To Embellish or Not To Embellish - That Is The Question

[Richard Damron]

This is NOT an affront upon religion although my thought process began while in church this morning. When serving communion in my church, the sacraments are distributed to the congregation by members who volunteer their services. During this interlude - or, down time - an appropriate Christian recording is played through the sound system as backdrop to the goings on.

This morning, an unnamed "artist" performed self-styled "Christian" lyrics to the melodies and harmonies of "Danny Boy". In, and of, itself this is no big deal. It has been done in church music for ages.
What sets this particular "rendition" apart is the fact that the performer engaged in wildly distracting embellishments to the melody. So much, in fact, that the original tune was essentially destroyed, decimated. I know, this is current practice in pop music in this day and age. But to carry it to such an extreme such that the original approaches being unrecognizable? The alterations to the melody, the up and down glissandos - some slight, most large - completely turned me off. I posit that most "artists" these days cannot hold a note for more than a few milliseconds without going off pitch or running out of breath hence they meander all over the "north fourty" so as to get through a phrase.

Now, y'all know that I espouse the concept of "personal preference" with a passion, especially in musical tastes. I also know that someone will remind me of that passion and suggest that I simply "turn it off", mentally, and be done with it.

However, the above begs a simple question: - does one have a "license" of sorts to thoroughly mangle another's composition sans some form of retribution - other than rejection? We all take minor liberties with a melody - hopefully to enhance it in some way. We are respectful of someone else's effort. But how much is TOO much?

I'm exercising my right of "personal preference" both in my distaste for what that person did to a perfectly beautiful tune and to state that I hated it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The rant has ended.

Richard

[Tony Glassman]

My personal rule is to "embellish sensibly".

[Donny Hinson]

You're spitting in the wind on this issue, Richard, and I feel your pain. Every time I hear someone do a rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner" these days, I cringe when they turn it into some kind of solfeggio vocal exercise.

This always reminds me of a story about the time that one of Hank William's (Sr.) guitar players was playing behind Hank when he was doing "Cold, Cold Heart", and decided to throw in a couple of minor passing chords. After the song was over, Hank turned to the guitar player and said "I wrote that damn song, and there ain't no minors in it!!!"

[Clyde Mattocks]

To add to Donny's comments about Hank's songs, nothing got under Don Helm's skin any worse at steel shows while he was playing than someone doing the modern chord progression to "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry".

[Dave Hopping]

Anybody remember Reba MacIntyre's take on "Cathy's Clown"?

[Mark van Allen]

It may be unfair to bring Reba into this. I'm pretty sure she's entirely incapable of using less than 9 syllables to express a single-syllable word.

[Barry Blackwood]

It may be unfair to bring Reba into this. I'm pretty sure she's entirely incapable of using less than 9 syllables to express a single-syllable word.

Good one, Mark.

Richard, I agree with you wholeheartedly, but I'm afraid we live in an age where, unfortunately, melisma is the norm. Yes, it's a free country, but lately each new generation of performers seems to take some kind of perverse pride in disrespecting tradition.