Introduction to Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing

During Black History Month (February) Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship has closed every service with the hymn Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing. The first Sunday we sang Lift Ev’ry Voice, I introduced it to the congregation. My research uncovered much more than I was able to include in a short talk. Now what is a blogger to do with all that good material, if not to turn it into blog posts! This introduction, therefore, will be followed by four more posts. The first will chronicle the life of James Weldon Johnson, the poet and lyricist of the song. The second post will be devoted to J. Rosamond Johnson, the musician and composer of the song. The last two posts will focus on the song itself.

Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing was written in 1900 by two brothers who were very accomplished and well known in their time. Though the song was written for a particular event at a particular time in history, its perspective has become timeless for the inspiration it has offered, and offers still. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with it. This link to the NPR’s archives (which requires RealPlayer) will play a lovely choral rendition. As you listen, please follow along with the words below. If the NPR link above doesn’t work for you, listen to this piano version from the Cyberhymnal, reading the words in rhythm with the music.

LIFT EV’RY VOICE AND SING
Words by James Weldon Johnson
Music by J. Rosamond Johnson

The apostrophes (inserted by the author) and hyphens (inserted by the blogger) denote melody pitch changes.

Lift ev'ry voice and sing,
Till earth and heav-en ring,
Ring with the har-mon-ies of Li-ber-ty;
Let our re-joic-ing rise
High as the list'ning skies,
Let it re-sound loud as the roll-ing sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the pres-ent has brought us;
Facing the ris-ing sun of our new day be-gun,
Let us march on till vic-tory is won.

Ston-y the road we trod,
Bit-ter the chast'ning rod,
Felt in the days when hope un-born had died;
Yet with a stead-y beat,
Have not our wear-y feet
Come to the place for which our fath-ers sighed?
We have come o-ver a way that with tears has been watered.
We have come, tread-ing our path through the blood of the slaugh-tered,
Out from the gloom-y past,
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our wear-y years,
God of our si-lent tears,
Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who hast by Thy might,
Led us in-to the light,
Keep us for-e-ver in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the plac-es, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we for-get Thee;
Sha-dowed be-neath Thy hand,
May we for-e-ver stand,
True to our God,
True to our na-tive land.

© 2007, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Sea Turtle Release

I'm happy to report that 8-10 of the green sea turtles rescued from the cold stranding event of mid-January in South Padre Island, Texas, were to be released on Monday, February 19th. The remaining 90+ turtles were scheduled for release on February 20th and 21st. A very small number of turtles remain in rehab for illness or injury, but the rest of the survivors are in all likelihood back in the Gulf of Mexico now. Hooray!!!!

That's all the information I was able to find to date on the turtles. If there's anything more to report, I'll do so after the 3-part series which will begin in my next post.

P.S. Sorry for the long silence. Sometimes life gets in the way.



© 2007, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Sea Turtle Rescue Update and Pictures

Tonight Sea Turtle Inc. reported that the rescued green sea turtles can be released soon. A total of 148 turtles were rescued, and 111 of them have survived. A few remain at Sea Turtle Inc. The rest are now at the Corpus Christi Fish Hatchery.

Here are some excerpts of the many pictures in Sea Turtle Inc.'s photo album. These pictures will give you a sense of the work that's been done.

Picked off the beaches

Pulled out of the water

Hauled ashore, some weighing up to 100 pounds.

An office full of turtles

to be weighed...

and measured,

and warmed up under heat lamps.

Barnacles are scrubbed off.

dozing, all clean and cozy

and swimming - gorgeous!

Tagged for future study.

Loaded onto trucks

and shipped to Corpus Christi Fish Hatcheries to await warmer weather.

Photos in this post belong to Sea Turtle, Inc., used by permission. 

© 2007, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Silver Flute or Irish Flute?

I am in the throws of a decision. From here on, do I want to work at playing Irish traditional music on the silver orchestral flute or the wooden flute which has become the standard in traditional Irish music circles?

A year ago, the silver flute was my logical choice. I started learning Irish music on the whistle, but its high register began to hurt my ears so I switched to the silver flute. I already owned very fine flute (a handmade Haynes solid silver flute) because in college I majored in music with a concentration in classical flute. Even though I didn’t play for 20 years while my son was growing up, I still have good coordination in my fingers and consistent practicing puts my embouchure back in shape. I took some lessons with Joanie Madden (see my post from July 20, 2006) and learned a few tricks about how to make the ornamentation sound “right” on an instrument that is over-engineered for the demands of Irish music. Until recently I was working on producing a darker sound and was getting some pretty good volume on the low notes.

Then a friend of mine got a new keyless Irish flute, handmade by Patrick Olwell. His wooden flutes are highly regarded, and I just went ga-ga with envy.

About the same time I dropped my own flute. It was the first time in my life I had ever done that. The lid came loose from the the case, and the flute slid out onto the floor, bending the low C# key. While it’s in the shop I’m borrowing my friend’s "student flute" - a Pratten-style Seery polymer flute.

Flutes pictured immediately above are made by Terry McGee.

The wooden flutes from the 19th century had keys and could play the entire chromatic scale. This keyless version is a "relative" of the mid-19th century flute. It lacks the keys of its historical relative, however it's conical construction as well as the shape of the embouchure and spacing of the fingerholes are much the same. Apparently this keyless version was invented in the 1970's during the Irish folk revival. By that time Jean Pierre Rampal's influence in the classical world had made the flute enormously popular. These two factors meant many flute players wanted Irish flutes. Keyed wooden flutes cost at least double what the keyless version costs, and the wait time can be up to four times as long. Therefore, the keyless Irish flute was an ideal solution. 90% of Irish music can be played on the keyless flute, which is pitched in D major but can function in G major as well and the relative minors of those two keys. When playing any of the remaining 10% of the Irish tunes, players of keyless flutes artfully skip certain notes or pick another note in the chord instead. Or just step up to the bar for another beer!

But getting back to the Seery, I confess that it's hard for me to cover the holes. The right-hand position in particular is very different from what's required on the silver flute. I must stretch my fingers as wide as possible and use the middle section of my finger rather than the fingerpad to cover the holes. I’ve been at it a week now, and it’s getting better. (Note that I said better, not more comfortable.) I need to rest after each tune because I don’t have the strength to maintain the stretch for too long, and my tempos need to be slow to consistently cover the holes.

The question is this: which flute do I want to spend my time on? I'm definitely enjoying the novelty of the Irish flute. The fingering is the same as the whistle so it’s easier to switch back and forth. And I like playing the instrument that most traditional players use. There’s a good bit of acceptance in that. However, the silver flute is really more "playable." By that I mean that one can play in any key. The hand position is comfortable. It’s just that the finger coordination needed to accomplish conventional sounding ornamentation is more difficult than what is required on the Irish flute (assuming one has mastered covering the holes on both instruments).

I’ll admit it: I am looking for the shortest route to the level on which I want to play. I’m better on the silver flute, so even though it’s harder in certain respects, I have an advantage because of all my years of study on it. But the coordination is less demanding on the Irish flute – so even though I have to backtrack a bit, it might be worth it in the long run. I’m not worried so much about acceptance of others or the sound the instrument can make. If I play well with a dark, strong tone, I don’t think it will really matter (although some players might disagree).

Unfortunately, writing this post hasn't helped me decide. If you have an opinion, please post a comment. Meanwhile, I’ll experiment with the Seery for a while longer, at least until I get my Haynes back. Then, who knows? All I can say is: I'll keep you posted. (GROAN!! very bad pun, sorry folks!)

© 2007, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Starting to Play in Sessions

Traditional Irish sessions are a social time when players meet, usually in Irish pubs, to play tunes together. This presumes they have many tunes in common. A newcomer to Irish music, particularly one with a classical background, can be pretty intimidated by session playing. At least that was the case with me.

My first two years were spent learning tunes and acquiring enough technical skill to approximate an acceptable tempo and sometimes even add a bit of conventional Irish ornamentation. I rarely played in sessions in 2003-2005. In 2006 I attended sessions maybe once every month or two. Until last Tuesday, I considered session attendance to be an exercise in humility. I listened more than I played. When familiar tunes were selected, I couldn’t play them up to speed. I was terrified of being asked to lead a tune. However, all Irish traditional players seem to think session playing is an essential part of musical life so I just keep dusting off my classical ego and hauling myself back to have another go at it.

This year I’ve decided to go as often as possible to the session at Dempsey’s Pub. It’s close to where I live. The age range of the players varies widely. (I like to see a few heads of gray hair so I won’t be discouraged by trying to keep up with gifted youth). The range of abilities among the players varies as well, which probably helps keep this group's tempos more moderate than some of the other sessions around NYC. The Dempsey’s session employs a “round robin” format; going around the circle, players take turns starting tunes. One advantage of this method is that you’re assured of getting to play at least a few familiar tunes at a comfortable speed. However, if you start a tune that nobody knows, you’re stuck playing a solo. That happens to me a lot, and I find these unintended solos quite unnerving. Once I totally blanked out and forgot the second half of the tune. Another time I started a tune in the wrong key. (Exercise in humility, remember?)

The last time I was at Dempsey's, however, I finally picked a pair of tunes that were more or less familiar to most people. I felt good about that. During the session I noticed how many tunes I actually do know, how often I could join in the playing, and that my fingers were finding familiar patterns and executing them more easily. Hmmmm, could it be I’m getting the hang of this?

At the end of the evening, one fellow played a waltz. Mostly what’s played in sessions are reels, jigs and maybe a few polkas. Hearing that waltz brought immediately to mind a waltz that Mike Rafferty taught me more than a year ago. He called it "The Old Man’s Waltz." I learned it really well – even played it on the whistle as a prelude in church once. Maybe it was the beer, but I decided to play Mike’s waltz for them on the whistle, knowing it would be a solo. For moral support I asked a guitar player to accompany me. Even though his chords were not always what I would have chosen, it worked. I remembered the tune accurately. I put in a few ornaments and even varied them a little on the repeated portions. (Something the more experienced players do as a matter of course.) The phrasing was nice but not overdone, and the upper octave was in tune. I was so pleased. (Allow me to brag just a little. I have suffered through so many embarrassing moments at sessions) Yessiree, I really nailed that waltz! For once I played Irish music like I want to – and not in my bedroom while practicing, not in church in a performance situation, but in an entirely Irish context, in a session. It was a glorious moment!

Besides gaining confidence, I’m seeing other advantages to attending sessions. I’ll get over my emotional block about playing fast. When playing along with the group, I can more easily keep my hands and arms relaxed during the faster tempos. I’ll become less self-conscious if I play in sessions regularly, and then I’ll be able to take more risks. And finally, session playing will help me learn tunes. Particularly if I go to the Dempsey's session regularly, I will learn the unfamiliar tunes of their repertoire as well as get a regular review of the tunes I already know.

I am realizing how different session playing is from classical performances. Competition and critique of others’ playing is much less prevalent; acceptance and sociability is much more prominent. I’ve heard people at Dempsey’s play one set of tunes really well, then fall apart the next time their turn comes around. I’ve heard beginners encouraged and accomplished players congratulated. And people look forward to seeing each other, having a beer, and sharing some music.

So now I’m telling myself to commit to one session each week if at all possible. And riding on my encouragement from Tuesday night, I think I’ll show a lot of improvement by the end of the year if I can do that. I’ll also have made some new friends and had a very good time. So that’s the goal. One session each week if at all possible. We shall see. . .


© 2007, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Sea Turtle Rescue Update

Photo from Sea Turtle, Inc., used by permission.

I went to the Sea Turtle, Inc. website tonight for news on the turtles I blogged about in my previous post. Wow! They have been BUSY down there in South Padre Island! Over 120 green sea turtles have now been rescued. So far only 4 were found dead (although a few others died afterwards). Apparently in "cold stunning events" like this, the live turtles turn up first, and the dead ones follow over the next several days or even weeks. I guess it's still too early to estimate the loss.

Many organizations and volunteers are working together to find and care for the green sea turtles. To mention just a few: the CCA/CPL Marine Development Center operated by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in Corpus Christi is caring for 52 of the turtles. The Texas State Aquarium Sea Lab, also in Corpus Christi, has another 43 turtles. Many other groups have helped in many ways, and the Sea Turtle, Inc. website names a good many of them. Volunteers are still needed to search beaches - and cash donations are badly needed for medicines, supplies, transportation, etc. Please consider giving what you can. Click here to donate.

Please note that I've added Sea Turtle, Inc. to the Turtle & Misc. Animal Links on the right side of the screen. And if you liked the picture above, be sure to catch the TV show called Animal Planet on the Discovery Channel tomorrow January 26th at 7 AM. They are running a feature story on sea turtles.

© 2007, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Sea Turtle Rescue in Texas

Today the New York Times published a story about the current efforts to help some young Green Sea Turtles. This rescue is important since Green Sea Turtles, chelonia mydasare, are considered endangered in Florida waters and the Pacific Coast of Mexico including the Gulf of California. They are listed as threatened everywhere else. In a nutshell, here's what happened:

Young Green Sea Turtles, born last spring off the coast of Yucatán in Mexico, were stunned by the cold in the rapid temperature drop earlier this week. Water temperatures fell 18 degrees in 48 hours. Since turtles are cold-blooded and can't generate their own body heat, this drop in temperature sent them into a hypothermic state. They began washing ashore in South Padre Island, Texas. Animal rescuers were afraid the sluggish turtles would die from the cold or be eaten by sharks, their only predators, so between January 17 and 19, 36 nearly immobile turtles weighing anywhere from 3-65 pounds were scooped up by volunteers and staff of Sea Turtle, Inc. The turtles were scrubbed and warmed and are being held at their facility until weather permits returning them to the sea. The webcam at Sea Turtle, Inc. lets you view the turtles in their temperature-controlled tubs. Check it out!

Green Sea Turtles are amazing creatures. The are named for their green body fat. Although we don't really know their lifespan, we know they take 15-20 years mature. By then they are four feet in length and weigh 250-450 pounds. They are the largest of all the varieties of sea turtles. They are found all over the world in tropical and subtropical waters. They are known to swim as far as 1400 miles between their feeding grounds and the beaches where they lay their eggs. Females lay 75-150 eggs per clutch and can lay as many as seven clutches in a season. Turtles lay so many eggs because so few of the young survive. How about this for a rough start: After a two-month incubation period the hatchlings break out of their eggs. That's just the first step. Next they have to dig out of the hole in which the clutch of eggs was buried by the mother turtle. Believe it or not, they do this as a group! Working together, they scrape away at the top of the nest until they are about an inch away from the surface of the beach. The hatchlings nearest to the surface actually stop digging if the sand feels hot, indicating that it may be daytime. They wait to resume digging until the sand feels cool, indicating nighttime. This instinct to wait for cool sand helps them avoid predatory crabs and birds as well as death by overheating. Once on the beach, they find the sea by navigating toward the brightest horizon. (Artificially lit beaches can mean death for turtles, as the lights make them lose their way to the sea.) Once they hit the water, they have to swim continuously for 1.5 to 2 days to reach their feeding grounds. They do this on their own, again as a group, with no mother to guide them. In the water, some of them become snack food for sharks and carnivorous fish. In the end, only a few baby turtles from each nest reach adulthood. Their very long lifespan counterbalances the high mortality rate of the hatchlings.

The hatchlings now in South Padre Island had arrived safely at their feeding grounds in Mexico. They should have been "home free," but the sudden cold transformed their warm haven into a death trap. They might have all died, were it not for the rescuers.

The last time it was cold like this was 2004; before that the 1980's. The polar bears' ice floes in the Arctic are melting and the turtles' tropical feeding grounds are freezing. What's wrong with this picture? As humans and guardians of the planet, I hope we can figure out how not to destroy the marvelous wildlife whose world we share.


© 2007, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Gossiping Ladies

[With this post I'm returning to the photo competition series that started November 9 and was interrupted on December 2. You can do a quick review of all those pictures by clicking on the "Fun Photos" topic label on the right.]


Here's the winning photo of the employee photography competition. This picture from the News category seemed to be the overall favorite of the judges. Not surprising, since I work for a news organization and the judges were the senior photo editors. I’ve included their comments with the caption.

The category with the least number of entries was News but it managed to generate, in the opinion of the judges, the best overall picture of the competition. Warsaw-based Sales Executive Anna Jelowicka sent in this great picture of two women deep in conversation behind the back of a new priest in Nowicka in southern Poland. Senior photographer Dylan Martinez commended Anna for having captured a nice off-beat moment. Selecting Anna's entry as the best in the competition Martinez described Anna's picture as "Wonderful, it just gets better every time I look at it."

© 2007, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement