I regularly tear up when I hear this soulful, gorgeous piece of music. I can understand why Jay Ungar cried when he wrote it. Sometimes we are fortunate enough to be given gifts, and sometimes those gifts pass through us and are shared with others in profound and moving ways. Ashokan Farewell is one of my all-time favorites. And you, Celia Farber, are fast becoming one of my all time favorites, too. You have received the gifts of brilliance, insight, and courage. Thank you for being who you are, and for sharing your gifts so generously with all of us. I am grateful!
This beautiful piece was composed following the model of a Scottish Lament. The originator, Jay Ungar did not have the Am. Civil War in mind while he was at the Ashokan Camp for fiddle and dancing music, (a summer arts program), at the Ashokan Field Campus of SUNY New Paltz. Jay Ungar was, in part, inspired by his journey through Scotland where he came up with the idea of writing a tune to conclude the summer arts program--his wife actually suggested the song's title. And so Ungar and Mason performed this with Fiddle Fever—recorded the song, including it as part of their 1983 album Waltz of the Wind, (nice album all around). Ken Burns, a year later was searching for a song for the documentary The Civil War--and it became the haunting melody forever associated with the story. For Ungar, the fact that “a Scottish lament written by a Jewish guy from the Bronx” would become the de facto anthem of The Civil War tells of how emotional connections can be made in surprising ways. I have played the tune myself and agree: it has the capacity to engage one's bittersweet memory.
I liked the very incomplete, and misleading documentary that Burns did on the Civil War. Without the interviews with Shelby Foote, and the soundtrack it would have been a pretty bland affair but it was otherwise well done from a production standpoint. I read his doc on the Viet Nam War is abysmal, and I think he's done some other work that I've chosen to ignore given how little he understands about the history of the Civil War.
The Civil War is framed as if it' hsd been mostly about slavery. It was not. The north was every bit as brutal as the south with slaves. Read 12 Years A Slave. It's a short, remarkable book.
It was a war that had major international ramifications. I don't recall the site where I found a recent major piece I read about Russia's offer of military assistance to the U.S. during the Civil War, and other responses by European countries or where a couple of years ago I found the editorial in a London newspaper about how Lincoln issuing currency could not stand because the U.S. would soon surpass England as a world power. John Wilkes Booth was a paid assassin likely paid by the Crown.
Wars are highly engineered economic games the histories of which arecall highly distorted. Bertrand Russell, George Bernard Shaw, Henry Ford, and other really intelligent, accomplished people tried to warn the world about the Ashkenazim who they all called Jews. WWI and WWII are not at all as they are portrayed historically. The Ashjenazim were behind 2 of the largest genocides of the 20th Century, which were 1917 Russia, and Mao's China. I bet if one looked diligently enough it'd be found they were behind Pol Pot and the Khemer Rouge too. They're up to their eyes in the COVID19 genocidal operation too.
I was unaware that Ashokan Farewell is the piece associated with Ken Burns' The Civil War. It all makes sense now. Listening to the whole piece for the first time was incredible--Thank you!! I love that it was inspired by Jay Ungar's direct personal experience of collaboration with other artists in such a gloriously beautiful place as the Hudson Valley, and not wanting it to end. These are priceless gifts, thank you for keeping them alive! I was curious about the venue from that particular performance, because the acoustics seemed just flawless. (The "box of chocolates" principle came into play when I found this on the Judson Church website http://classic.judson.org/OurBuilding The architecture of cathedrals and temples never fails to inspire, also.
The acoustics in this hall are superb, adding to the brilliance of the composition and performance (by the composer!)
Was it CS Lewis who said that it was in music the universe was created?
It is music that is the universal language. Imagine if the hearts of all were simultaneously touched by the beauty and power of music such as this. It could not help but heal us as we transcend our mortal selves and enter into another realm beyond our pain, fear and anger.
This song launched me into a truly glorious diversion all morning, I miss NC and the music that rolls from the mountaisn there, and most imptly from the hearts and lives of the people there.
Thanks, Celia. This music is a kind of Exhibit A in the case for music being the language of God, divine sounding of the infinite depths of the human heart. Bless your beautiful, sweet, kind, loving, wounded soul for sharing it.
I regularly tear up when I hear this soulful, gorgeous piece of music. I can understand why Jay Ungar cried when he wrote it. Sometimes we are fortunate enough to be given gifts, and sometimes those gifts pass through us and are shared with others in profound and moving ways. Ashokan Farewell is one of my all-time favorites. And you, Celia Farber, are fast becoming one of my all time favorites, too. You have received the gifts of brilliance, insight, and courage. Thank you for being who you are, and for sharing your gifts so generously with all of us. I am grateful!
From YT commenter, Harvey Pennington:
This beautiful piece was composed following the model of a Scottish Lament. The originator, Jay Ungar did not have the Am. Civil War in mind while he was at the Ashokan Camp for fiddle and dancing music, (a summer arts program), at the Ashokan Field Campus of SUNY New Paltz. Jay Ungar was, in part, inspired by his journey through Scotland where he came up with the idea of writing a tune to conclude the summer arts program--his wife actually suggested the song's title. And so Ungar and Mason performed this with Fiddle Fever—recorded the song, including it as part of their 1983 album Waltz of the Wind, (nice album all around). Ken Burns, a year later was searching for a song for the documentary The Civil War--and it became the haunting melody forever associated with the story. For Ungar, the fact that “a Scottish lament written by a Jewish guy from the Bronx” would become the de facto anthem of The Civil War tells of how emotional connections can be made in surprising ways. I have played the tune myself and agree: it has the capacity to engage one's bittersweet memory.
I liked the very incomplete, and misleading documentary that Burns did on the Civil War. Without the interviews with Shelby Foote, and the soundtrack it would have been a pretty bland affair but it was otherwise well done from a production standpoint. I read his doc on the Viet Nam War is abysmal, and I think he's done some other work that I've chosen to ignore given how little he understands about the history of the Civil War.
What is a good reference to understand the history of the Civil War? What are the most misleading "myths" about this war?
The Civil War is framed as if it' hsd been mostly about slavery. It was not. The north was every bit as brutal as the south with slaves. Read 12 Years A Slave. It's a short, remarkable book.
It was a war that had major international ramifications. I don't recall the site where I found a recent major piece I read about Russia's offer of military assistance to the U.S. during the Civil War, and other responses by European countries or where a couple of years ago I found the editorial in a London newspaper about how Lincoln issuing currency could not stand because the U.S. would soon surpass England as a world power. John Wilkes Booth was a paid assassin likely paid by the Crown.
Wars are highly engineered economic games the histories of which arecall highly distorted. Bertrand Russell, George Bernard Shaw, Henry Ford, and other really intelligent, accomplished people tried to warn the world about the Ashkenazim who they all called Jews. WWI and WWII are not at all as they are portrayed historically. The Ashjenazim were behind 2 of the largest genocides of the 20th Century, which were 1917 Russia, and Mao's China. I bet if one looked diligently enough it'd be found they were behind Pol Pot and the Khemer Rouge too. They're up to their eyes in the COVID19 genocidal operation too.
yep.
Thanks! I'm starting to learn that real life is a lot more complicated than the emotional simplified political narratives that we receive.
Love this. Used to play it:https://youtu.be/okIpX89-htI
A better recording. https://www.dropbox.com/s/37kl829ew4wrrky/Ashokan%20Farewell.mp3?dl=0
That's lovely, Dan.
I was unaware that Ashokan Farewell is the piece associated with Ken Burns' The Civil War. It all makes sense now. Listening to the whole piece for the first time was incredible--Thank you!! I love that it was inspired by Jay Ungar's direct personal experience of collaboration with other artists in such a gloriously beautiful place as the Hudson Valley, and not wanting it to end. These are priceless gifts, thank you for keeping them alive! I was curious about the venue from that particular performance, because the acoustics seemed just flawless. (The "box of chocolates" principle came into play when I found this on the Judson Church website http://classic.judson.org/OurBuilding The architecture of cathedrals and temples never fails to inspire, also.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful and haunting melody Celia.
The acoustics in this hall are superb, adding to the brilliance of the composition and performance (by the composer!)
Was it CS Lewis who said that it was in music the universe was created?
It is music that is the universal language. Imagine if the hearts of all were simultaneously touched by the beauty and power of music such as this. It could not help but heal us as we transcend our mortal selves and enter into another realm beyond our pain, fear and anger.
Beautiful.
🥹
Beautiful performance, beautiful composition. Thank you.
Beautiful.
Mark Crispin Miller a while ago emailed us "Lord of the Dance" which I also found brought tears to my eyes.
This song launched me into a truly glorious diversion all morning, I miss NC and the music that rolls from the mountaisn there, and most imptly from the hearts and lives of the people there.
💘
Music is so powerful....thanks for posting this beautiful song
Thanks, Celia. This music is a kind of Exhibit A in the case for music being the language of God, divine sounding of the infinite depths of the human heart. Bless your beautiful, sweet, kind, loving, wounded soul for sharing it.
I first heard this song as I was watching the Ken Burns documentary on the Civil War. So hauntingly beautiful.