Groundhog Lore

Groundhog. The myth. The legend. And in our case, the subject of lore – that is, a story of tradition passed on through time. Who can say what tales there are to tell? Ancient lofty mysteries perhaps? Imaginations run wild. Or... We just stick to the story we know: If the groundhog sees his shadow on February 2, there will be six more weeks of winter. But that's kind of boring, isn't it?

Taking the notion to ridiculous levels of importance, this bigger than necessary ballad gives your performers the chance to seriously overdo it. Starting at measure 5, there is an optional solo (sung bravely on our recording by Marshall Gooch). If you have an outgoing ham in your midst, this is tailor-made. As you hear on the recording, it can be embellished with vibrato and over-enunciation. The rest of the choir (part 1) joins in at measure 9 to continue the story. The selling point of the song will be the use of the musical nuances, notably the dynamics. Enunciation and melodrama can also go a long way, but take care no one upstages the whole group unless you're planning it that way. Group silliness is harder than solo silliness because you have to work together for the result. A good musical lesson for us all!

At measure 13, the spoken line/chant starts out quietly and increases in volume every two measures until it's fully forte. Halfway through, the optional second part joins in singing sorrowfully at first, also increasing in dynamic till the punctuated final "No!" in measure 20. Part 2 stays in at the D.S. until the end. The isolated rehearsal track for this can be found at our web site.

Both parts have a lot of sixteenth notes which are not as scary as they look given the plodding tempo. Still, singers will want to be sure to stay with the beat when they perform them. The line is doubled in the accompaniment on the recording, usually by electric guitar and sometimes in the winds as well. The electric guitar, played by Jason Wilbur, also has a marvelous soaring solo that enters at measure 5 on the D.S. topped off with a taste of ad libbing at the end. Worth the listen!