Comments on: Turn it up!

Turn it up!

The Straightener — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 13:21:38 -0800

New voice for the oldest song ever. "The Prayer of an Infertile Woman," (video embedded within article text) is a 3200 year old song that was recently reconstructed and performed by Leiden University Assyriology professor Dr. Theo J. H. Krispijn at the Chicago Oriental Institute.

By: psmealey

psmealey — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 13:25:30 -0800

Cool. I was hoping to God it wasn't another Alanis Morrissette re-interpretation.

By: Gnostic Novelist

Gnostic Novelist — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 14:10:16 -0800

Why do these songs sound so goofy in translation?

By: sourwookie

sourwookie — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 14:10:40 -0800

Must've been the E-Z Play arrangement, as the vocal part only used four notes out of the pentatonic scale.

By: Slothrop

Slothrop — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 14:29:49 -0800

Thanks for the link - after getting the video to load in, I thought it was a rather nice song and was surprised the Chicago Times went into some depth about how he chose the music.

By: parmanparman

parmanparman — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 15:08:58 -0800

That is something else. We are definitely going to have this guy on the show.

By: pyramid termite

pyramid termite — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 15:16:39 -0800

that sounds suspiciously like some of our current metal bands ... there really is nothing new under the sun

By: amberglow

amberglow — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:02:29 -0800

cool, but i don't buy that it's the oldest ever...many religions have songs/chants/sung prayers that are older, no? Is this just the oldest one they've found written proof for?

By: amberglow

amberglow — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:05:23 -0800

also, i'm sure we've been singing even longer than talking. Lullabies and other songs to calm babies, singing during repetitive tasks, etc all must be beyond ancient. (do chimps sing to each other?)

By: Pater Aletheias

Pater Aletheias — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:30:43 -0800

Many religions have songs/chants/sung prayers that are older, no? I don't know about other religions, but for Christianity (and Judaism), about the oldest song you are going to get is the hymn in Exodus 15, or maybe Psalm 90, if the traditional attribution to Moses reflects a genuine link to early tribal Israel. In either event, the earliest dating that could be reasonably posited for either is c. 1200 BC (IMHO), which would put it around the same era as the song in this link. And, of course, we have no musical notation for the Biblical hymns.

By: amberglow

amberglow — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:56:00 -0800

thanks...our religions are not as old as many others tho. I wonder if it's just evidence that's needed, or is a "song" something different than how i define it?

By: micayetoca

micayetoca — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 17:53:53 -0800

Lovely post. I thought the rendition by a white old scholar was going to ruin it, but it was quite nice. Thx for posting it.

By: Rangeboy

Rangeboy — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:05:31 -0800

Needs more cowbell.

By: Slap*Happy

Slap*Happy — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:54:17 -0800

I think the deal is that they were able to reconstruct the music notation - what separates a song from a poem is the music. While there may be chants and hymns that can be documented to be as old, or older, the impossibility of reconstructing the music means they're no longer songs, only lyrics. Poetry rather than music. I'm certain some religions and cultures will claim to have music as old or older still being sung today, but it's laughable to believe that the music (or even the language!) haven't changed in three and a half millennia. This is music, as it was sung, 3,500 years ago. That is amazing.

By: John of Michigan

John of Michigan — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 19:33:50 -0800

That was the prettiest, most haunting thing I've heard in ages. Thanks, The Straightener!

By: imposster

imposster — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 21:12:35 -0800

The reconstruction is incredibly speculative (despite claims to the contrary in the article.) Links to lots of other bad interpretations: -Multiple midis (scroll down) -pictures of tablet, explanation of one transcription and a nasty vocal arrangement of the Duchesne-Guillemin's version (warning: audio loads automatically) -From Richard Dumbrill (direct midi link) (Sorry to be a downer about it, but the whole thing seems pretty trumped up. To assert that this sounds anything like the music of the time is pretty presumptuous. Not to say that thinking about what it might have sounded isn't an interesting exercise.)

By: lukemeister

lukemeister — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 22:47:17 -0800

I'm waiting for Timbaland's remix. I hear that he samples Hammurabi.

By: Iosephus

Iosephus — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 23:17:25 -0800

Needs more cowbell. I think you meant: Needs more winged-bull-bell.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 03:21:24 -0800

Dear Dr. Theo J. H. Krispijn, It has come to our attention that you have made an unauthorized video and audio recording of "The Prayer of an Infertile Woman", and that said video/audio recording has been subsequently distributed via the World Wide Web. You are hereby notified that said composition is the sole and exclusive property of the country of Syria. As legal representatives of the country of Syria (working closely with the Ministry of Copyright Infringements), we must inform you at this time that you will be expected to make financial compensation for your use of our copyrighted materials. Perhaps you were unaware of the provision of Syrian copyright law stipulating that compositional works do not enter the public domain until 4000 years after their initial creation? We are currently calculating all relevant fees (legal as well as licensing) and will be contacting you again in the near future. Sincerely, Hossein and Hossein Law Offices, Damascus

By: amberglow

amberglow — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:43:34 -0800

perfect, flapjax (except it's the exclusive property in perpetuity of the moon goddess, Nikkal, and her divine descendants and worshippers, no?)