Also known as “All the Pretty Little Horses,” the origin of this American folk song is unknown. This arrangement is based on one by Aaron Copland.
This is the sixth in my series of
double strung experiments,
playing lyre and zither at the same time. You will hear the accompaniment weaving around the melody, without stopping it. Having two separate sets of strings, one for each hand, makes this possible.
I hope you enjoy this haunting lullaby!
This American folk melody is one of several musical settings for the hymn, “There is a Fountain,” also known by its full first line, “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood.” The lyrics were written by William Cowper in 1772. I hope you enjoy this peaceful lyre arrangement!
Play or download the poem, accompanied by lyre, one of the oldest known stringed instruments.
When you feel broken, you can mend.
When you have fallen, take these wings.
They carry you on weightless strings,
For music is a trusted friend.
As notes and words and voices blend,
Your soul is free and mind is clear.
Your heart refuses now to fear.
In time your body knows the wealth
Of perfect love and joyous health
From Spirit’s music given here.
—
This is a Décima for
Ronovan Writes Décima Poetry Challenge Prompt No. 22 (BLEND) This week, it’s the A rhyme line.
I’ve been reading some of the responses for weeks and finally decided to try writing one! I really enjoyed it!
This bass line and chord progression are the same ones I used in
Song of the Bluefin Tuna,
but different accompaniment and rhythm change the mood. 🙂
Here is another traditional melody often used in harp therapy sessions. It is a Scottish folk song, first published in 1906. Though its lyrics are not the happiest, as they tell the story of a lost or unhappy love affair, the melody is calming and well-known. I hope you enjoy hearing it played on lyre!
Play or download the poem with zither accompaniment.
I opened up a can one day
And heard a chilling song,
Lamenting how our human wants
Have done the tuna wrong.
It sang, “You fish and fish for me,
When you have had enough,
For something you call sushi
And that other money stuff.
“I keep the balance in the sea
Atop the chain of food.
I dive with such quicksilver speed,
Fins flashing as I move.
“I’m not a goldfish in a bowl;
The ocean is my home.
I live on up to 40 years,
In breezy mists to roam.
“So, when you eat your tuna,
Because I know you will,
Take time to give a little thanks,
A moment to be still.
“The red rock desert of your heart
Is where it all begins.
Expand yours like my ocean home
Of harmony within.
“Take what you need and nothing more,
And let the others live.
Though we may be endangered still,
You understand the gift.”
I listened to the tuna’s song,
And then I bowed my head
To thank the Lord for blessing me
With tuna fish and bread.
—
For Linda Kruschke’s
Paint Chip Poetry Prompt #36, Endangered Species,
with bluefin tuna facts from
World Wildlife Fund.
You’re probably familiar with the beautiful traditional tune, “Shenandoah.” Though its exact origin is unknown, it may have originated with French Canadian fur traders. Some versions are also linked to cavalry men, mountain men, riverboat men, and soldiers on both sides of the Civil War. Whatever its origins, “Shenandoah” is one of the most recognizable American folk songs.
In this arrangement, I play the melody on my 22-string zither (also called a lap harp or plucked psaltery) and harmony on my 22-string lyre. One instrument for each hand allows free access to all 22 strings.
I’ve heard some beautiful harp arrangements of this song. However, unless it is a large floor harp with 34 strings or more, the hands may run into each other while playing. This is eliminated when each hand has its own full set of strings.
“Shenandoah” is the fifth in my series of
double strung experiments,
preparing for a double strung harp. The harp is the same idea, except it is designed and built with two rows of strings on a single instrument. This means that eventually, I won’t need to hold two instruments on my lap, not to mention trying to tune them in perfect unison!
I hope you enjoy this arrangement, and that you’re having a safe and happy Labor Day!
In the United States, this Civil War era hymn is known as “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” In other countries, it is better known as “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory.” The abolitionist Julia Ward Howe wrote the lyrics in 1861, to the tune “John Brown’s Body.” Howe is my maiden name, and I’ve always wondered if she was a distant ancestor of mine. I don’t know, but I do hope you enjoy hearing this hymn played on lyre!
Have a happy, healthy, and safe Labor Day weekend!
Play or download this serene Sonnet with lyre accompaniment.
We wonder if serenity is real.
Can it be found in ever changing life,
Despite the negativity we feel,
Beneath the rolling boil of strain and strife?
Serenity is really in plain view,
A Purloined Letter*, right before our eyes.
So simple that we think it can’t be true
And close enough to touch, but in disguise.
Serenity is deep within the mind,
At center where the heart and soul are one.
As nature does, it’s something we can find,
Returning through the gate from which we’ve come.
Our birth right, we have only to un-learn
The concept that serenity is earned.
*Purloined Letter: Reference to the story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe.
—
My response to Sue Vincent’s
Thursday #Writephoto Prompt, Serenity.
Here is the traditional English ballad, “Scarborough Fair,” played with melody on lyre, and harmony on zither. This is the fourth but not the final of my attempts to play lyre and zither at the same time, in preparation for playing a double strung harp.
As I mentioned
last week,
tuning these instruments in exact unison is very difficult, mostly due to the difference in string materials. If you have a very sensitive ear for music, I apologize for the tuning discrepancies. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy hearing the possibilities offered by having two sets of strings!
Although “Come, Thou Almighty King” is often attributed to Charles Wesley, the text is actually anonymous. The melody is an Italian hymn, composed by Felice Giardini. The earliest known publication of text and melody together was in 1757. It remains a popular traditional Christian hymn today, more than 250 years later.
I hope you enjoy this zither arrangement!
Mystical Strings 
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