Folk song suggestions Options

[Hemiola]

Hello and Happy New Year to everyone,

I am taking Grade 5 singing in the spring and would like some advice regarding sources of suitable folk songs to sing in the exam in the unaccompanied song section. I'd be most grateful if anyone could give me some pointers. I would prefer to sing in a language other than English so anything European would be great.

Many thanks in advance.

Hemiola

[Brynfan]

There are plenty of beautiful Welsh folk songs.

Ym Mhontypridd mae Nghariad
Lliw Gwyn Rhosyn yr Haf
Can y Melinydd
Mae Nghariad i'n Fenws
Migildi Magildi

To name just a few (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

If you'd like to see the music for some, let me know.

And I know someone who's very good at writing out the words phonetically (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[violincjj]

I would love a phonetic version of All Through The Night in Welsh!

[AnnC]

I would love a phonetic version of All Through The Night in Welsh!

http://www.mcglaun.com/thru_night.htm

Hope this link works!

[Brynfan]

I would love a phonetic version of All Through The Night in Welsh!

http://www.mcglaun.com/thru_night.htm

Hope this link works!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) If you were to follow the pronunciation guide, you would sound like a non-Welsh speaker attempting it without guidance.

Sorry, but it's just dreadful.

[Dugazon]

I'd suggest listening to a recording of someone who speaks Welsh instead of using something which is not based on the phonetic alphabet, but that's just me. There are surely enough Welsh Male Voice Choirs around who recorded it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Brynfan]

While the male voice choirs usually produce spine-tingling versions of the Wesh classics, the diction isn't always clear (and this comes from a MVC conductor and accompanist of many years standing). Aled Jones - not everyone's cup of tea I know- does have crisp and clear diction and would be a good place to start for Ar Hyd y Nos. I'm sure Bryn Terfel (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif) has recorded this (I know I've heard him sing it live but can't find anything on youtube) along with many other Welsh folk songs and airs.

If anyone does want phonetic versions of Welsh songs, let me know. Welsh music is a speciality of mine.

Maybe I should branch out into translating phonetically. Wonder if the money's better? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[AnnC]

I used this coupled with listening to native Welsh singers (including Bryn Terfyl) and it made perfect sense to me, and I was complimented by Welsh speakers. Ah well. As half my family is Welsh I suppose it might be in the genes. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

[Brynfan]

My biggest gripe about that pronunciation guide was the inclusion of dipthongs - there simply aren't any in Welsh (even Y and W are vowels in Welsh).

The Ll sound was also not given any explanation - it's not the same as the Ch sound (as it was made to look in the link).

But maybe as a Welsh speaker I'm just too critical (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[jod]

Whenever I make a IPA transcription of any song, I make several of different native speakers singing the same song.

There will be differences between each version, and my eventual transcription will be a distilation of those transcriptions.

I've needed to do this with songs in other languages for my own use. Native speakers have not spotted that I am not a native speaker so far.

Brynfan, the dipthongs and Ll and ch are some of the hardest to transcribe. Standard pronunciation guides are useless. It has been far better to use a pair of ears, a pencil and a copy of the IPA and do the transcriptions myself. I have discovered I do have an ear for quite subtle differences, and am more likely to do a decent job in a quiet room than if I'm told what I'm meant to be hearing.

(we had to do a similar exercise notating English Speech, and this time picked up every nuance, including regional accents!)