The Tinguian: Social, Religious, and Economic Life of a Philippine TribeCole, Fay-Cooper
Religion
The Tinguian: Social, Religious, and Economic Life of a Philippine Tribe
Cole, Fay-Cooper
Tinguian (Philippine people)
Part 1 is in the very unusual rhythm of 5/4. The rhythm is not
well defined, however, as there is considerable abandon in the
style of rendition. The metronome tempo of 69 applies practically
throughout. Sometimes the singers are a trifle in advance of the count
and at others drag behind, but always sooner or later drop into the
regular beat. A stress on each fifth count gives the number a rhythm
of five. It is unique also in that each line has but five measures.
Part 2
In this, the same number of voices is heard as in the first part. The
performers seem to be the same ones who sang from the beginning.
The scale is the same as that of part 1. The intonation is very
distinct and the character unmistakably pentatonic.
In measure 2 there is the harmony-interval of a perfect fourth
followed immediately by that of a minor third, the same succession
as was used in the _Da-eng_, Girls' part (Record J). In the fourth
and fifth measures of this part are found unprepared minor thirds,
which also appear in Record J. These harmonies are not so primitive
as those found in the boys' part of the same ceremony (see Record A).
The tempo throughout this part is 80 and the rhythm strongly
marked. There is a wait between the two lines. The machine was
evidently stopped at this point or the needle raised and started
again. Each line has the uncommon number of five measures the same
as the first part, but metrically the part is in 4/4 rhythm.
The second time through, the singers seem to be striving to repeat
the first line of the movement with embellishments consisting of
inverted mordents, appogiature, and trills.
Musically, there seems to be absolutely no connection between this
song and the other two of the same ceremony. In many ways this song
is the most interesting of those submitted. In origin it probably
dates between the other two.
It is not given consecutively on the record, as there were breaks
between each two lines while the needle was raised.
_Da-Eng_. Girls' part.
Record J. Sung while dancing in a religious ceremony.
The record shows but two voices one of which is greatly predominant
in strength and confidence as if it were the leader's voice.
The song is cast in the scale of B minor. It is not pentatonic. The
singers would employ, so an interrogation-mark is; placed below that
be either A-natural or A-sharp, according to whether the scale is
the _natural_ minor or the _harmonic_ minor, it is not possible to
determine which tone the singers would employ, so an interrogation mark
is placed below that note. The raised fourth (E-sharp), shown in the
fifth measure of four out of the six verses, is perfectly intentional
on the part of the singers, but musically, is to be interpreted as
an accidental, and does not affect the scale of the song.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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