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ENGLAND traditional – Popular Piece based on SCARBOROUGH FAIR – SOLO CELLO

Other Identification:
“Scarborough Fair” is a traditional English ballad which lists a number of impossible tasks given to a former lover who lives in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. The melody is in Dorian mode and is very typical of the middle English period. The lyrics of “Scarborough Fair” appear to have something in common with a Scottish ballad titled “The Elfin Knight”, collected by Francis James Child, which has been traced as far back as 1670. Dozens of versions existed by the end of the 18th century. A number of older versions refer to locations other than Scarborough Fair, such as Wittingham Fair, Cape Ann, “twixt Berwik and Lyne”. Many versions do not even mention a place-name and are generically titled (“The Lovers’ Tasks”, “My Father Gave Me an Acre of Land”, etc.).

Movements or sections:
Song.
Johnstone makes a string solo version, which includes three separate and contrasting verses: firstly the plain melody is heard, then a verse largely in double-stoppings follows, and finally a decorated variation in regular eighth-notes. These verses are connected by short transitions, and an introduction and end Coda are also offered to round the ‘creation’ off.

Instrumentation:
SOLO VIOLONCELLO.
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1 PDF

Approximate difficulty:
EASY (Easy to medium). The idea has been to make an easy performing-level concert piece (students with only a couple of years playing can certainly attempt it) which at the same time sounds very good performed by advanced musicians and professionals!

Links (Audio – Visual), and known performances given by:
earliest commercial recording of the ballad was by actor/singers Gordon Heath and Lee Payant, Americans who ran a cafe and nightclub, L’Abbaye, on the Rive Gauche in Paris – they recorded the song on the Elektra album Encores FromThe Abbaye in 1955.
Paul Simon learned the song in London in 1965 from Martin Carthy, who had picked up the tune from the songbook by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. “Scarborough Fair/Canticle” became the Simon and Garfunkel lead track of the 1966 album ‘Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme’, and was released as a single after being featured on the soundtrack to The Graduate in 1968.

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Johnstone Music has been performed by orchestras and conservatories worldwide, earning international recognition in cello repertoire.

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