Скачать или смотреть "Silent Night" on Portuguese mandolin & kora - experiment

From my kora diary 20 & mandolin Diary 87 – “Silent Night” by Mohr & Gruber

Happy Holidays!

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Kora and mandolin duet attempt!

I was going for a kora solo version of this song but after having been inspired by hearing Chris Thile's finger (flesh) picking playing Allemande from the Bach’s D minor Partita. I’ve changed my mind to experiment using the kora as an accompanying instrument.

I always thought the mandolin would go nicely with the kora but wasn’t sure how to manage the mix until I heard Chris Thile’s magical performance without using a pick!

Since I found this budget Portuguese mandolin on my way to Chris Thile’s London concert, I’ve been able to practise the mandolin again (after the shoulder injuries). I even started practising without a pick because it felt more natural to me, being a pianist; I like using my fingers! Through this exercise, I discovered that I can learn to control my left hand quicker as I don’t have to think about my right hand (using a pick is still difficult for me!). Once I learn the left hand movement, then switch to using a pick, so that I can focus on the picking technique. This method does help me learn the music much quicker. Now, I found new possibilities thanks to Chris Thile’s experiment!

There’s an amazing story behind how this Christmas classic song was born:

On the afternoon of Christmas Eve, 1818, Mohr visited his friend, the local schoolteacher and organist Franz Gruber, and presented the poem to him. He asked Gruber to compose a melody and a guitar accompaniment for the song to be performed at that night’s Midnight Mass.

Gruber composed the music within just a few hours. The song was then performed for the first time that same evening at St. Nicholas Church, with Mohr singing tenor and playing the guitar, Gruber singing the bass part, and the church choir repeating the final two lines of each verse.