Thursday, October 14, 2010

"Down in the River to Pray"--Allan Hall




This a great song I just heard tonight. Very much of an early American folk sound. The musician is the pianist for the group Selah.

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7 comments:

Jeff Culbreath said...

I think you'll like the Alison Krauss version as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68_zDlzJDF8

10/14/2010 9:40 PM
Lydia McGrew said...

I was trying to listen to her version tonight but couldn't get one of the Youtube versions to load. I'll try that one tomorrow.

10/14/2010 11:19 PM
Lydia McGrew said...

Loved the Krauss version, too.

For some reason it always seems striking when they get to "Come on, sinners, let's go down..."

10/15/2010 9:31 AM
Mr Veale said...

Love it.

10/15/2010 11:42 AM
Mr Veale said...

I'll have to send you some traditional Irish songs.

One's that aren't about drinking...

10/15/2010 11:45 AM
Lydia McGrew said...

Thanks, Mr. Veale!

I'm still smiling over the bit about Irish songs that aren't about drinking.

There is "some sort of connection" (here I show my ignorance) between American folk music and Irish/English folk tunes.

This one isn't based on the Dorian mode, but that's often a giveaway of "that sound." If you know the song "What Wondrous Love is This," it's in Dorian, I believe.

10/15/2010 3:25 PM
Lydia McGrew said...

CORRECTION: I don't know what I was thinking. "Down in the River to Pray" _is_ in the Dorian mode. It's _obviously_ in the Dorian mode (and I also just checked on the piano). I just wasn't thinking of it clearly when I casually said that it wasn't.

Generally, if something has "American folk tune" stamped on it that strongly, one should assume that it's in Dorian.

A real musician wouldn't have to think twice about this question.

10/16/2010 10:18 AM

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