a useable version of this for playing at a funeral?

I've found a couple of websites with the melody, and doubtless I can make up my own uninspiring accompaniment, but if anyone has anything better, please let me know.

[vectistim]

Replying to myself (sure sign of madness), I've found a copy here (with brass band parts)

http://www.otleybrassband.co.uk/Bahtat_Blog.html just click on the link for sheet music available.

I don't know the piece and have yet to print that out and play it, but I wonder if this might not be a bit too oompah-ish for a funeral.

[BerkshireMum]

Good grief - you cannot be serious! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) The words are totally unsuitable, particularly if the deceased is to be interred, and would surely come to mind for anyone who knows the tune! The whole thing is oompah-ish in any case and reminds one of a drinking song.

(By the way, it's Ilkla - the dialect form of Ilkley.)

[Vox Humana]

Good grief - you cannot be serious! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) The words are totally unsuitable, particularly if the deceased is to be interred, and would surely come to mind for anyone who knows the tune! The whole thing is oompah-ish in any case and reminds one of a drinking song.

(By the way, it's Ilkla - the dialect form of Ilkley.)

While not altogether disagreeing, it's worth remembering that the tune started out as a hymn to the words "Grace! 'tis a charming sound". It doesn't take much to imagine it being bawled from a west gallery by one of those motley groups of singers and instrumentalists of the type immortalised by Thomas Hardy.

For an arrangement, you can hardly do better than go back to what may well be the earliest organ accompaniment, which you will find here on page 118 of Cheetham's Psalmody. (You can either read the book online or download it, but the pdf file is very big.) You may need to look twice since the layout of the voices on the page is confusing. The top voice is the tenor, below that is the countertenor and the treble and bass are given below these in the organ accompaniment.

[Stephen Barber]

I've just typed out the original (I think) version for one of my choirs which is singing While Shepherds watched to it at a concert. Simple piano version. I can send it to you if you PM me.

Stephen Barber

[oldromola]

They sang it on 'Songs of Praise' last night - Sunday 11th.

[fsharpminor]

I was born in sight of Ilkla' Moor, but I would certainly not want it for mi funeral .
But Ah'v been on up on t'moor many a time baht 'at, and nivver caught ma deeath o' cowd' , even though ah courted lasses up there an' all in mi youth.


on Songs of Praise the tune was referred to as 'Cranbrook'

[Vox Humana]

There's a page about the composer here. Cranbrook does get a mention.
http://www.wgma.org.uk/Articles/Clark/article.htm

[Digby]

I hate to say this but it is just the sort of thing my Uncle would choose for his funeral, all the yorkshire people stood up and sang it at my cousin, his son's wedding, which got some very strange looks from the other side of the room as he married an Austrian, in Austria. It didn't seem to translate very well into German (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I don't think it matters how 'Oom Pah' ish it sounds, if they have chosen it, it is clearly the sort of thing the deceased would find amusing so I'd be very surprised if they didn't all join in with vigour.

Good luck .

[principal4]

I've just typed out the original (I think) version for one of my choirs which is singing While Shepherds watched to it at a concert. Simple piano version. I can send it to you if you PM me.

Stephen Barber

Did that with my church choir last year (tune's in the New Oxford Book of Carols). What fun. This year it's back to the trad tune.

P4

[BerkshireMum]

I hate to say this but it is just the sort of thing my Uncle would choose for his funeral, all the yorkshire people stood up and sang it at my cousin, his son's wedding, which got some very strange looks from the other side of the room as he married an Austrian, in Austria. It didn't seem to translate very well into German (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I don't think it matters how 'Oom Pah' ish it sounds, if they have chosen it, it is clearly the sort of thing the deceased would find amusing so I'd be very surprised if they didn't all join in with vigour.

Good luck .

Weddings are one thing, funerals quite another. It's a jolly song with black humour, which would be fine at a wedding. I really cannot imagine people at a funeral singing, "Then we shall all have etten thee"! (i.e. eaten the deceased)

[allegretto]

I hate to say this but it is just the sort of thing my Uncle would choose for his funeral, all the yorkshire people stood up and sang it at my cousin, his son's wedding, which got some very strange looks from the other side of the room as he married an Austrian, in Austria. It didn't seem to translate very well into German (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I don't think it matters how 'Oom Pah' ish it sounds, if they have chosen it, it is clearly the sort of thing the deceased would find amusing so I'd be very surprised if they didn't all join in with vigour.

Good luck .

Weddings are one thing, funerals quite another. It's a jolly song with black humour, which would be fine at a wedding. I really cannot imagine people at a funeral singing, "Then we shall all have etten thee"! (i.e. eaten the deceased)

I agree with Digby, it's such a personal thing, what's 'appropriate' for a funeral in my opinion is what the deceased and their family/ friends think is best. If someone had black humour in life, then why not in death. My best friend's grandmother was a massive Tom Jones fan, her favourite song was Delilah and she insisted that she wanted it played at her funeral. So they did, everyone sang along. Maybe some people who didn't know her well were a bit shocked, but for the people who did it brought back happy memories and they knew that she'd approve. I'm sure she, and they, were all quite aware it's 'about' cheating and murder, but it was her song, her choice, and that was what mattered.

[CJB]

I hate to say this but it is just the sort of thing my Uncle would choose for his funeral, all the yorkshire people stood up and sang it at my cousin, his son's wedding, which got some very strange looks from the other side of the room as he married an Austrian, in Austria. It didn't seem to translate very well into German (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I don't think it matters how 'Oom Pah' ish it sounds, if they have chosen it, it is clearly the sort of thing the deceased would find amusing so I'd be very surprised if they didn't all join in with vigour.

Good luck .

Weddings are one thing, funerals quite another. It's a jolly song with black humour, which would be fine at a wedding. I really cannot imagine people at a funeral singing, "Then we shall all have etten thee"! (i.e. eaten the deceased)

I agree with Digby, it's such a personal thing, what's 'appropriate' for a funeral in my opinion is what the deceased and their family/ friends think is best. If someone had black humour in life, then why not in death. My best friend's grandmother was a massive Tom Jones fan, her favourite song was Delilah and she insisted that she wanted it played at her funeral. So they did, everyone sang along. Maybe some people who didn't know her well were a bit shocked, but for the people who did it brought back happy memories and they knew that she'd approve. I'm sure she, and they, were all quite aware it's 'about' cheating and murder, but it was her song, her choice, and that was what mattered.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

Whilst yes at 1st reading I thought......'you must be joking' with reflection I can think of 1 person who it would be entirely appropriate for.

I attended a funeral a couple of years ago where 'Frolic for trombones' was played as the recessional. After a couple of seconds shocked silence the chapel burst into laughter and grins....it summed up the deceased exactly. His wake was one of the most joyfilled events I've attended.

[Dulcet]

I've just typed out the original (I think) version for one of my choirs which is singing While Shepherds watched to it at a concert. Simple piano version. I can send it to you if you PM me.

Stephen Barber

Did that with my church choir last year (tune's in the New Oxford Book of Carols). What fun. This year it's back to the trad tune.

P4

Apologies for taking this thread further OT, but much more fun than shepherds watching their flocks on Ilkley Moor is the old tune from Spoforth's collection (sweet chiming Christmas bells) -see Paul Trepte's arrangement.

[Stephen Barber]

Did that with my church choir last year (tune's in the New Oxford Book of Carols). What fun. This year it's back to the trad tune.

P4

Though the New Oxford Book (at least the Shorter one, which is all I have) prints it with the tune in the tenor part, whereas according to the apparently careful transcription on CPDL the tune is in the soprano. (The tenor part was printed at the top, with the "air" [soprano] is directly above the bass.)