Is My Team Ploughing (Arranged)

Overview

• Dialogue between a ghost and a living man.

• Verses 1, 3, 5 = ghost; Verses 2, 4, 6 = living man (from the poem).

• Contrast created via: dynamics, texture, vocal range, interval changes, and close connection to the text.

• Living man is agitated; ghost is ethereal and distant.

Structure

• Strophic: AB AB A1 B1 (last A and B slightly different, increasingly agitated).

• Bars 1–4: Introduction

• Bars 5–10: Verse 1 (A)

• Bars 11–18: Verse B

• Bars 19–38: Repeat of 1–18

• Bars 39–44: Verse 3 (after 4-bar intro)

• Bars 45–51: Verse 4

• Bars 52–end:
  • Bar 39: Verse 5
  • Bar 45: Verse 6

Instrumentation

• Piano quintet + voice (irregular; piano quintet alone is not unusual).

• Expression markings: Misterioso, poco più mosso (verse 6), animato, fortissimo (bar 55), subito pesante (word “sweetheart”).

• String techniques:
  • Con sordino (muted)
  • Senza sordino (unmuted; verse 5–6)
  • Una corda (soft pedal)
  • Flurries by cello (verse 2, 4)

• Vocal: recitative style (living man) – conversational.

• Piano: triplet chords in verses 2 & 4 create richer texture; colla voce (verse 5) – piano follows voice.

• Verse 5 & 6 tremolo effects – expresses guilt, tension, holding back.

• Techniques like quasi da lontano (bar 5) – ghostly, distant effect.

Texture

• Melody-dominated homophony overall, but varies for contrast between ghost and living man.

• Introduction: extreme homorhythmic texture.

• Bar 5: sustained accompanying chords vs. recitative vocal line – sparse, ethereal.

• Verses 2 & 4: thicker, richer texture with triplet chords; occasional cello flurries.

• Verse 6: climax, living man most agitated, ff tutti.

• Last 2 bars: homorhythmic and homophonic.

Tonality

• Key signature: F major, but opening chords D minor & G major → D dorian mode.

• B natural in D dorian gives a folk sound.

• Verses 1 & 3: D dorian.

• Verses 2 & 4: ambiguous (F♯, G♯, A♭) – adds tension, guilt, unpleasantness.

• Verses 5 & 6: even more ambiguous.

• Tonality used to create tension; last two bars return to D dorian.

Rhythm, Metre, Tempo

• Mainly 4/4, with metre changes adding agitation for the living man.

• Frequent expression directions.

• Rhythm variety: dotted notes, triplets, ties, semiquavers.

• Static accompaniment contrasts with rhythmic activity.

• Syllabic text setting follows natural speech rhythms.

Melody

• Syllabic throughout.

• Ghost: conjunct, modal, diatonic.

• Living man: disjunct, chromatic, angular.

• Specific examples:
  • Bars 12–13, word “trample” → tritone.
  • Bars 14–15, words “now and no” → major 7th, jarring dissonance.

• Verses 1 & 3: smooth, modal melody.

• Verses 2 & 4: more active, accompaniment richer.

• Verse 6: climax with strong tutti.

Harmony

• Intro: alternating D minor and G major (modal harmony).

• D minor & G major chords provide D dorian sound.

• B natural emphasized for folk/modal character.

• Living man’s passages: more dissonant, heightened tension.

• Specific chords & devices:
  • Bar 9: major-minor 7
  • Half-diminished chords
  • French augmented 6ths
  • Quartal harmony
  • Parallel chords
  • Classical augmented 6ths

• Harmony reinforces text and emotional contrast.

• Recitative passages: narration style harmonically supported.