Advancing armies

There is a fantastic part in the Pini di Roma by Respighi in the last section. Trumpets sound, and as the sun comes up the Roman Army swings down the Appian way in all its conquering glory. I've heard the piece live and it gets into your blood so much that swear I didn't just hear the music: I saw that army, glorious and vigorous, the sunlight glancing off its shields and swords, its banners flapping in the breeze.

I'm feeling much the same about the wonderful March of the King of Laoise, as played by the Sea Stallions. On the one hand it has a courtly, stately feel to it: I can imagine it being a lively but very formal dance. But when the guitar comes in (and I speak as someone who normally feels that guitarists, and accompanists of all sorts, have no place at all in folk music), it definitely becomes an army. This time it's green hills and valleys they are tramping, but the tune is relentless; I can imaging the march going on and on. The guitar gives a percussive sound which is perhaps the drummers, beating time, or the clank of arms (military history definitely isn't my thing, so I think it sounds like chain mail but have a feeling that Irish armies wouldn't have worn such a thing).

Anyway, last night that army marched through my brain. They marched on and on, and this morning I felt I had to play it. Dots courtesy of Mr Kinnear (who says I can go up to collect the monkey in person when he's ready). As with many tunes that sound effortlessly and elegantly simple it's not that easy. I've been trying it without gracing. Although marked as a slow march there is no dawdling here. Despite having the tune in my head - and listening to the Stallions a few times - the timing is problematic. In the end I dusted off my chanter and managed to sort it with that. Still not easy: that DGD, BGB means getting fingers down clean and tight on the chanter, and my hands got too tired to do it properly after a while.

I intend to try again later and hopefully will record.