“Hey Ho, Nobody Home” (Romps on a Medieval round)

My father played the trombone. Being the often-stern former Marine that he was, I found little opportunity to gain his approval or favor. One of few times I managed however was after I decided I would also play “his” instrument in the band during Junior High and High School. Like memories of my father (who's been dead for more than 20 years now) and which are fading fast- one of the few remaining Christmas memories from my youth is of discovering a bright shiny new trombone laid out for me beneath the tree one Christmas morning. I thought it the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, especially since my father had been into my room on the Christmas Eve beforehand and explained to me how sorry he was that I wouldn’t in fact be getting one. My family was apparently not very well off financially at the time (I remember my father had recently changed jobs) and he had wanted me to be sure that I didn’t show any disappointment in not getting a trombone in front of my younger brothers. The apparent financial sacrifice that he had to make, on top of the great amount of time he spent teaching me the instrument are things that have meant a great deal to me in the years since.

The first printed edition of "Hey, Ho-Nobody Home" is most probably the collection of rounds (or catches) entitled "Pamelia. Musick's Miscellanies" of 1609 by Thomas Ravenscroft. Large portions of the melodies included were contemporary from the period. "Hey, Ho" - however has much more ancient origins. By 1600 it was known to most of the rowdy common folk of England as a "drinking round" (and therefore quite appropriate for the trombone); but had its origins in a much sadder (and slower) round entitled "Rose, Rose, Rose". That melody has versions in Middle English and may musically go all the way back to the time of the Crusades.

          My interest in working with a musical idea with so many connections to Medieval England is partly based on my recent discovery that (according to biographer Alison Weir) King Henry VIII not only played but also owned a total of 10 “sackbuts” at the time of his death. Structurally I created a primary musical motive in 7/8 (octatonic in nature) that fully presents itself only after about a minute of material (which includes a chorale derived from the first phrase of the round). This motive along with the round “tune” itself are juxtaposed in continually evolving canonic activity which hopefully demonstrates the almost seemingly indestructible power of this round (and hopefully the trombones as well).