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Folk Song (for 27 oboes)

by Brent Fariss

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1.
Folk Song 27:27
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about

Folk Song originally started as my attempt to create a beautiful folk / pop song. It quickly developed into something more complicated, taking over 4 years to complete. Why the number 27? The primary reason was due to the large amount of instrument groupings I could utilize, mainly because of the number 3 (3 x 3 x 3). Obviously, finding 27 oboes willing to play this was going to be next to impossible, so I opted to seek out a single oboe player (Jacob Green) to record all of the events. The oboe tracks were recorded one at a time and then carefully mixed (with placement in the stereo field based on each parts relationship to the overtone series).

Even though the piece remains fairly abstract, with a huge emphasis on texture, I still felt it connected to the idea of “song” form, albeit one that has been slowed down quite a bit. The first section is considered the “verse”, the 2nd section (which focuses primarily on harmony, overtones, and microtonal tunings/beatings) is the “chorus”. The chorus became fascinating to me in that it becomes almost a piece for some otherworldly reed organ. It takes quite a while for this to happen, but when all 27 oboes play at once, the cluster of sound is dizzying!

Special thanks to Jacob Green (dawn of the oboe), Clark Crawford, and Nathan Wood for their assistance and patience in recording this, as well as putting up with hearing me blather on about it for so many years.

Folk Song is dedicated to my grandmothers, Lois Bird Cooper (1921-2002) and Dolores Fariss (1912-1993), both of whom offered a deep exposure to country music. Dolores (aka Granny) explained the ideas and the long tradition of stories told through western, folk or regional music…as well as giving me my first gig (playing snare drum on her acclaimed song, “The Austin Waltz”). And Lois (aka Mimi) taught me how to square dance by the age of 10, taking me all the way to the state square dancing competitions in the big city (aka Dallas)…and how much more folksy can you be than that?

credits

released April 30, 2020

Folk Song (for 27 oboes and acoustic guitar)

Jacob Green - oboes
Brent Fariss - acoustic guitar

Oboes recorded by Clark D. Crawford at the Harten Center for Underprivileged Sounds.

Guitar recorded by Nathan Wood at Robotux Studios.

Mastering by Altered Ear.

Thanks to Bill Shute, Clark Crawford, Nathan Wood, Bill Thompson, Andrew Stoltz, Cory Allen, Trish Benford, Mimi, Granny, Don Fariss, and everyone who heard me blather on about this for several years.

Originally released on CD by Kendra Steiner Editions (KSE #284)

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Brent Fariss Austin, Texas

Brent Fariss is a composer / performer living in Austin, Texas. He has collaborated in several modern music settings including the Gates Ensemble, Waco Girls, and the Austin New Music Coop. He has become increasingly interested in the idea of conceptualism; using minimalist techniques to unite texture, form, resonance, and abstracted programmatic ideas to create a musical environment. ... more

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