[cq dx]

Hi:
This song will need some explaining. It can either
be sung as a round or as a descanted overlay. It is
fairly blue-grassy sounding, and designed for three
part harmonies. The melody would start with the first
two verses, then 2 other voices, one melody and one
singing a 3d would do the descant. The descant is,
as you will see, simply the re-metred lines of the
hymn "Take My Life and Let It Be". The melody voice
of the verses must be a different person from the
descant melody because of what happens when they
combine!

If sung as a round, stagger the verses with the
descant verses. If sung as a descanted overlay,
like so many of those Stamps-Blackwell songs are,
note that the melody line of the descant automatically
becomes the 3d to the 1st, the 3d becomes the 5th.
Thus the descant simply harmonises with the verses,
but are also a stand alone refrain that becomes,
if so sung, a descant.

Take My Life, a round or a descant. 2003, g. johanson

I lay my burden
at the cross
there is no dread
there is no loss
save for your blood,
your dying breath
bespoke of love
exchanging death

I found my Self
upon that tree
I found my death
at Calvary
I found my tomb
behind the stone
I found my Life
in Christ alone

Descant/ Refrain:

Take my life and let it be -
Con- se- cra- ted Lord to Thee -
Take my hands and let them move-
at the impulse of thy love-

Combine

........Take my silver
I lay my bur - den
........and my gold
at the cross
........not a mite will
there is no dread
........i with-hold
there is no loss
........take my will and
save for your blood,
........make it Thine
your dying breath
........ it shall be no-
bespoke of love
........lon-ger mine
exchanging death

.........Take my life and
I found my Self
.........let it be -
upon that tree
.........Con- se- cra- ted
I found my death
.........Lord to Thee -
at Calvary
.........Take my hands and
I found my tomb
......... let them move-
behind the stone
.........at the im - pulse
I found my Life
......... of thy love-
in Christ alone


Repeat through various verses of
"Take My Life and Let It Be", as desired.
The entire hymn can be descanted in this manner.

Note that i didn't necessarily follow the order of
TMLALIB, i superimposed the lines that seemed
to go well subject wise with each other, but that does
not have to be done.

-g.

[Skeeter]

Interesting. I like what you've done with this piece. Kinda hard to imagine it. I think I'd have to hear it, actually hear how the lines go together, in order to properly judge whether it works or not.

[Nate]

Ai ai ai... it sounds very interesting and I really like your lyrics... but I can't figure out how the song is supposed to work. I read your explanation like five times and I still don't understand it.

I must be stupid..

[cq dx]

(After he finally gets his computer running again)

Well, a descant is a verse that is usually, albeit not
always, superimposed over another, main or melody
verse, which is the case here.

A round is very similar, a rotating series of verses
which, when combined in a staggering rotation, creates
it's own harmony. A second stanza can be said to be
sort or a descant for the first, like "Row, Row, Row
your Boat" : Stanza 2 superimposes over stanza one,
and harmonises.

A more contemporary example:
In the song "I will Testify (to Love)" the descant for
the first part of the Chorus, or Refrain:

"For as long as i shall live
I will testify to Love
I'll be a witness in the silences
when words are not enough"

the descant is:

"For - as - long - as - i - shall - live
i will testify, testify, all'a my life
i'll testify!" , and etc. (There are actually
3 descants in that song.) The female
or high tenors sing this descant while
the lead vocalist sings the chorus verse.
The descant and melody combine to harmonise
in a unique manner, the timings are different,
but mathematically related so they work out.

Did this make sense?

In my song, the descant is in italics, and is sung
directly over the verse beneath it. Or, it can form
it's own verse and be put into rotation with the
regular verses in round. Or possibly a canon.

( canon is a round with verses and a distinct ending, viz:

The Welcome Canon (18th Century, probably from the Americas)
a 3 part round.

Good Welcome to all
who will join in the fun
a canon we're singing
and this is part one

Good Welcome to all,
and to some bid
adieu,
a canon we're singing
and this is part two.

Good Welcome to all,
who's voices blend
a canon we've sung
and this is the end--. )

So, that's a description of how it works.
Now, to get out to the adat and record an
example! That will be hard to do before
Christmas. I hope this might describe a little
better what i tried to describe earlier.


-g.