One of the delights in reviewing folk music is finding it turning up in another guise, and this American piece is in my filing cabinet as an Irish ballad, give or take a note or two. Mr Johanson has provided rather an amusing foreword, although the use of the American 'motive' rather than the British 'motif adds an additional smile this side of the pond. The intentional mischief in the foreword continues in the music, where a cant-us firmus motif delimits the verses in this tale of alcohol. It's unclear whether pizz on the score refers to the guitars or the players. Enough of the humour, let's sup from the music. With a mix of staccato and slur (note to self, enough of the humour), the music lurches very pleasingly along, and the gentle melody between verses is a wonderful contrast. As with any short melody, there's a bit of a battle to orchestrate the music in a way that makes the piece lengthy without sounding_repetitive, but the battle is won when an effortless key change from G to Ab shows that we're in safe hands. The change to A is a little more abrupt, but takes us into a lovely bright sound and a sense of increasing gay abandon before the tune is finally reprised in Bb in three of the four guitars in three different pitches. The remaining guitar plays a rapid descending scale, and whether or not it's meant to symbolise someone succumbing to the unusual gravitational field that often envelops a drinker, it's a jolly fine ending to a rather amusing little piece. It's not too difficult - some of the scale runs are tricky for someone under Grade 6 (sober), but there's nothing fundamentally scary here at all. If you wish to incorporate some method acting and get a Whiskey or two down you before the performance, I think Grade 8 is required, as some of the scales cannot be solved purely with over-confident bravado and no sense of fear! Not that intended to end this review with such a rye comment. Nice piece - it's about the same price as a round of drinks for your quartet players, so buy the music instead - it's more fun.
Derek Hasted (Classical Guitar Magazine)
