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Tune List
Medieval Set (1-2) 4:52
1. Maiznet (Maytime) 2:27
2. Douce Dame Jolie
(Fair Sweet Lady)2:27
3. Give Me
Your Hand 4:43
4. Mystic
Dance * 2:55
Northumberland
Set (5-6): 5:15
5. Bonny at Morn 3:23
6. Goddesses 1: 54
Welsh Set (7-8)
2:43
7. Welsh March 1:29
8. Ffaniglen 1:15
9. Persian
dialogue * 3:47
10.
Carolan's Quarrel 3:47
Celtic Reels(11-12-13):
4:34
11. South Uist Reel 1:12
12. Hunter's Purse 1:35
13. Otter's Holt 1:46
14.
Improvisation in 3 parts* 4:57
Celtic Wedding
Set (15-19)
15. March of King of Laoise
5:37
Jigs: (16-17)
3:21
16. Bridal Jig 1:34
17. Random Notes 1: 48
Waltzes (18-19):
4:18
18. Draper's Maggot 2:03
19. Waterfall Waltz (Caerdroea)
2:16
Total Time: 51:02,
*4,9,14 © Maggie Sansone
(ASCAP)
Liner Notes
Since recording A
Traveler's Dream, I have been exploring the joy and
interconnection music expresses between people and cultures.
Along my musical journey, I discovered how closely we are all
bound together by music's universal language. Mystic Dance,
Persian dialogue, and Improvisation express the intercourse
between musical instruments from two distant cultures related
by a common mystical thread. Also in this recording The Celtic
Wedding is a tribute to all the joyous celebrations I have
performed for. This recording is a celebration of my life long
journey and is a gift for all of your special celebrations.
Enjoy! Maggie Sansone
Medieval Set (1-2): 4.55
1. Maienzit ane nit. Neidhard von Reuenthal (c.1180 - 1240).
2:27
2. Douce Dame Jolie. Guillaume de Machaut (c.1300-1377)
2:27
Hammered dulcimer, cello, fiddle, bass clarinet, flute,
piccolo, shakers, hand drums.
These tunes were composed by the two most famous medieval
composers of music of courtly love. Reuenthal was a German
knight, poet, and singer of courtly love. Maytime speaks
of banishing sorrow and the joy of spring. Machaut's music
conveys a sense of modernity, with its short melodic riffs
and syncopation that lends itself to improvisation.
3. Give Me Your Hand (Gaelic: Tabair
Dam Do Hamh). 4:43 Hammered dulcimer,Celtic harp, Irish flute,
fiddle, accordion, flute, clarinet, guitar. A beautiful 17th
century air written by Irishman Rory Dall Ó Catháin,
(1570-1650)--a well-known Celtic harper, Catháin emigrated to
Scotland where he wrote this tune around 1603.
4. Mystic Dance (2:56) © M.Sansone Hammered dulcimer,
Persian santur, synthesizer, clarinet, piccolo, hand drums.
This track and track 9 (below) are improvisations; I alternated
playing Persian santur and hammered dulcimer in a call and
response format. Persian santur techniques and rhythms predominate,
with both instruments tuned to a G minor scale and played
with Persian mallets called mezrabs. The melodic structure
is based loosely on two instrumental forms heard in Persian
music called pishdaramad, a type of prelude, and cheharmezrab,
a fast rhythmic section. The piece concludes with a haunting
refrain-- a bit of melody I remember hearing long ago on
the Persian ney (a wind instrument from Iran).
Northumberland Set (5-6) 5:21
5. Bonny at Morn 3.23
6. Goddesses 1:54
Hammered dulcimer, Irish flute, guitar (Paul), musette accordion,
cittern,
Northumbrian pipes. Both of these are traditional tunes
from Northumberland-a region northeast of England. Popular
as a lullaby, Bonnie at Morn was printed in 1882, in The
Northumbrian Minstrelsy. Goddesses is from John Playford's
collection The English Dancing Master, printed in 1651.
Ian joined in on this tune using my favorite Northumbrian
smallpipes set in the key of "D"--I bought these
pipes from Colin Ross.
7. Carolan's Quarrel with the Landlady 3:47. Hammered
dulcimer, Celtic harp, guitar.
Honored as the "Chief Musician of Ireland", 18th
century Irish harper and composer Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738)
is an inspiration to me; I always include at least one of
his tunes in my recordings. [More of his music can be heard
on the recording Carolan's Gift (MM304, Maggie's Music)
which is dedicated entirely to Carolan's compositions.]
Celtic Reel Set (8-10): 4:37
8. South Uist Reel 1:12
9. Hunter's Purse 1:35
10. Otter's Holt 1:46
Hammered dulcimer, cittern, Irish flute, bass clarinet,
clarinet, flute, piccolo, hand drums, jembe, bells, high
hat, shaker. This is the first reel from the Isle of South
Uist--one of the Western Isles of Scotland. The next two
reels are popular Irish session tunes-I learned Hunter's
Purse from Karen Ashbrook. Otter's Holt (translated Otter's
nest) was written by Junior Crehan (1908-1998), the legendary
Irish fiddler from County Clare.
11. Persian dialogue (5:01) © M. Sansone. Hammered
dulcimer, Persian santur, synthesizer. I sat down with my
Persian santur and hammered dulcimer in front of me and
started a conversation. I improvised a phrase on the Persian
santur, then answered on the hammered dulcimer; and so it
goes--back and forth, a wonderful meeting of the minds,
crossing of the borders with no boundaries. (see track 4).
Welsh Set (12-13) 2:46
12. Welsh March 1:29
13. Ffaniglen 1:15
Hammered dulcimer, clarinet, accordion (Bob). These are
traditional Welsh folk dances that I learned from Sue Richards.
Wales, located Southwest of England, is one of the seven
Celtic nations that still retains its Celtic heritage, culture
and language. The other Celtic nations are Ireland, Scotland,
Isle of Man, Cornwall, Brittany (France) and Galicia (Spain).
14. Improvisation in 3 parts (3:49) © M.Sansone. Hammered
dulcimer.
I continue to delve into the fascinating world of Persian
santur and Middle Eastern music. I love these sounds and
they have a strong influence on the way I play the American
style hammered dulcimer. This improvisation in 3 sections,
based on an Arabic scale [D, E, F, G, A, B flat, C#, D]
derives from my continuing exploration.
Celtic Wedding Set (15-19)
15. March of King of Laoise 5:38. Hammered dulcimer, cittern,
guitar, musette accordion, soprano saxophone, piano, synthesizer,
fiddle, Irish flute.
(Ruairí Óg Ó Mórdha or Rory
of the Hills), is a traditional Irish march. Celtic harp
is the national instrument of Ireland and captures the beauty
of this haunting melody. This is one of the all time classic
Irish tunes that I learned nearly 20 years ago. I learned
this version from Sue Richards-Sue and I agree that it's
a perfect processional march.
Jigs (16-17) 3:21
16. Bridal Jig 1:34
17. Random Notes 1:48
Hammered dulcimer, guitar, mandolin, cittern, Irish flute,
whistle. Here are two jigs; one from Ireland and the other
from Northumberland. Random notes is attributed to James
Hill, the 19th century fiddler who was born in Scotland
but spent most of his life in Tyneside, Northumberland.
Hill's tunes have become part of the Northumbrian tradition.
.
Waltzes (20-21) 4:20
18. Draper's Maggot 2:03
19. The Waterfall Waltz (Caerdroea) 2:16
Hammered dulcimer, fiddle, cello, guitar, musette accordion,
clarinet, flute, bass clarinet, bass drum, bells, shaker.
Here are two traditional English country-dance tunes from
the John Playford collection. I think this is a lovely conclusion
to the Celtic Wedding Set and to this recording as well.
Enjoy this jubilant celebration!
ABOUT THE HAMMERED DULCIMER
The instrument I play is a
chromatic hammered dulcimer with damper pedals; it's a
variation on a 16/15 which is 16 treble courses, and 15 bass
courses, but with six bass and chromatic notes on another
bridge to give more range and versatility. My beautiful
hammered dulcimer was hand made by Nicholas Blanton, of
Shepherdstown, West Virginia. My Persian santur was made in
Iran. It's smaller and has 72 strings in sets of four strings
per course. Two sets of nine movable bridges allow for tuning
into the various eastern modes. Santur is the national
instrument of Iran. Both the santur and the hammered dulcimer
are trapezoidal in shape and are played with wooden mallets.
Musicologists have classified them as chordophones - their
sound is produced by the vibration of strings stretched across
a soundboard. Thought to have originated in the Middle East
around 900 AD, there is some evidence that links the whole
hammered dulcimer family to the first production of
inexpensive, but strong, metal strings circa 1350 AD, in
northern Europe. Today, hammered dulcimers are made in many
shapes, sizes and tunings, and are played
worldwide.
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