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

"CANTICLE"《頌歌》

來自 Latin 拉丁文 "Canticulum"-Song, 是依據《聖經》敍事的贊美詩或頌歌。教皇庇護十世 Pope Pius X 在1911年的新改革之前, 天主教堂的晨禱有七篇循環頌唱的聖詩, 星期四的聖詩是聖經《The Exodus 出埃及記》第十五章, 一至十九節, 經文的敍事: 摩西當着《Red Sea 紅海》的海水在分開時, 帶領猶太人走出 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 敘利亞的內戰之中, 亦是美俄之間的角力場, 由於 Russia 俄羅斯戰機向敘利亞反政府武裝份子展開。2016年一月十日, 在 Damascus 大馬士革東部城市 Douma 的空襲, 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

這首歌曲由 Paul Simon 與其木結他合為一體的演繹, 並收錄在他首張個人專輯 "The Paul Simon Song Book", 而創作人則用上假名字 Paul Kane 於1965年面世, 雖然很快被樂迷遺忘了, 但它卻一直以來在樂壇不停發聲而未被注目, 全由於 Paul 為了配合演繹1966年面世的作品 "Scarborough Fair", 他把這首反戰歌曲 "The Side of a Hill" 的詞句撰改, 以两曲交織演繹來突顯戰爭帶來災難之外, 而猜疑的愛情, 同樣會帶給人生難以磨滅的烙印。要避免戰爭與維繫愛情, 同樣是需要雙方一起克服和清除所有障礙; 男女之間有了猜疑, 又何來恒久的愛情呢? 今天, 戰爭讓人們在絕望中仍要繼續忍受下去, 我們還有沒有人性的良知, 與及寬宏的胸襟, 讓各類紛爭步入和平的道路嗎?

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,

士兵在受命下殺戮, 為他們早已遺忘的事件而戰"

"SCARBOROUGH FAIR/CANTICLE 頌歌"

有些歌曲總是以某種形式存在, 令人感覺是永恆, 和不斷要揭開人性的一面。"Scarborough Fair" 是一首讓人感覺與時空遠離的歌曲, 歌詞是一些體驗愛情的謎題, Simon & Garfunkel 以優美細膩的二重和唱, 引起流行樂壇的注目, 和唱的歌詞與曲調, 是來自 "The Side of A Hill", 以天衣無縫的 "Counterpoint 對位" 重叠和唱, 令不少樂迷沒意識到兩首殊途同歸的敍事式歌曲, 成為同一時空的經典 "Scarborough Fair/Canticle 頌歌"。

"Counterpoint 對位"

在樂理上是用另一歌曲的音樂和歌詞, 以重叠的和唱來配合主歌曲, 两者相互依循同演繹, 在流行樂壇是少有, 這是始於中世紀歐洲的修道院, 僧侶的早禱聖詩頌唱, 至後來古典音樂或歌劇, 稱為 "Counterpoint 對位" 重叠和唱, 在流行歌曲而言, 兩曲先要具有協調的旋律, 與及有相同或反差的内容, 既可以獨立演繹, 如相連重叠在一起, 又更具特别的欣賞價值。

"The Wind Hath Blaw My Plaid Awa"

前文有簡單的解讀這篇蘇格蘭語文詩作, 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、人物和意境的曲目名字陸續面世, 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, 全因為嶄新演繹的版本, 自1966年在流行樂壇面世之後, 已成為 Simon & Garfunkel 的標誌歌曲之外, 樂迷祇要在網頁瀏覽器輸入 "Scarborough Fair" 這詞彙, 大多數會出現就是 "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 hill side in 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