Monday, December 31, 2012

Auld Lang Syne


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also .. previous Auld Lang Syne from '11 and old Auld Lang Syne from '07
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The music came from Dirigent on iCompositions, a celebrated artist more widely known as Andreas Hermann who is big in classical music.
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Auld Lang Syne

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Auld Lang Syne (disambiguation).
Auld Lang Syne
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Frank C. Stanley's 1910 performance of Auld Lang Syne. Contains the first and last verse.
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Auld Lang Syne
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United States Navy Band instrumental performance
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Auld Lang Syne
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Les Deux Love Orchestra's Classic New Year's Eve Arrangement
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"Auld Lang Syne" (Scots pronunciation: [ˈɔːl(d) lɑŋˈsəin]: note "s" rather than "z")[1] is a Scotspoem written by Robert Burns in 1788[2][3] and set to the tune of a traditional folk song (Roud# 6294). It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-speaking world; its traditional use being to celebrate the start of the New Year at the stroke of midnight. By extension, it is also sung at funerals, graduations and as a farewell or ending to other occasions. The international Boy Scout youth movement, in many countries, uses it as a close to jamborees and other functions.
The song's Scots title may be translated into English literally as "old long since", or more idiomatically, "long long ago",[4] "days gone by" or "old times". Consequently "For auld lang syne", as it appears in the first line of the chorus, might be loosely translated as "for (the sake of) old times".
The phrase "Auld Lang Syne" is also used in similar poems by Robert Ayton (1570–1638),Allan Ramsay (1686–1757), and James Watson (1711) as well as older folk songs predating Burns.[5] Matthew Fitt uses the phrase "In the days of auld lang syne" as the equivalent of "Once upon a time..." in his retelling of fairy tales in the Scots language.

Contents

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[edit]History

Robert Burns sent a copy of the original song to the Scots Musical Museum with the remark, "The following song, an old song, of the olden times, and which has never been in print, nor even in manuscript until I took it down from an old man."[6] Some of the lyrics were indeed "collected" rather than composed by the poet; the ballad "Old Long Syne" printed in 1711 by James Watson shows considerable similarity in the first verse and the chorus to Burns' later poem,[5] and is almost certainly derived from the same "old song".
Should Old Acquaintance be forgot,
and never thought upon;
The flames of Love extinguished,
and fully past and gone:
Is thy sweet Heart now grown so cold,
that loving Breast of thine;
That thou canst never once reflect
On Old long syne.
CHORUS:
On Old long syne my Jo,
On Old long syne,
That thou canst never once reflect,
On Old long syne.
it is a fair supposition to attribute the rest of the poem to Burns himself.[6]
There is some doubt as to whether the melody used today is the same one Burns originally intended, but it is widely used in Scotland and in the rest of the world.[3][7]
Singing the song on Hogmanay or New Year's Eve very quickly became a Scots custom that soon spread to other parts of the British Isles. As Scots (not to mention English, Welsh and Irish people) emigrated around the world, they took the song with them.
Canadian band leader Guy Lombardo is often credited with popularising the use of the song at New Year’s celebrations in America, through his annual broadcasts on radio and television, beginning in 1929. The song became his trademark. In addition to his live broadcasts, Lombardo recorded the song more than once. His first recording was in 1939. A later recording on 29 September 1947 was issued as a single by Decca Records ascatalogue #24260.[8]
Earlier newspaper articles describe revellers on both sides of the Atlantic singing the song to usher in the New Year:
  • "Holiday Parties at Lenox" (Massachusetts, USA) (1896) – The company joined hands in the great music room at midnight and sang “Auld Lang Syne” as the last stroke of 12 sounded and the new year came in.[9]
  • "New Year's Eve in London" (London, England) (1910) – Usual Customs Observed by People of All Classes… The passing of the old year was celebrated in London much as usual. The Scottish residents gathered outside of St. Paul's Church and sang “Auld Lang Syne” as the last stroke of 12 sounded from the great bell.[10]
A manuscript of "Auld Lang Syne" is held in the permanent collection of The Lilly Library at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.[11]

[edit]Lyrics

The song begins by posing a rhetorical question as to whether it is right that old times be forgotten, and is generally interpreted as a call to remember long-standing friendships.[12] Thomson’s Select Songs of Scotland was published in 1799 in which the second verse about greeting and toasting was moved to its present position at the end.[12]
Most common use of the song involves only the first verse and the chorus. The last lines of both of these are often sung with the extra words "For the sake of" or "And days of", rather than Burns' simpler lines. This allows one note for each word, rather than the slight melisma required to fit Burns' original words to the melody.
Complete lyrics
Burns’ original Scots verse[4]English translation
(minimalist)		Scots pronunciation guide
(as Scots speakers would sound)		IPA pronunciation guide[13]
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne* ?
CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my jo,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp !
and surely I’ll be mine !
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
CHORUS
We twa hae run about the braes,
and pu’d the gowans fine ;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,
sin auld lang syne.
CHORUS
We twa hae paidl’d i' the burn,
frae morning sun till dine ;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
sin auld lang syne.
CHORUS
And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere !
and gie's a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll tak a right gude-willy waught,
for auld lang syne.
CHORUS
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne ?
CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !
and surely I’ll buy mine !
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
CHORUS
We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.
CHORUS
We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine† ;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.
CHORUS
And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give us a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.
CHORUS
Shid ald akwentans bee firgot,
an nivir brocht ti mynd?
Shid ald akwentans bee firgot,
an ald lang syn*?
CHORUS:
Fir ald lang syn, ma jo,
fir ald lang syn,
wil tak a cup o kyndnes yet,
fir ald lang syn.
An sheerly yil bee yur pynt-staup!
an sheerly al bee myn!
An will tak a cup o kyndnes yet,
fir ald lang syn.
CHORUS
We twa hay rin aboot the braes,
an pood the gowans fyn;
Bit weev wandert monae a weery fet,
sin ald lang syn.
CHORUS
We twa hay pedilt in the burn,
fray mornin sun til dyn;
But seas between us bred hay roard
sin ald lang syn.
CHORUS
An thers a han, my trustee feer!
an gees a han o thyn!
And we’ll tak a richt‡ gude-willie-waucht‡,
fir ald lang syn.
CHORUS
ʃɪd o̜ːld ə.kwɛn.təns bi fəɾ.ɡot,
ən nɪ.vəɾ brɔxt tɪ məin?
ʃɪd o̜ːld ə.kwɛn.təns bi fəɾ.ɡot,
ən o̜ːl lɑŋ səin?
CHORUS:
fəɾ o̜ːl lɑŋ səin, mɑ dʒo,
fəɾ o̜ːl lɑŋ səin,
wiːl tɑk ə kʌp ə kəin.nəs jɛt,
fəɾ o̜ːl lɑŋ səin.
ən ʃeːr.li jiːl bi juːɾ pəin.stʌup!
ən ʃeːr.li ɑːl bi məin!
ən wiːl tɑk ə kʌp ə kəin.nəs jɛt,
fəɾ o̜ːl lɑŋ səin.
CHORUS
wi two̜̜ː heː rɪn ə.but ðə breːz,
ən puːd ðə ɡʌu.ənz fəin;
bʌt wiːv wɑn.əɾt mʌ.ne ə wiːɾɪ fɪt,
sɪn o̜ːl laŋ səin.
CHORUS
wi two̜̜ː heː pe.dlt ɪn ðə bʌɾn,
freː moːɾ.nɪn sɪn tɪl dəin;
bʌt siːz ə.twin ʌs bred heː roːrd
sɪn o̜lː laŋ səin.
CHORUS
ən ðeːrz ə ho̜ːn, mɑ trʌs.tɪ fiːɾ!
əŋ ɡiːz ə ho̜ːn ə ðəin!
ən wiːl tak ə rɪxt ɡɪd wʌ.lɪ wo̜ːxt,
fəɾ o̜lː laŋ səin.
CHORUS
† dine = "dinner time"
‡ ch = soft sound, at the back of the mouth like [k] but with the mouth partly open like /f/. Similar to "Bach" in German
* syne = "since" or "then" - pronounced "sign" rather than "zine".

[edit]Melody

The tune to which "Auld Lang Syne" is commonly sung is a pentatonic Scots folk melody, probably originally a sprightly dance in a much quickertempo.[12]
English composer William Shield seems to quote the "Auld Lang Syne" melody briefly at the end of the overture to his opera Rosina, which may be its first recorded use. The contention that Burns borrowed the melody from Shield is for various reasons highly unlikely, although they may very well both have taken it from a common source, possibly a strathspey called The Miller's Wedding or The Miller's Daughter. The problem is that tunes based on the same set of dance steps necessarily have a similar rhythm, and even a superficial resemblance in melodic shape may cause a very strong apparent similarity in the tune as a whole. For instance, Burns' poem Coming Through the Rye is sung to a tune that might also be based on the Miller's Wedding. The origin of the tune of God Save the Queen presents a very similar problem and for just the same reason, as it is also based on a dance measure.[14] (See the note in the William Shield article on this subject.)
In 1855, different words were written for the Auld Lang Syne tune by Albert Laighton and titled, "Song of the Old Folks." This song was included in the tunebook, Father Kemp's Old Folks Concert Tunes published in Boston, Massachusetts in 1860.[15]
Songwriter George M. Cohan quotes the first line of the "Auld Lang Syne" melody in the second to last line of the chorus of You're a Grand Old Flag. It is plain from the lyrics that this is deliberate.
John Philip Sousa quotes the melody in the Trio section of his 1924 march "Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company"
In the Sacred Harp choral tradition, an arrangement of it exists under the name "Plenary". The lyrics are a memento mori and begin with the words "Hark! from the tomb a doleful sound". Another Christian arrangement, once popular in India, is "Hail! Sweetest, Dearest Tie That Binds" by Amos Sutton.[16]
The University of Virginia's alma mater ("The Good Old Song") is also sung to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne".

[edit]Uses

[edit]At New Year

"Auld Lang Syne" is traditionally sung at the conclusion of New Year gatherings in Scotland and around the world, especially in English-speaking countries.
It is common practice that everyone joins hands with the person next to them to form a great circle around the dance floor. At the beginning of the last verse, everyone crosses their arms across their breast, so that the right hand reaches out to the neighbour on the left and vice versa. When the tune ends, everyone rushes to the middle, while still holding hands. When the circle is re-established, everyone turns under the arms to end up facing outwards with hands still joined.
In countries other than Scotland the hands are often crossed from the beginning of the song at variance with Scottish custom. The Scottish practice was demonstrated by the Queen at the Millennium Dome celebrations for the year 2000. The English press berated her for not "properly" crossing her arms, unaware that she was correctly following the Scottish tradition.[17][18]

[edit]Other than New Year

As well as celebrating the New Year, Auld Lang Syne is very widely used to symbolise other "endings/new beginnings" – including farewells, funerals (and other memorials of the dead), graduations, the end of a (non-New Year) party or a Boy Scout gathering, the election of a new government, the last lowering of the Union Jack as a British Colony achieves independence and even the closing of a retail store. The melody is also widely used for other words, especially the songs of sporting and other clubs, and even national anthems. In Scotland and other parts of Britain, in particular, it is associated with celebrations and memorials of Robert Burns. The following list of specific uses is far from comprehensive.

[edit]In the English-speaking world

[edit]In non-English-speaking countries

Auld Lang Syne has been translated into many languages, and the song is widely sung in many parts of the world. The song's pentatonic scale matches scales used in Japan, India, China and other East Asian countries, which has facilitated its "nationalisation" in the East. The following particular examples mostly detail things that are special or unusual about the use of the song in a particular country.
  • In India and Bangladesh, the melody was the direct inspiration for the popular Bengali song "Purano shei diner kotha" (Memories of the Good Old Days) composed by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, and forms one of the more recognisable tunes in Rabindra Sangeet (Rabindra's Songs), a body of work of 2,230 songs and lyrical poems that form the backbone of Bengali music.
  • In China students sing the song in Chinese for friendship. The translation would probably be, 'Friendship for ever' (友誼地久天長). It is also sung at student graduations and funerals. It has the meaning of the ending of relationships.
  • In Denmark, the song was translated in 1927 by the famous Danish poet Jeppe Aakjær. Much like Robert Burns' use of dialect, Aakjær translated the song into the Danish dialect sallingbomål, a dialect from the northern part of western Jutland, south of the Limfjord, often hard for other Danes to understand. The song Skuld gammel venskab rejn forgo ("Should auld acquantaince be forgot"), is an integral part of the Danish Højskoletradition, and often associated with more rural areas and old traditions. Also, the former Danish rock group Gasolin modernised the melody in 1974 with their pop ballad Stakkels Jim ("Poor Jim").
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    Japanese version of Auld Lang Syne. This song is called 蛍の光 in Japan ("Hotaru no hikari", meaning "Glow of a firefly"). 1m00s
     In Japan, the Japanese students' song Hotaru no hikari ("Glow of a firefly") uses the "Auld Lang Syne" tune, but completely different words, an example of contrafactum. The words describe a series of images of hardships that the industrious student endures in his relentless quest for knowledge, starting with the firefly’s light, which the student uses to keep studying when he has no other light sources. It is commonly heard in graduation ceremonies and at the end of the school day. Many stores and restaurants play it to usher customers out at the end of a business day. The national broadcaster,NHK, also plays this during New Year celebrations. Another Western song reworked in the same period (late 19th century) and used at graduation ceremonies is "Aogeba tōtoshi", which is sometimes confused with "Hotaru no hikari".
  • Before the composition of Aegukga, the lyrics of Korea’s national anthem were sung to the tune of this song until composer Ahn Eak-taicomposed a new melody to the existing lyrics.
  • Before 1972, it was the tune for the Gaumii salaam anthem of The Maldives (with the current words).
  • In the Netherlands the melody is most known for the Dutch football song Wij houden van Oranje (We love Orange) performed by André Hazes.
  • In Thailand, the song Samakkhi Chumnum (สามัคคีชุมนุม,Together in unity), which is set to the familiar melody, is sung after sports, and at the end of Boy Scout jamborees as well as for the New Year. The meaning is about the King and national unity. It is commonly believed to be a Thai traditional song.

[edit]Use in films

The strong and obvious associations of the song and its melody have made it a common staple for film soundtracks from the very early days of "talking" pictures to the present - hundreds of films and television series' episodes have used it for background, generally but by no means exclusively to evoke the New Year.

[edit]Notable performances

In October 2000, it was played as the body of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau left Parliament Hill in Ottawa for the last time, going to Montreal for the state funeral.

  • On the sinking of the Japanese ship Montevideo Maru in World War II, carrying 1,053 Australians (mostly POWs), the Australians in the water sang this for their trapped mates as the ship went down.
  • In Pakistan, the tune was played at the formal resignation of President Pervez Musharraf as the country's Chief of Army Staff.
  • On 30 November 2009, students and staff at the University of Glasgow sang the song in 41 different languages simultaneously.[20]

[edit]Notable renditions

  • Jimi Hendrix can be heard playing a version of the song on the 1999 'Live at Fillmore East' recording of a December 31, 1969, concert.
  • Elvis Presley released his version on his album Elvis - New Year's Eve '76 (Live In Pittsburgh).
  • Bobby Darin released his version in October of 1960. His rendition has changes in most of the lyrics to make the song more of a Christmas song
  • Billy Joel sang and released "Auld Lang Syne" in his live CD titled 2000 Years: The Millennium Concert, and is known to play the song both lyrically or piano solo in his concerts during holiday seasons.
  • Prince performed "Auld Lang Syne" on 12/31/87 with Miles Davis, and transitioned into "Purple Rain" to the same chords as "Purple Rain."
  • Rod Stewart recorded the song for his 2012 album Merry Christmas, Baby where it is the last track on the album.

[edit]References

  1. ^ Susan Rennie, ed. "Lang Syne". Dictionary of the Scots Language. Dsl.ac.uk. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  2. ^ "Robert Burns - Auld Lang Syne". BBC. 2009-04-23. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  3. ^ a b "The History and Words of Auld Lang Syne". Scotland.org. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  4. ^ a b Burns, Robert (1947) [Transcribed 1788]. George Frederick Maine. ed (in English and Scots) (leather-bound sextodecimo). Songs from Robert Burns 1759–1796. Collins Greetings Booklets. Glasgow: Collins Clear-Type Press. pp. 47–48. "This book was purchased at Burns Cottage, and was reprinted in 1967, and 1973"
  5. ^ a b "nls.uk". nls.uk. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  6. ^ a b Lindsay, Maurice (December 1996) [1959]. "Auld Lang Syne".The Burns Encyclopedia (New Third ed.). Robert Hale Ltd.. ISBN 0-7090-5719-9. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
  7. ^ Traditional (2006). "Auld Lang Syne". Traditional Songs from Scotland. Ukmagic.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  8. ^ Their recording of the song still plays as the first song of the new year in Times Square. Lynch, Stephen (31 December 1999). "New Year's song remains ingrained in public mind". The Orange County Register.
  9. ^ "Holiday Parties at Lenox". The New York Times: p. 10. 5 January 1896.
  10. ^ "New Year's Eve in London". Washington Post: p. 12. 2 January 1910.
  11. ^ "The Lilly Library, Guide to the Collections: British Literature". Indiana.edu. 2011-12-09. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  12. ^ a b c "Electric Scotland history site". Electricscotland.com. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  13. ^ Wilson, James (Sir) (1923) The dialect of Robert Burns as spoken in central Ayrshire, Oxford University Press.
  14. ^ Scholes, Percy A. The Oxford Companion to Music, Tenth Edition.Oxford University Press.
  15. ^ "Father Kemp and Auld Lang Syne". Americanmusicpreservation.com. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  16. ^ "Hail! Sweetest, Dearest Tie That Binds;". Hymntime.com. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  17. ^ Aslet, Clive (13 July 2007). "One doesn't do tantrums and tiaras – Telegraph". London: Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 25 November 2008.
  18. ^ "Queen stays at arm's length". Archive.thisislancashire.co.uk. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  19. ^ National Defence Academy Retrieved February 8, 2012.
  20. ^ "'New record' for Auld Lang Syne". BBC News. 30 November 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2010.

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