English School Of Funerary Violin, The

V/A BABCOTTE, SUDBURY and EATON: The English School of Funerary Violin (The Guild of Funerary Violinists)
The title says it all. These were tracks composed to play on solo violin at a funeral. The CD seems to be a copy off of vinyl as you can hear the static. The tracks as you might expect are somber but they aren't all slow and sad sounding some are fast and err, seem to have a purpose. Most seem to be in a minor key, dark, and border on creepy. The story of these releases centers around "The Guild of Funerary Violinists" and it is very hard to tell if all this, including the lofi recordings and static aren't completely made up. In the end if the story is true doesn't really matter this music has a unique feel.
**1. Slow, stark, sad, simple. Halfway through the track it picks up the pace considerably and almost sounds upbeat.
**2. A dirge. Scratchy out of tune violin playing
3. More upbeat and positive sounding and the short description in the liner notes says, "To show the Soul's newfound delight, and expel the sadness of those who mourn".
4. Almost sounds like a kid practicing.
**5. Quick and repetitive. It's to drive away evil-minded ghosts.
6. Another melody line that sounds like something a kid would practice. Short.
7. Wanders around. Prettier.
**8. More dramatic. Time to let out all the sadness. Go ahead, wail away.
9. Seems more stately but also has more discordant sounds.
**10. Recorded in 1975? Beautiful and restrained. The track does pick up the pace halfway through.
Wow -mph