"Rorie Dall's Sister's Lament" for double-strung harp with low G
"Rorie Dall's Sister's Lament" for double-strung harp with low G
This is a slow Scottish lament arranged in the Dorian mode. Harken back to a deep sadness expressed by someone who was ancient at the time of the American Revolution. For double-strung harps with G as the lowest string. PDF
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This is the version with C below middle C as the lowest string. The version on this page starts 4 strings higher, on the G below middle C.
This tune was published by Daniel Dow in the 1770s and was probably composed by Roderick Morison (~1656-1713). My double-strung harp arrangement in the Dorian mode has rolled, echoed chords, highlighting the depth of sound we can get from having two sets of strings. The accompaniment hand traverses the entire range of the harp, often overlapping the melody hand.
Harp: Double-strung harp and double-strung lap harp.
Key and range: A Dorian version (one sharp). 21x2 strings. G below middle C through F. Got lower strings? Get the D Dorian version (all naturals). 24x2 strings. C below middle C through E.
Lever changes: None.
Level: Intermediate beginner.
Good for: Performance, memorials, therapeutic settings.
Double-strung effects: The LH accompaniment frequently overlaps the RH melody range. Rolled accompaniment chords often contain the same note as the melody, creating a rolled echo. Some chords that aren’t rolled have doubled notes in both hands, creating depth. The repetition of LH patterns makes this a great piece to learn overlapping hands with.
Characteristics: Neither hand needs to place more than an octave spread. There are some four-note chords (always LH 1-3-5-8). The RH has almost no chords. Few of the chords are inversions. There are very few sixteenth notes; no more than three played together with one hand. The LH has two long-run patterns (1-5-8-9-10 and 1-5-8-9) which can be played with cross-unders or a wandering thumb. The RH has a few cross-overs/unders.
Finger placement: Finger number suggestions are provided for key phrases. Numbers above the notes are suggestions for the RH (marked with “R” or “R#” when they occur in the bottom staff). Numbers below the notes are suggestions for the LH (marked with “L” or “L#” when they occur in the top staff). To see what I mean, view the PDF of finger placement examples in "Rorie Dall's Sister's Lament."
Notation: Chord symbols are provided. Treble clef is used for both staves, with 8vb for the low notes.
Length: 4 pages. 60 measures, plus 12 if you take the repeat. 4 minutes.
Page turns: If you are printing, double-side pages 2 and 3 so that there is only one page turn. The RH can be used on all notes of page 2’s last measure, so that the LH can turn the page. If you are using single pages on a tablet, you can do something similar at the end of page 3. Page 1’s turn is manageable. Contact me after purchase if you’d like a version that fits on two pages.
Don’t worry: The sad flower image➚ that appears as a background on the thumbnail is not present on your PDF.