The song ends on A. This is not the key note, however, but is the fifth of the key.
The song is like a mournful chant. Throughout there is a peculiar wailing which leaves a strange, haunting impression. The music admirably suits the hour when it is used. It would be decidedly incongruous given in broad daylight. These untutored savages could hardly have conjured up a more typical tone-picture of the “shadowy valley” than the song heard on this record.
The peculiarly weird character is due in large part to the swelling out and dying away of the tones on certain syllables. (For comparison to effects found in Igorot music, see “Swelled Tones” under Definition of Qualities, p. 479).
Sang-Sangit
Record C. Sung during the evening following a funeral.
In this record we hear but one voice—a man's. The song is cast in the minor scale of G, but whether the natural minor or the harmonic, cannot be determined, as the singer does not use the 7th of the scale. It is not pentatonic in character.
The song is given in the recitative style. There are several verses Page 462which vary but little in the music, except for the changes in the reiterated staccato tones which are made greater or less in number to accommodate the difference in number of syllables. With the exception of those starting the glissandos or trills, the repeated tones were given with a very decided staccato punch.
Much of the intonation is vague. In taking the glissandos shown near the middle of the top line, the upper tone is sung about half way between B♭ and B♮. There is some abandon in the rhythm also.
The group of six notes marked with an asterisk are trilled on the semitone interval.
Dawak