I am learning to play this, but so far not much joy!
Anyone have tips on breathing for this…it seems anywhere I try to take a breath, it interferes with the flow…and this piece should flow, n’est pas?
If you haven’t already, listen to Mick Woodruff’s quintet arrangement of it.
http://fingertrip.net/clipsnip/jesujoy-mick.mp3
It might give you a better idea of where to take breaths, and it’s well worth a listen even if only for inspiration.
Breath at the beginning of each
line, I say.
I ordered sheet music of this written for C tenor recorder. Although it’s in G, there’s a whole middle section with accidentals requiring far too much in the way of half-holing. Can somebody point me to a website that has the notation modified for whistle? Thanks.
Whitey
I’ve played this (not well) and just stopped when all those accidentals crop up.
But I played it jig style. You’ll notice it’s written like a jig and I just make it lilt like a jig, and breath as I would on any jig, shortening some notes as I see fit. I don’t go for that smooth flow thing. Also, if you compare this piece with the Irish Washerwoman you’ll find the two morph together very nicely. I call the result “The Irish Catholic Washerwoman”.
On 2002-09-24 13:27, E = Fb wrote:
I call the result “The Irish Catholic Washerwoman”.
Since J.S. Bach was Lutheran, maybe it should be called “The Irish Lutheran Washerwoman.” 
On 2002-09-24 13:20, mgwhitehead wrote:
Although it’s in G, there’s a whole middle section with accidentals requiring far too much in the way of half-holing.
Whitey
Actually, if you start on a whistle in any key and play the first note as the third note up on the scale (eg. D whistle = start on the F#; G whistle start on B, etc.), then the entire song plays with no half-holing required.
Jef
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Actually, if you start on a whistle in any key and play the first note as the third note up on the scale . . .
Jef
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Way cool. Thanks for the tip Jef. 
Whitey
If you all enjoy this sort of thing, you might want to check out “Pachelbell’s Frolics” on either John Whynne’s “Every Breath” (flute) or John William’s “Steam” (concertina/accordion). It is a reel version of Pachelbel’s Canon and is very cool.
Best,
Chris
On 2002-09-24 17:45, ChrisLaughlin wrote:
If you all enjoy this sort of thing, you might want to check out “Pachelbell’s Frolics” on either John Whynne’s “Every Breath” (flute) or John William’s “Steam” (concertina/accordion). It is a reel version of Pachelbel’s Canon and is very cool.
Best,
Chris
Eileen Ivers does a fiddle version of this, too.
The problem of breathing during Jesu is one I remember encountering way back when I was in the high school band playing clarinet. Our band director told us this piece was not written with the melody line intended for wind instruments, therefore there really is NO place for breathing. He had me and another clarinet alternate our breathing spots to keep the music flowing smoothly. As a solo tune on a wind instrument …now that’s a problem.
On 2002-09-24 22:06, BrassBlower wrote:
On 2002-09-24 17:45, ChrisLaughlin wrote:
If you all enjoy this sort of thing, you might want to check out “Pachelbell’s Frolics” on either John Whynne’s “Every Breath” (flute) or John William’s “Steam” (concertina/accordion).Eileen Ivers does a fiddle version of this, too.
Yup and so does Martin Hayes on his Live in Seattle CD. I think he does it at the end of a very long long set (something like more than half an hour).