The bear is loose ...
A playbook for variable ensembles that introduces children and young people to the dance styles of local folk music.
The idea for this booklet of Swiss folk music was born in 2012 during the Federal Young Musicians' Meeting in Zug. This festival has existed since 1978 and takes place every four years. The Swiss Folk Music Association, founded in 1963, gave it as a gift to young musicians and itself for its 50th birthday. It is intended as a contribution to the preservation and dissemination of traditional Swiss folk music from the Alpine region.
The 15 compositions by Albert Betschart, Hans Moser, Peter Berchtold, René Armbruster and Sergej Simbirev are set for three or four voices, with a duo playing the melody and a violin plus a violoncello (bass, trombone, tuba etc.) or a guitar or piano playing the bass and the "counterbeat". Sometimes the melody also appears in bass clef, so that the "basses" can also play the melody. The parallel editions in C, Bb and Eb make it possible to play together in a wide variety of instrumentations. The information on simple accompaniment options with written chord indications and guitar fingerings is also helpful. A chapter on dance styles and their rhythmic patterns completes the explanatory section.
The booklet is aimed primarily at music teachers who want to get their pupils interested in Swiss folk music. The melodies and accompanying parts can be played from the second year of lessons.
Bärenstark, 15 old and new dances, order no. 1023-C/1023-Bb/1023-Eb, Fr. 25.00 each, Mülirad-Verlag, Altdorf
