Subj : Re: church
To   : Mike Dippel
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Thu Aug 26 2021 21:33:00

Mike,

 MD> My choice was "Time To Say Goodbye".  Wow!  I picked probably the most
 MD> difficult song because it uses a lot of flats, then goes to a key
 MD> change that uses C, F and G sharps.

  I remember when I took Music Theory in college, they had a pnemonic (sp?)
on how to remember the key signatures. 

  First, every major key, has a corresponding minor key equivalent...which 
puts a bit of a spooky feel to it. Or, you could do like Charles Ives did, 
with his choral rendition of Psalm 67 -- the women were in C Major, but the 
men were in G Minor...apparently he loved dissonance for his tonalities...
and apparently, the more horrible sounding, the better he liked it.

  Back to key signatures, depending on flats or sharps, the other one had
them in reverse, as follows:

Flats: B E A D G C F - Big Elephants Always Do Grand Colossal Feats

Sharps: F C G D A E B - Fat Cows Go Down And Eat Barley

  And, usually the more "accidentals" in it (instead of C Major or A Minor),
it got more difficult. I remember being in handbell choir in college (I was
"a dead ringer for a ding-a-ling <G>"), but we rang "Carol Of The Bells" in
F-Sharp Major.
  
  While I still do Gospel Poetry, when I was putting music to it (basically
chordal improvisation), my favorite was D-Flat Major, using the pentatonic
scale (5 notes, the black keys). Ironically, that's what many of the Negro 
Spirituals were based on. 

  The most well known as penned by a former ship captain, who was a slave
trader, named John Newton...who after he became a Christian, wrote the
classic "Amazing Grace"...which was my late father's favorite hymn. 

  You can find that on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNuQbJst4Lk

  He notes that "The Negroes learned those 5 notes only. It was NOT
'Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do' -- that was someone else". <G>

  My late wife's favorite was "Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus", and mine is
"The Old Rugged Cross". The first time I heard that, I broke down and cried.

  I loved watching these virtuoso pianists playing a piece, then change the
key signature to D-Flat, and work up and down the keys. The late Anthony
Berger, as well as Dino Kartsonakas (sp?) would effortless work up and down
the keyboard with Gospel Music. On the "secular side", I think of Emily
Bear...who started playing piano when she was a toddler (the same with
Anthony Berger). Yet, some of these folks truly have "the gift".

  As for singing, I had sung in choirs in church, high school, and college,
for over 30 years...but my health won't let me do it anymore.

  My favorite now is the a cappella (without accompaniment) Barbershop and
Beautyshop Quartets. There is a group called "Lunch Break", who did a deal
called "Old MacDonald Had A Deformed Farm", and the "critters" there were
a scream. You can find that at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea2WYe-sTFE

  I would advise you to empty your bladder, not be eating or drinking, etc.
before viewing this...or you'll have a mess on your hands. <G>

Daryl

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