| PREV | LIST | NEXT |
Hello and welcome back!
I have here one of many unnamed tunes in the Pigot collection. For the purpose of reference, this is the 211th tune. I promise to move on from the 200s soon, but it's hard to leave. In any case, the other tunes on the backburner are taking some time to cook. Still, I've been busy, so I still haven't quite hit 500. Much work to be done.
Beyond a quick search in folktunefinder and my own unreliable memory, I have little recourse for matching this tune with its name unless it is to come up later. I've had some luck with that already, although I don't believe it was for a tune that I felt I could present at my standard, whatever that may be. It does have a passing resemblance to The Month of January, but much in the way that a tune resembles a different tune.
Without context, I can only describe what I hear in the melody, which you can surely hear for yourself. Still, I must write something.
The tune is in ABBA form, but isn't tied to exact repetition. While the B parts are one semitone away from equality, the second A is significantly modified, retaining its contour, but setting up a dramatic fifth drop, with a heavy landing.
I often love when a tune plays freely back and forth with major and minor thirds. There is consistency here in that the low notes are always a sharped F, but the rest I feel may be considered fair game for lonesomeness on instruments capable of it. I think that it is proper that the second utterance of the B part has the lowered third - its glumness helps set the ear towards the ending. I'll also suggest that an A# might be possible in the second A part.
I also strongly feel that this melody would be appropriate for use in song. The phrasing is, to my mind, perfect for the voice.
I hope you enjoy the tune!