any one know where i can find the sheet music to “she moved through the fair”? and maybe “my funny valentine”?
JC’s Tune Finder has several hits on “She Moved Through the Fair”
OK, Bb is a tough key, and the rhythm on the Dmix versions is no
good. So, I transposed it into Amix (see next post) so it could be
remotely playable on a D whistle (in Dmix, you’d have to play a low
C natural… D’oh).
Here’s the abc, if anyone wants it.
X: 1
T:She Moved Through the Fair
R:Air
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:Amix
(3A/2B/2c/2 | d c d | e e2- | e2 d/2B/2 |
G>A A | A3- | A2 e/2f/2 | g a>e |
f e>c | d>c d | e3- | e2 e/2f/2 |
g a>e | f e>c | d>c d | e e2- | e2 (3A/2B/2c/2 |
d>c d | e e2- | e2 d/2B/2 | G A A | A3- | A2 |]
I changed my mind when I actually got a chance to pick up a whistle
and play this. It is definitely Mixolydian, which means you’d need to
half-hole Fnat if you played it in Gmix. So, I’ve changed it to Amix.
Much easier.
You just play the first octave’s Cnat and drop dowm to the tonic D. It is quite a nice effect done like a “pop” or a “gasp”.
Talisiga is suggesting that the low C in the Dmix version be raised an
octave. I have to do that (with both C and B) for Kitty’s Wedding, and
it sounds kinda funny, so I didn’t suggest it here. But, just singing it
in my head, it’s not too bad with just the C… seems to make it a bit
pipe-y.
I wouldn’t do it in any song with the 6th interval unless 6th leads into the tonic note (and skips the 7th altogether). Octave jumping needs to be done just right to have the “gasp” effect. I like your description as “pipe-y”. I hope we are both connotating the same thing by the term.
I still don’t have the bucks to afford equipment to enable audio samples. I’d love to demo.
I first heard “she moved thru the fair” in the mid seventies sung by Alan Stivell accompanying himself on the Celtic harp. My ex who is a singer used to sing it too. I don’t like Van Morrison’s rendition although I do like Van otherwise. I hope my ex is still singing this. She used to have dulcimer for accompaniment but now plays the harp.
I think I’ve got the basic tune down. Anyone have any suggestions on ornaments and articulation for us newbies?
I was thinking “like a lead pipe applied to the head”.
Maybe fearfaoin might like to suggest some lead ornaments …
I’ll try that one. Wish me good luck.
If you have not, you should try to listen to Sinéad O’Connor’s live version of “He Moved Through the Fair.” It’s truly spectacular.
I do She Moved Through The Fair in Emix. The cross-fingered or half-holed G# work better for me than Fnat. Played on a Bb whistle, it comes out to Cmix (concert pitch), a nice key for my H.Dulcimer-playing cohort.
I actually like Simple Mind’s version.
Wayne Shorter has a nice one too.
Yep- that’s the version I hear in my head when I play this tune.
That makes me so happy. I’ve heard many versions sung before, but it is hers that is “THE” version, in my opinion. The fact that it’s live makes it even more mind-bogglingly amazing.
This song is really stunningly beautiful! It´s one thing that amazes me with irish music. Even though a song seems deceptivly simple, like this one and for example Women of Ireland, it can be such a work af art - airs like these sometime moves me to tears!
Thanks for sharing!
/Falkbeer