Capercaille Notes for Music GCSE

Folk: learnt by ear

         folk revival in 1950s led to folk combined with elements of pop

Capercaille: Celtic fusion (celtic= wales, ireland, scotland, fusion= folk + pop)

                    Scottish band that started recording in 1984

Waulking: pounding tweed cloth against a wooden board

                 sang songs to enliven work, pass the time, keep time for pounding

                 call and response form

Skye Waulking Song: released in 2000 in the album Nadurra

                                   lyrics from the long lament called John, Son of the King

                                   of Scotland

Layered Texture created by:

• Rhythmic pattern of drum kit
• Bass line on bass guitar
• Chords on synth and accordian
• main melody by voice
• countermelodies on other melody instruments: violin, Wurlitzer piano, Uilleann pipes, bouzouki

Wurlitzer piano- earily type of electric piano

Uilleann pipes- softer toned bagpipes

Bouzouki- lute from Greece

N.C- no chord (accompaniment drops out)

with modulation- modulation on synth- like vibrato (cluster chord at start)

Intro: instrumental, then voice enters

Verse 1: voice and accompaniment

Verse 2: voice and accompaniment (with instrumental break)

Coda: short vocal phrases echo end of refrain 1, then accompaniment fades out

The call and response form has a phrase (call) and the a refrain (response)

Phrase 1: Gaelic (high D)

Refrain 1: Vocables (mid B)

Phrase 2: Gaelic (low D)

Refrain 2: Vocables (high E)

Pentatonic- 5 note scale

Vocals- low register (written in tenor clef)

           - mainly syllabic

           - some parts spoken in Scots Gaelic

           - vocables= nonsense syllables

           - call and repsonse

Instruments- short motifs and countermelodies based on vocal phrases

                   - main instrumental break based on refrain 2

• 12/8 metre- compound, quadruple time

• Syncopation in vocal line and in instrumental countermelodies

• Cross rhythms in hi-hat pattern at start- changes to emphasise 12/8 when full band enters

• G major

• Entirely diatonic (within key)

• 3 main chords: G, Em, C (I, relative minor, IV)

• Dominant chord- D-  is avoided giving a modal feel