The Fir-Cone of Bees

The Fir-cone of Bees is a devotional form of music originating in The Saltpeter of Rhapsodies. The form guides musicians during improvised performances. A chanter recites nonsensical words and sounds while the music is played on three taralatho. The musical voices bring melody with harmony. The melody has phrases of varied length throughout the form. It is performed without preference for a scale. Throughout, when possible, performers are to alternate tension and repose.

• The chanter always does the main melody and should be bright.
• Each taralatho always does harmony and should sparkle.
• The Fir-cone of Bees has a well-defined multi-passage structure: an introduction and one to two passages and another one to two passages.
• The introduction is at a free tempo, and it is to be moderately loud. The chanter's voice covers its entire range. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage. The passage is performed in free rhythm.
• Each of the first simple passages is at a hurried pace, and it is to be loud. The chanter's voice stays in the middle register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage. Each passage is performed in free rhythm.
• Each of the second simple passages is extremely fast, and it is to become softer and softer. The chanter's voice stays in the low register. This passage is richly layered with full chords making use of the available range. Each passage is performed in the feri rhythm.
• The feri rhythm is made from two patterns: the moro and the seyawi. The patterns are to be played over the same period of time, concluding together regardless of beat number.
• The moro rhythm is a single line with four beats. The beat is stressed as follows:
• | x - - - |
• where x is a beat, - is silent and | indicates a bar.
• The seyawi rhythm is a single line with two beats. The beat is stressed as follows:
• | x x |
• where x is a beat and | indicates a bar.

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