The remake of Final Fantasy VII has come out recently! Only part 1 of who knows how many thought… I can’t actually play it and don’t own it, but perhaps in honour of that, here’s some tunes. FFVII and the music were massively important in getting me composing a lot as a teenager.
Two quick pieces from yesterday then–using some RealFont and other old samples once again, though I spent just a little longer working on the sound, within those constraints, this time.
I’ve been listening to a bit of this kind of music. It’s generally very restful, quite repetitive, sometimes kinda jazzy in harmony, and also has the lo fi sound which I really rather like. (I’m wondering actually if I can mix it up with for e.g. my beloved olde soundfonts and in-between era game music sounds… something to try at some point…)
For now though I tried to make a couple tracks in approximately this genre this week:
This was done quite quickly and not necessarily with too much detail as to the mechanics of lo fi, but it was fun also to be throwing around 7th chords from the very beginning of this book. The tune is the kids’/folk song ‘The Fox’! The fox went out on a chilly night… etc.
For this next one I tried to more closely follow some specific tropes of the genre (though I’m still just barely getting into this!) — had fun sampling my own piano playing from a bit ago.
Presented without further excuse or explanation
(Recap: some sketches for songs – and I started playing this instrument a couple days ago!)
This week I’m learning (some basic chords) on ukulele. Yesterday I wrote a bunch of songs. Words from an old book by Hannah Smith, except for “Look at the Moon” which is (adapted from) Eliza Lee Cabot Follen.
And I’ll put the rest in a new post.
This is something between an original and an arrangement — I could hardly say I was going to improve on the Thomas Campion original (though, hey, at least there’s already something of a tradition of re using his words!) And also I was reading the words along with the music as I was coming up with my own tune… So this has some of the original tune along with some new/’updated’, I guess, bits.
Never weather-beaten sail
More willing bent to shore
Never tired pilgrims limbs
Affected slumber more
Than my weary sprite now longs
To fly out of my troubled breast
Oh come quickly
Oh come quickly
Oh come quickly sweetest Lord
And take my soul to restEver blooming are the joys
Of heav’ns high paradise
Cold age deafs not there our ears
Nor vapour dims our eyes
Glory there the sun outshines
Whose beams the blessed only see
Oh come quickly
Oh come quickly
Oh come quickly glorious Lord
And raise my sprite to Thee
* the edition I had said cold age, I kid you not.
3x noodlings from last night:
I think I’ve posted some like this before, but to recap — RealFont is a soundfont (sf2) from 2004. It is still available to download for free.
It’s interesting/something that the (circa 2004) webpage there is talking about how truly realistic and advanced this was for the time, and now I am very much using these sounds for their old-fashioned/retro warmth… That said, though–with a bit of work and processing you definitely could make these sounds sound more “realistic” than I am here, quite realistic indeed, maybe. Secret: I do still use the occasional soundfont, using for a wind instrument, mixed in there with expensive sound libraries and whatnot, when I do full orchestral things. But what I’m going for here is some slightly imagined combination of a console that never was / general midi / literally the sounds that were available to me when I started up doing a lot of computer music.
(Also rather quick and not detailed, obviously!)
in a change from my usual hymn settings 🙂 — here is a new tune for a famous old English lyric:
Over the mountains
And over the waves,
Under the fountains
And under the graves,
Under floods that are deepest,
Which Neptune obey
Over rocks which are the steepest,
Love will find out the way.You may esteem him
A child for his might,
Or you may deem him
A coward from his flight.
But if she, whom Love doth honor,
Be concealed from the day
Set a thousand guards upon her,
Love will find out the way.Some think to lose him
By having him confined
Some do suppose him,
Poor thing, to be blind;
But if ne’er so close ye wall him,
Do the best that you may,
Blind Love, if so ye call him,
Will find out his way.You may train the eagle
To stoop to your fist.
You may train in veigle
The Phoenix of the east.
The lioness, you may move her
To give o’er her prey;
But you’ll ne’er stop a lover;
He will find out his way.
I’m thinking the kind of folk/lullaby you get in a movie? very simple.
Since I posted a throwback that must mean I have NEW music, yes?
Yes! Sort of. I sketched out another four Catherine Winkworth hymns on the piano yesterday, and here is one of them, the most coherent recording~  I might try and cut together the others or re record sometime.  This has a nice pretty tune and some lovely unnecessary doodles!
I’ve branched out! We’re now doing general purpose hymns not just Christmas 😛 I found the entire Chorale book for England with hundreds of these so I AM UNSTOPPABLE….. what shall I do with all these??
Abide among us with Thy grace,
Lord Jesus, evermore,
Nor let us e’er to sin give place,
Nor grieve Him we adore.
Abide among us with Thy word,
Redeemer, whom we love,
Thy help and mercy here afford,
And life with Thee above.Abide among us with Thy ray,
O Light that lightens all,
And let Thy truth preserve our way,
Nor suffer us to fall.
Abide with us to bless us still,
O bounteous Lord of peace;
With grace and power our souls fulfill,
Our faith and love increase.Abide among us as our shield,
O Captain of Thy host;
That to the world we may not yield,
Nor e’er forsake our post.
Abide with us in faithful love,
Our God and Saviour be,
Thy help at need, oh, let us prove,
And keep us true to Thee.