Fae Music

Introduction

While passing through the wilds of Natura or the legendary realm of Fae’rel, one may hear the strains of an ethereal music, so faint and so delicate that one may be inclined to dismiss it as the rustling of the wind through the trees. Do not be so quick, however, to assume that it is no more than the whispering of the breeze; it may be the enchanting music of the Fae-folk that you hear, known as the iyållore (pronounced ee-yA-laur, always spelt with a lowercase ‘i’).

The Musical Culture of the Fae

Fae-folk (by which I mean all the Fae races, be they pixies, faeries or sprites) are extremely musical beings, taught the iyållore almost from birth. Fae mothers sing ancient iyållorean lullabies to lull their restive offspring to sleep; fae fathers craft crude percussive instruments for their young children to play with. From the age of five, fae children are encouraged to make their own instruments using tools from nature, and it is almost mandatory to begin musical training by this time.

Although not as much emphasis is placed upon music as upon agriculture or the use of arcana, it is still considered a fundamental area of young fae development, and those who do not participate in the community teachings of music are considered disobedient or worse, ungifted.

While most Fae races do no more than show extreme disappointment in cases of ungifted children, and may, at most, chide their offspring or nag them to train their musicality (depending on the character of each individual parent), Pixies and Nymphs, in particular, take ungifted children very seriously. Ungifted Nymphs and Pixies are sent to special schools in seclusion with ancient Fae masters who have spent their entire lives devoted to the study of music and the Art of Song (ed: much like kids who are weak in their studies are made to go to military school or special academies). These ungifted children are then expected to live their entire lives in seclusion like their masters, learning the iyållore and the ways of employing music within arcane rituals. ‘Gifted’ children, on the other hand, are allowed to pursue whatever interests they please, within reason. The very gifted, especially those who have a keen interest in music, are hailed as Iyålleans (note the uppercase ‘I’), or prodigies, and no expense is spared to send them to the best academies in Telath where they will train to become celebrated singers and bards.

The iyållore: Musical Styles and Sub-Genres

Fae music is highly improvisational, with an emphasis on instrumental music rather than vocals. However, where vocals are incorporated into music, they tend to be operatic in nature or else fairly low and atonal, adding a haunting quality to the songs. The first sub-genre of iyållore in which operatic, fairly rigidly structured vocals are employed, is called maíalei (ma-ya-lay) iyållore, while the latter sub-genre using lower, less structured vocals is called maíalal (ma-ya-lahl) iyållore.

Maíalei iyållore usually tells a dramatic story, more often than not a tragic one using elements from history. Very rarely are songs in maíalei iyållore written about everyday life; only the most epic tales, interwoven with immensely melodramatic feelings and emotions, are immortalised in this form. Maíalal iyållore is far more personal and casual, and songs in this sub-genre encompass a wide range of topics, from things as mundane as the love of gardening, to rants and raves about peace and war. Songs in this sub-genre do not necessarily have to tell a story with a beginning, middle and end; rather, they should be rooted in the present.

Minimal improvisation is allowed but not encouraged in the singing of maíalei iyållore, and is limited to short trills or extrapolation at the end of a stanza. In maíalal iyållore, however, singers are wholly encouraged to ad lib their way through the song, within the given signature key and basic framework of the composition, giving the singer ultimate control over the creative process and allowing him or her to make the song their own.

Most instrumental iyållore falls under the main genre, but lately, new sub-genres have been devised to further classify each kind of Fae music:

1. Priq’un (pree-k-ue-rn) iyållore: Lively Fae music, usually played at weddings and other festive occasions, characterised by the use of percussion and brass instruments. Strong harmonies prevalent.
2. Rålæn (ray-luin) iyållore: A more sedate sub-genre of Fae music which generally has a solemn tone, used at coronations and funerals. String and wind instruments predominate, percussion almost never used. More melodic, less harmonic.
3. Morinål (mori-nail) iyållore: Lullaby-like music, almost always pianissimo and very soothing to the ear. Primarily uses wind instruments, often only a single instrument played with no other accompanying instruments.

To the untrained ear, iyållore may sound confusing and jumbled, but its creation involves high creativity and musical skill in order to ensure that it contains a certain ebb and flow. However, as with other kinds of music, the iyållore is an acquired taste and may not be appreciated by everyone.

Musical Instruments of the iyållore

While custom-made, miniature versions of commonly-used instruments such as the ocarina, mandolin, zither and flute are used in the creation of Fae music, Fae-folk prefer to use their own traditional and personally created instruments. All instruments are crafted using elements from nature, and in the crafting of bone instruments like the myårell, only the bones of already dead animals are used. In no way will Fae-folk harm the flora and fauna of their sylvan homes.

In fact, only certain plants are used in the crafting of Fae musical instruments, specifically the bark and wood of the Silver Bark, a tree which is only found in Silvermist Wood and has been specially designated for the making of musical instruments. The Silver Bark is about four feet in radius, and is the tallest tree in Fae'rel, and is protected by the Fae government and therefore cannot be used for construction except when approved by Queen Sharinya herself. The tree's slickness and smooth texture is ideal for crafting musical instruments.

During the time when interviews were being conducted for the research of this article, leading Fae academic Llanwyn Siannodel also spoke of rumours that the Fae-folk use an intricate system of underground pipeworks, connected through the hollow trunk of the Silver Bark, as a sort of crude but intriguing organ. He went on to say that it was probable that several fae dug tunnels beneath the roots of the Silver Bark, then pumped air through the underground pipeworks, with the sound carrying loudly and amplifying itself as it traveled through the trunk of the tree, producing a powerful blast with a curiously hollow sound. However, he could not confirm that these rumours were true.

Here is a list of other traditional Fae instruments:

1. Myårell (mee-A-rel): The official instrument of the Fae. It is a type of flute made of bone, measuring about 3-7 inches in length and with a tulip-shaped mouth. Each myårell is hand-crafted, and craftsmen usually only use the bones of a recently-deceased, beloved pet. Cabbit bones are preferred due to the fact that they are less dense. There are three kinds of myårell: soprano (3 inches), alto (5 inches), and tenor myårell (7 inches). With each increase in length, the sound produced becomes deeper and fuller, with the soprano producing an airier, lighter sound, and the tenor producing a low, mellow timbre. The alto myårell is most commonly used as it is easier to vary the quality of sound produced. Like recorders (the instrument not the electronic gadget), all myårells have eight holes, and the instrument is played by covering the holes in certain combinations to produce certain chords and notes.

2. Kllangeor (clang-ee-or): Sixteen wooden tubes strung up and hung on a wooden frame, with holes of different length cut into the front. The tubes are shaken together to produce a lovely gurgling sound.

3. Lliådren (lee-A-dren): Resembling a lute, except that it is is laid flat on a table and played like a xylophone, this instrument is made using the ghuernåk (gurr-nayk) reeds that only grow beside creeks in Natura and Silvermist Wood. The strings are struck with smoothed-down silver birch twigs, the ends of which are covered with a small round stone with a hole bored into it. The lliådren not only produces beautiful music, it also is aesthetically beautiful, with intricate carvings along the striking twig (or qir) and the sides of the lute. Measures about 6 inches width-wise and has about fifteen strings.

4. Orgånum (org-A-num): (co-written by Thamsin) This instrument looks much like a regular pipe organ except that the pipes are laid horizontally, and have not one but five holes per pipe. It has two levels of keyboard, both played by one fae. The holes are closed by another four faes, who use their feet so that they are actually dancing as well as making music. Each key is one whole tone apart, and each keyboard contains two octaves. Each pipe has five holes, arranged thus: quarter-tone, quarter-tone, semitone, semitone, semitone - each pipe would then be able to sound in a range of two whole tones above its unstopped note. The quarter-tones are placed close enough so that a fae can stop them both, one with each foot; the semi-tone spaces have to be closed by separate faes. There is always at least one male fae among the four dancers, and usually two, to stop the bigger holes in the two bottom octaves. This creates not only musical, but dancing posibilities - because there are obviously be many ways in this system to create the same sound, by stopping different holes. The best compositions for the orgånum take into account not only the music, but also the dancing patterns.

An orgånum usually measures about one and a half feet wide and three feet tall (excluding the pipes, which measure 7-10 inches). It is used only during festive occasions, as the music and dancing patterns are deemed too gay and merry for more solemn events.

5. Rhillörneum (rr-il-aur-nee-um): An instrument of percussion, it consists of six drums of varying sizes arranged in a circle, in the middle of which a faerie will sit. The larger the drum, the deeper and more booming the sound produced, while the smaller drums produce a crisper beat. As with regular drums, the rhillörneum are made of hollow gourds with skins stretched across the top, but the coverings for these special drums are extra sensitive to vibrations, being as thin as they can possibly be without being too fragile. Strips of steel are attached to the sides of each drum to produce additional sounds along with the basic drum beats. The drums may be struck with either the hands or with a steel qir, although a richer sound tends to be produced with the former method.

6. Zin’dån (zin-dAn): A string instrument with a thin neck, played like a cello. It produces a thin, reedy sound. About eight inches long, with six strings.

This list is still being compiled, as new instruments are being created every day by the innovative Fae-folk. In the meanwhile, one can expect that the iyållore will continue to evolve and change with the times.

Famous Iyålleans and Their Compositions

Although the iyållore is largely a collection of informal, improvised works that make their mark in posterity solely through the remembrances of the descendants of those who created them, there have been a few instances wherein the Fae have chosen to record their most unique and remarkable compositions for the benefit of the artistic development of future generations. To date, only compositions by the Iyålleans have been discovered to have been put down on paper, as these prodigies would likely have more knowledge of writing music in terms of specific notes, keys and dynamics.

Among the most well-known Iyållean composers and works are:

1. Magnus Zul’Rysnall (zool-ris-nahl): One of the most celebrated Fae composers of all time, Zul’Rysnall was best known for his contributions to maíalei iyållore. Born in Natura in 9301, he moved to Aelyria Prime in the fall of 9333, at the height of Michelle the Great’s reign, to begin his training at the Institute of Higher Learning in the mandolin and piano, at the age of 32.

Strongly influenced by the tales of the few major wars in Fae history, Zul’Rysnall’s most popular works have a strong military flavour to them, most notably his maíalei opera, Diandra, about a famous Faerie healer who falls in love with a Pixie general, a romance which ends in tragedy.

2. Cordelia Qi’Resvyn: A maíalal composer, Qi’Resvyn was from the Rosen fae, a clan of faeries well-known for their bards and composers who resided in the forests just outside of Prime. Unusually for a Fae - who are generally monogamous and do not usually enjoy a spirited love life beyond their thirties - Qi’Resvyn was rumoured to have been involved in various affairs until she was a ripe old age, which was said to have inspired her own compositions, especially the love songs Winter’s Lament and Song of the Sparrow, both of which were said to have been written during a tempestuous love affair with Caladon Mo’rålnir, who performed most of her songs as a travelling minstrel throughout Telath.

Qi’Resvyn’s other works were mostly cries for peace and serenity, as she had come of age during the reign of High Queen Charisma du Daltina, the White Dove of peace. However, these were not as well received as her love songs until after her death.

3. Llaurél Wyndsong: Much like Magnus Zul’Rysnall, Llaurél Wyndsong was a maíalei composer and was greatly influenced by the rebellions of the times (she began writing music during the reign of Empress Fire, and was often caught up in the riots against the Fire’s iron-fist rule). Although Wyndsong did not create any particularly extraordinary works, she was known as the official inventor of the myårell (having been inspired by earlier, cruder versions of the bone flute), and helped to establish the instrument as the official instrument of the Fae.

4. Lysander d’Larius: A pioneer of modern Fae music, d’Larius was hailed as one of the only composers to successfully merge the epic nature and classical style of maíalei iyållore, with the flowing, natural exuberance of maíalal iyållore. His works may be classified under both categories, although in general his style is agreed upon as more maíalal than anything else. His most famous work is his sweeping symphonic masterpiece the Rainbow Rhapsody, but he is also known for his more intimate priq’un iyållore manuscripts, especially the piece he wrote for his own wedding, Joy Spring, and for his daughter Miranda’s christening, Dreams on a Summer's Day.