Christmas Eve, and no word from Best Buy, which is allegedly transferring data from my deceased PC (the motherboard is "crap," said the tech) to my new laptop. I'm currently on an ancient Lenovo (c. 1912-1913), and it's taking years to do anything. But it's an old PC, so I shouldn't speak too unkindly of it. It's a miracle that it runs at all. Yes, I feel like tossing it down the bank, but that's my German and Irish blood speaking.
Anyway, on this creaky relic I found a zip file containing my 2011 self-recording (on my Casio WK-3800) of Jingle Bells in its original version. This version is from the William B. Bradbury tunebook, The Victory (1872; above). I'd wanted to do a new scan, but this... thing won't allow my Epson to do anything. It detects the device, but that's about it. Kudos to the machine for at least knowing that a scanner was plugged into it.
Anyway, this is what Jingle Bells initially sounded like, and I'm glad it was revised. It's arranged for solo-and-accompaniment, and then for the chorus it goes into SATB harmony. This raises the fascinating possibility that the chorus was intended to be sung a cappella. That's my guess.
The chorus presented a music-reading challenge, since (in typical fashion for a 19th-century choral book) the tenor is notated at the top in the treble clef (and meant to be sung one octave lower). But I soldiered through. And the outlets in this room lost power a few minutes ago, and I had to flip the breaker switch off and on. Somebody (or something) doesn't want this post to happen. (Theremin music: Oooooo-weeeee-oooo.) Merry Christmas, anyway!
9 comments:
Merry Christmas, Lee, and here's hoping your PC problems will soon be in the past!
Hi Lee,
What a small world, that you are both of German and Irish descent also. With me, I am more on the Irish side, but German is always present.
That being said, wow, I did not know computers were being built as far back as in 1912-1913. Okay, I know it is a typo. But, to have a computer that can still run after about 5 years, you are very lucky.
So glad you uploaded this track. It's really interesting to hear it in its original planned version.
One more thing I can add...
When I was in our school choirs, Grade = Church Choir, Junior, and High School, we only sang this song in November. We never sang it during Advent and the Christmas Season. Then again, we sang it during the Epiphany season.
Buster,
Merry Christmas to you, too! And I hope Best Buy gets in touch with me, um... sometime? (-:
Bryan,
1912-1913 was just my weird sense of humor. When I'm annoyed at a PC, I'll sometimes say things like, "This thing is operating back in 1895..." Just my brand of hyperbole!
And you're probably right--I'm lucky that my main PC lasted that long. And that this is still running AT ALL after probably twelve years! Seriously--it's that old. I really have no right to say nasty things about a Lenovo that even turns on after 12 years!
Merry Christmas Lee! Hope you can put all this computer trouble behind you soon. I do not look forward to having to buy a new PC this year. More and more of my software it telling me it can no longer run on such an old machine. I'm glad it's doing that rather than just breaking, but it's spooky to hear my computer talking to me...
Glad to see you snuck in one more post before the big day. Belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your cat. Looking forward to your big return here on the blog when things finally get straightened out.
Ernie,
It would be spookier to hear it singing to you! But, seriously, hope it holds up, and Merry Christmas back atcha! (Hm. Does anyone use that phrase anymore?)
musicman1979,
Thanks! I can't wait to get back. Holiday greetings to you, too. And I'm glad I had this old track sitting on this machine--it got quite a few downloads originally (around 1400, I think). I was quite surprised.
Here is the photo link from the Premier album from the archives of the photo gallery of Brand "X" Records;
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10160699044349054&set=g.561292573969109
Lee,
Belated Merry Christmas. Has this MP3 not seen the light of internet day since 2011? Oh and I'm used to my PC talking to me, has to do it or I get concerned. Belated Happy New Year, as well, love and prayin' for ya.
Romans 11:33-36 KJB
Josh
Church Podcast: https://www.sermonaudio.com/pleasantviewky [sermonaudio.com]
Personal Podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/back-to-the-old-paths--4074743 [spreaker.com]
TIBPF Podcast: https://www.tibpf.sermon.net [tibpf.sermon.net]
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