Limba, Limba Sally
If you are looking for a fun multi-cultural piece, you’ve found it. Victor Bobetsky has arranged this piece for a quick learning experience with several unison and two-part passages. This Guyanese folk song has a bright, rhythmic tempo with mild syncopation.
This lively folksong from Guyana is associated with a children’s game involving creative movement. Dr. Victor Bobetsky, the arranger for Limba, Limba Sally, shared what he learned from Gillian Richards-Greaves, one of his students, who grew up in Guyana:
Children playing this song/game create their own verses and dance movements that describe their unique personality or physical characteristics. For example, a tall child might sing, “No matter you see me tall, so” while describing his/her tallness through dance movements. Another child might sing, “No matter you see me proud, so” while describing his/her feelings through dance movements. In this arrangement of the song, the adjectives, “tall” and “short” are used.
When performed by early adolescent all-male groups, Parts I & II may be sung by Boy Trebles, and Part III by theCambiatas.
When sung by older adolescent all-male groups, Part I is sung by thechanged-voice Tenors or Adolescent Baritones (8va lower), Part II by Adolescent Baritonesor Basses(8va lower), and Part III by Boy Trebles and/or Cambiatas (actual pitch).
Guyanese Folksong
Arranged by Victor V. Bobetsky
Three-part Variable Voicing with Piano
Cambiata Press catalog #U90401
Recorded by The Northport Middle School Choraliers (6-8 grades), Northport Middle School, Northport, New York. — Remy D’Esposito, Choral Director, with Donna Gorelick, Co-Director and Pianist
This work is available in E-Print.
Order printed copies from J.W. Pepper or directly from Cambiata Press. Please remember the copyright law: it is illegal to purchase a single octavo and photocopy it.