De Profundis Jigs — just click the link to see an extremely rough ‘n’ ready video (gives an idea of how it might sound: think with added drums etc.)
All posts by Mark Walker
Non Credo
in nullosque deos, in nullaque numina credo,
inque caduca magis credere uiua uolo.
My own backwards take on Credo in unum Deum. The word caduca (“earthly things”) is typically used pejoratively as a contrast to aeterna, the higher and the heavenly. But for me, that’s just the wrong way round.
(Paraphrase): I prefer to believe in this living world than invisible spirits in the sky.
Reel of Confusion
A companion to the “Jig of Despair” — this also uses that scary “Devil’s Tritone”.
Jig of Despair
A “mysterious” tune that uses the so-called “Devil’s Tritone” interval. The opening 3 bars should be played with harmonics. (To be followed by the “Reel of Confusion”)
The Drunken Sloth
A tipsy tune inspired by a famously hilarious incident in the novel HMS Surprise in which Captain Aubrey gets a tame sloth sloshed on rum! The music depicts first the graceful creature (play the opening legato, fingers held down and allow those notes to ring) then its descent into drunkenness with fast madly chromatic runs.
Spitting Feathers Waltz
An original, rather silly tune, to be played with lots of Bluegrass swing and exaggerated tremelo … the coda is breakneck speed.
Tom Bowling
My arrangement for mandolin of Dibdin’s lovely ballad. Lots of position shifting and big, ringing chords here.
De Profundis Jigs
A set of jigs written for the bass guitar — start off fast, then get faster!
De Bellis Sidereis
Caput Quattuor: Quaedam Spes Noua
Dramatis Personae in ordine aduentus eorum:
- Er-Duo De-Duo – automatum paruum
- Ce-Tres-Pe-O – automatum uerbosum
- Darthus Vader – Dominus Ater Sithensis
- Leia – uirgo regia, rebellatrix
- Owenus Lars– patruus Lucii
- Beru Lars – coniunx Oweni
- Lucius Skywalker – adulescens qui inuitus deserta colit, tiro miles Iedorum
- Obi-Wannus Kenobi (‘Senex Benedictus’) – ueteranus miles ordinis Iedorum
- Magnus Moff Tarkin – dux imperatorius, legatus Stellae Mortis
- Hannus Solus – pirata bonus, praefectus Millennium Falconis
- Chewbacca – gubernator hirsutus Millennium Falconis
Olim aliquo in orbe caeli, qui longissime abest …
Tempus est belli ciuilis. Caelestis classis seditiosa, impetu e latibulo facto in Malum Imperium Orbis Caeli, primum superior discessit.
Dum pugnatum est, exploratores seditiosi descriptiones arcanas armorum ultimorum Imperii, Stellae Mortis – uidelicet castrorum caelestorum in quibus satis sunt uires ut totam stellam errantem delere queant – rapere poterant.
Legatis maleficis Imperii subsequentibus, Leia, Filia regis, in naue caelesti sua domum currit, custos descriptionum raptarum, quae gentem eius liberare et libertatem caelo restituere poterunt …
Actus I:
Super flauam stellam errantem, Tatooine nomine, parua nauis caelestis – id est cursor seditiosus obisdionum – fulmina iaciens a tergo, per caelos decurrit. Ingens nauis caelestis imperatoria eam prosequitur, iaciens fulmina item. Naue seditiosa fulminibus tacta, diruptio magna nauem quatit. Altera diruptio duo automata, quae in parte interiore ambulant, quatit.
Ce-Tres-Pe-O: Audiebasne haec? Machina prima finita est. Certe delebimus. Insania est!
Milites seditiosi in via se disponunt. Tela intendunt in ianuam.
Tres-Pe-O: Periimus!
Er-Duo De-Duo sibilos uarios, quos Tres-Pe-O intellegit, emittit.
Tres-Pe-O: Hoc tempore, Filia regis non fugam petere poterit.
Plures sibilos Er-Duo De-Duo emittit sicut uolucris cantat. De foras naue, clangores incognitos audiuntur.
Tres-Pe-O: Quid est?
Exteriore: In caelo, cursor obsidionum ab maiore naue imperatoria facile capta est et tracta in nauale ingentis nauis.
Interiore cursoris: Trepide, milites seditiosi adhuc tela intendunt in ianuam. Tunc, flagrantia magna repentinaque facta et ianua dirupta, subito milites imperatorii ingrediuntur. Utrimque proelium committunt acriter. Dum fulmina crebro fulminant, automata trans mediam uiam ambulant.
E foribus deletis, Darthus Vader – Dominus Ater Sithensis et legatus Imperatoris – nauem seditiosam intrat. Vader totus nigris in uestibus uestitur: uestit non solum togam atram sed quoque laruam horribilem ad inspirandum. Vadero ingresso, milites seditiosae terga uerterunt.
Interim, aliquo in atrio obscuro Er-Duo sibilat dum femina quaedam chartulam electronicam in rima eius tholosi capitis inserit. In uicino Tres-Pe-O amicum paruulum suum quaerit.
Tres-Pe-O: Er-Duo De-Duo, ubi es?
Procul, Tres-Pe-O Er-Duos et feminam spectat. Femina exit. Er-Duo sibilat.
Tres-Pe-O: Postremo, quo ibas?
Ad Lunam
Luna mane lucens clare,
gaudens Sole nunc micare
nequit umbra te uelare.
Luna lucis Solis plena
labens super me serena
neque tractat te catena,
quae retractat me submissum
ex Olympo nunc demissum
uinctum sine spe amissum.
Luna lenis, me precatum
iuues scire meum fatum
terra non in caelis natum.