暢談經典細聽金曲 MUSIChatroom: SCARBOROUGH FAIR/CANTICLE

"CANTICLE"《頌歌》

來自 Latin 拉丁文 "Canticulum", 所指是《聖經》敍事式的贊美詩或頌歌。教皇庇護十世 Pope Pius X 在1911年的新改革之前, 天主教堂在每星期的晨禱有七篇循環頌唱的聖詩, 當中最為一般人認識是星期四的頌歌, 是聖經《The Exodus 出埃及記》第十五章, 一至十九節經文的福音聖歌: 摩西當着《Red Sea 紅海》的海水在分開時, 帶領 Jews 猶太人走出 Egypt 埃及 "The Song of Moses"《摩西之歌》。

"THE SIDE OF A HILL"

六十年代一首意境抽象的反戰歌曲, 五十年後卻真實地發生在 Syria 敘利亞的內戰, 並成為美俄兩國之間的角力場地。2016年一月十日 Russia 俄羅斯戰機向敘利亞反政府武裝份子襲擊, 在 Damascus 大馬士革東部城市 Douma 展開空襲, 導致大量無辜市民死亡, 甚至兒童亦難於幸免, 這是現實世界一場殘酷的殺戮!

Photo cited: January 10, 2016. REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh

"The Side of A Hill" 由 Paul Simon 與其木結他二合為一的演繹, 歌曲創作人則用上假名字 Paul Kane, 收錄在他首張個人的專輯 "The Paul Simon Song Book" 於1965年面世, Paul 以這一曲對戰爭哀嘆, 雖然很快被樂迷遺忘了, 卻一直以來在流行樂壇不停發聲而不被樂迷注目....

THE SIDE OF A HILL - Paul Simon 1965

"THE SIDE OF A HILL"

On the side of a hill in a land called 'Somewhere'
A little boy lies asleep in the earth
While down in the valley, a cruel war rages
And people forget what a child's life is worth

"在山坡某處的土地, 小孩閉目躺在地上,
當時的山谷下, 一塲殘酷的戰爭在肆虐,

人們漠視孩子的生命"

On the side of a hill, a little cloud weeps
And waters the grave with its silent tears
While a soldier cleans and polishes a gun
That ended a life at the age of seven years

"在山坡上, 一片小雲在哭泣,

以默然的淚水洗滌墳墓,
當士兵在擦亮槍枝時, 已斷送了七歲的小生命"

And the war rages on in the land called 'Somewhere'
And generals order their men to kill
And to fight for a cause they've long ago forgotten
While the little cloud weeps on the side of a hill

"戰爭在某處的土地上肆虐,
當山坡上那片小雲在哭泣時,

將軍下令他的士兵殺戮, 為他們早已遺忘的原因而戰"

"SCARBOROUGH FAIR/CANTICLE 頌歌"

在流行樂壇有些歌曲總是以某種形式存在, 為不斷揭開人性的一面。"Scarborough Fair", 五十年代的愛情小品民歌, 內容是給舊情人一些難以解答的謎題以考驗其真愛。1966年 Paul Simon 把歌曲重新編撰, 放棄傳統的二重和唱, 在這首愛情小品的背後, 用上一首 "Canticle 敍事式" 的反戰歌曲 "The Side of A Hill", 以輕聲吟詠的 "Counterpoint 對位"重叠和唱; 一首歌中之歌, 突顯了戰爭的災難與互相猜疑的愛情, 同樣會帶給人生難以磨滅的烙印; 要避免戰爭與維繫恆久的愛情, 是須要雙方一起克服和清除所有障礙。今天, 人們在絕望中仍要忍受着戰爭帶來恐懼和傷害, 我們要有人性的良知與寬宏的胸襟, 各類紛爭才可邁向和平的道路上。一首殘酷戰爭的敍事式歌曲與一首愛情小品, 殊途同歸成為同一時空的經典 "Scarborough Fair/Canticle 頌歌"。

"Counterpoint 對位"

是始於中世紀歐洲修道院, 僧侶在早禱時以頌經來配合聖詩 "Canticle 頌歌", 至後來成為古典音樂或歌劇中的 "Counterpoint 對位" 和唱, 在樂理上以具有協調旋律的另一歌曲, 包括其相配或反差的歌詞内容, 以重叠式的和唱來配合主題歌曲, 两者相互依循合而為一, 令其更具思考與欣賞價值, 在流行樂壇是少有的型式。

"The Wind Hath Blaw My Plaid Awa"

前文有簡單的解讀這篇蘇格蘭語文的詩作, 自從成為後來的民謠 "The Elphin Knight" 之後, 經歴幾百年的演變, 在不同地域傳唱和伸延, 歌詞與曲調經不斷修編, 用上不同地方、人物、意境和曲目名字陸續面世, 版本多不勝數; 時至今天, 不同版本祇好留在各自的音樂範疇亮聲, 直至1966年的嶄新版本在流行樂壇面世之後, 已成為 Simon & Garfunkel 的標誌歌曲, 樂迷祇要在網頁瀏覽器輸入 "Scarborough Fair" 這曲目詞彙, 大多數會出現這首歌中之歌的 "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" ....

SCARBOROUGH FAIR/CANTICLE - Simon & Garfunkel 1966

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine

Tell her to make me a cambric shirt

On the side of a hill in the deep forest green
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme

Tracing of sparrow on snow-crested ground
Without no seams nor needle work

Blankets and bedclothes the child of the mountain
Then she'll be a true love of mine

Sleeps unaware of the clarion call

Tell her to find me an acre of land

On the side of a hill, a sprinkling of leaves
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme

Washes the grave with silvery tears
Between the salt water and the sea strands

A soldier cleans and polishes a gun
Then she'll be a true love of mine

Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather

War bellows, blazing in scarlet battalions
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme

Generals order their soldiers to kill
And gather it all in a bunch of heather

And to fight for a cause they've long ago forgotten
Then she'll be a true love of mine

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine

SCARBOROUGH FAIR/CANTICLE

COVER VERSIONS & LINKS

1968 - Lyn and Graham McCarthy, Andy William, Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell,

Percy Faith His Orchestra and Chorus, Claudine Longet, The Lettermen, Teegarden & Van Winkle,

Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, Ed Ames, Mario Said

1969 - Ray Conniff and The Singers, Nana Mouskouri, The Coterie, Peter Nero, Joel Grey,

Jackie Trent and Tony Hatch

1970 - The Anita Kerr Singers, Harry Belafonte, Judy Page

1971 - Pat Hervey, Roger Whittaker, The Mike Sammes Singers

1972 - The Tony Mansell Singers

1974 - Ryoko Moriyama

1975 - Helena Vondráčková

1982 - The Mendicants

1998 - Simon & Garfunkel Montage - Acoustix

2002 - Claire Sweeney

2004 - The Robinson Brothers

2010 - The Tribute Co.

2011 - Steve Wiesman, Wildlife

2012 - Mike Massé (Feat. Sterling Cottam)

2016 - Alexander Armstrong

2019 - Morgane Imbeaud - Elias Dris

2020 - Allira Wilson, Harry Mitchell, Ben Vanderwal & Karl Florisson

SCARBOROUGH FAIR
1968 - Tony Mottola with The Groovies, Sammy and Theodore,
1969 - John Gary, The Buffoons, Brainbox, The Happenings Four
1970 - Edward Woodward & John Kelly, Yoshiko
1971 - The King's Singers, The Alan Caddy Orchestra and Singers
1972 - Four Um, Val Doonican, John Blackinsell Singers & Orchestra, Top of the Pops,
Tony Sandler & Ralph Young
1973 - The Johnny Mann Singers
1974 - King's Road
1977 - The Carnabees
1980 - Aura
1995 - Michael Chapdelaine
1996 - Art Garfunkel - Live
1998 - Avec Meets Sawako Yoshino

1999 - "Scarborough Fair" Chant : Gregorian - Live 2014

1999 - The BB Band
2001 - Tomoyo Harada, Avscvltate
2002 - The Stanford Mendicants, Carla Cook, Lesley Garrett with Ian Bostridge, Carla Cook,
2007 - 姚斯婷 Yao Si Ting,
2008 - Noon, Peter Hofmann & Deborah Sasson
2009 - Leaves' Eyes, Aztec Two-Step

2011 - Nicola Conte, Amy Nuttall,
2012 - 李敬子 Keiko Lee, Maxdown

2013 - 4 Proches, Celia Pavey

2014 - Freedom Fry

2015 - 33Tours, Dean Dyson

2016 - Patty Lomuscio, Eric Johnson, Lee Lessack-Johnny Rodgers,

2017 - 早見沙織 Hayami Saori, Leaves Eyes

2018 - Jess & Matt, Valerie Quesada

2019 - Morgane Imbeaud - Elias Dris

2020 - Nick & Simon, The Best Pervisors

SCARBORO FAIR

1970 - Hagood Hardy & the Montage

SCARBOROUGH FAIR - Acappella
1998 - Simon & Garfunkel Montage Acoustix