PREFACE
This is the written supplement to pod-cast #2 for vocalists.
http://soundcloud.com/markusmusic-1/
Foreword
In academia and musicology it often difficult to make substantiated claims, though some are easy to come by; there is no musical tradition on earth that exists without a role for vocal sound-making. To exclaim or murmur with expression is surly the most natural way to communicate with sound, as human-beings.
Featured in research blog-entries (#2 and #3) of this project, working-title "Trombonicus" features a swathe of information pertaining to the written records of the aesthetic nature of the Celtic Barditus. The Barditus, Barritus or Bardus is a multifaceted ritual of Warrior song, known to historians from around the Julian period of Ancient Rome.
From the research presented, there are multiple categories of vocalisation in the Celtic Barditus style:
1) A sustained unified drone, probably likened to chant.
2) Hero-worship poetry, probably spoken.
3) A noise based vocalisation, like the sound of fierce water, waves crashing on rock, perhaps a hiss?
4) The wails of warrior-women, probably a lament of the most harrowing quality.
This podcast (#3) will focus on the latter, vocal category #4.
Adapted from Historical record
Tacitus mentions, in his Histories book IV an ancient Barbarian war-song that featured the shrieks and cries of dreaded women. From this vivid account, it seems that a recreation of the Barditus would be incomplete without the harrowing vocalisations of these Banshee-like characters.
For more information on this source please consult: http://classics.mit.edu/Tacitus
But how did these women sound? Shrieks and cries and dread; these women, like their male counterparts, were fearsome without-a-doubt, but is it fair to condense their vocal tradition to sounds that marked of terror?
The most complete record of Ancient Celtic performance practice, available to paleorganologists, is the Carnyx research of John Kenny and company. As suggested in podcast #1, these ancient traditions of music making were dynamic, expressive, and are misrepresented in the writings of Classical historians.
In attempting to reconstruct this lost tradition of vocal practice, we must expand upon Tacitus' ambiguous remarks, with fragments of detail from similar historical practices. Extracted from the research blog of working title "Trombonicus", the following concepts will be key to the contemporary adaptation of vocal performance for the "dreaded-women":
1) The structural importance of the number '3'.
2) The concept, and intonation of the word "Awen".
3) The use of various "barbarian" texts.
4) The use of pitch material extracted from the overtone series of the carnyx.
THE NUMBER THREE
In research blogs #4 and #5 we learned that in the Celtic and Germanic traditions, integers of religious significance were used in poetry and art, as well as music. From the Bardic "Awen" concept, to the use of the divine number '9' in Norse mythology, numerology plays an important structural role in this genre of Ancient Art. The formal application of the number '3', and its multiple number '9', will be explained in the following segments of this podcasts, and subsequent editions.
THE TEXT AND CONCEPT OF AWEN
Taken from the Bardic and Druid tradition of the ancient Celts the "Awen" is a powerful, yet common symbol. It's literal meaning is the verb "to blow", whilst it's poetic meaning is "divine inspiration"; Awen is a multifaceted concept.
The iconic image of "Awen" is a formation of three compact circles, from which symmetrically dispersed beams of "light" emerge. This concept, and its visual manifestation, will be important in subsequent podcasts in this series.
The word itself, intoned by Neopagan Druids and Ovates as 'aa-oo-en', is one of three text categories recommended for use by the Warrior-Women vocalists. This three syllable word can be applied to any melodic line or drone tone.
THER BARBARIAN TEXTS
As discussed in research blogs #4 and #5, there are many ancient texts that have sufficient connection to Celtic, Gaulish and Germanic culture, to suppose their inclusion in the rite of the Barditus. The metric quality of these poetic verses varies, however, all texts can be manipulated to conform to a three-foot pattern.
The oldest of these texts comes to us from IoIo Morganwg (Edward Williams), attributed to an author from around the 6th Century AD:
Ef gwneif beirdd byd yn llawen.
(He will make the Bards of the world merry).
[And]
Dysgogan Derwyddon
Tra tra mor tra Brython.
(The Druids predict, that the Britons will continue as long as the sea).
Discussed in length in research blog #4, the Havamal is a well-know Germanic text, set in Old Norse, and functions as a manual for surviving the harsh realities of the ancient world. This text will be explored, in greater detail, in the next podcast of this series. Recommended for reconstructions of the the "Dreaded-women" performance practice in the Barditus, is a single "song-like" refrain extracted from the Havamal:
| Veiztu hvé rísta skal? Veiztu hvé ráða skal? Veiztu hvé fá skal? Veiztu hvé freista skal? Veiztu hvé biðja skal? Veiztu hvé blóta skal? Veiztu hvé senda skal? Veiztu hvé sóa skal? |
Do you know how you must cut [them]? Do you know how you must interpret? Do you know how you must colour? Do you know how you must try? Do you know how you must invoke? Do you know how you must sacrifice? Do you know how you must send? Do you know how you must kill? |
Although these texts are much more complex that the "Awen" intone, these mutli-metric stanzas can be applied to any melodic line or drone tone.
A RECONSTRUCTION OF PITCH MATERIAL AND SONG-STYLE
There is no evidence that suggests to the pitch material of any component of the Barditus. Tacitus provides our only clue, in his third book on 'Germania'. Tacitus' description of a "studying" tone, is more indicative of a sustained unison tone, rather than a melody. Drone tones and similarly functioning harmonic device are well provided for, thanks to the Carnyx performance method. The feminine voice is unmatched, and must allowed to resonate in its own uniqueness.
What then can we appropriate to reconstruct the singing style of the Warrior-maidens?
Here the produce of our imagination, coupled with preexisting folk traditions will suffice for remodeling the sound of the accompanying melodies of the "dreaded women".
Taking inspiration from the celitc "Awen" and "Carnyx" technique, pitch materials should be selected from amongst the following criteria:
1) Comprised of three distinct modes, differing in intervallic quality.
2) Abstracted (in large part) from the upper reaches of the overtone series.
3) Intervallically symmetrical, based around a 'silent' middle pitch.
4) Divisable into subsets of three pitches.
5) One of the three modes may break all the aforementioned rules.
For the performance of the following modes, two equal forces of female vocalists will be required for the realisation of these techniques. For purposes of projection, a slight nasal quality and heavy vibrato, is appropriate for the vocal technique of these war-songs.
To exemplify this method, the following three modes have been prepared:
MODE #1 [centered around a silent G#]
Notice the prevalence of minor third leaps and semitones.
[subset I] [subset II]
D# F# G | A Bb C#
MODE #2 [centered around a silent G#]
Notice the symmetrical whole-tone quality.
[subset I] [subset II]
D# F G | A B C#
The final mode, may feature a break with the rules as exemplified previously, though, it is recommended that it feature the silent pitch from modes #1 and #2.
MODE #3 [centered around a sounding G#]
[subset I] [subset II]
E F G# | G# C D
Once the three modes are selected, the Warrior-women wail-tones can be arranged in the temporal space, in three distinct ways:
1) With rhythmic unison.
(This method is recommended for modes #1 and #2, whilst using the "Awen" intone)
2) At differing rhythmic speeds related by multiples of three e.g. Three tones of subset I for every one tone of subset II.
(This method is recommended for modes #1 and #2 whilst using the "Awen" intone or "Havamal" excerpt)
3) In canonic imitation e.g. repeating a full mode (both subsets) at a delay of one, two or three pitches. (This method is recommended for mode #3 whilst using the "Morganwg " or "Havamal" excerpt)
AND optional...
Auxiliary) In the case of the need to vary textures and support vocal (and instrumental) lines in other sections, the "intone" option is applicable. Here one or two pitches are selected, from any relevant mode, and the text is applied as a chant or intone on a single pitch. In the case of two-pitches, these should be set antiphonally between the two voices of the "dreaded-women".
These techniques will be called upon at various points of the Barditus performance. The shifting quality of the various drone tones, played chiefly by the Carnyx players, will affect the performance of the vocal techniques. These vocalisation are intended to exist in opposition to the Carnyx tones and other vocalisations, there is no need to justify all pitch material to a single overtone series.
The war-song of the "Dreaded women" is a flexible entity that will commonly introduce the beginning of a musical form. Whilst it is intended for the singers to continue iterating their material throughout incursions of other musical materials, when competition is futile, it is advisable to take opportunities for vocal rest.
MARK OLIVEIRO
