The Fisher-Berries of Sun

The Fisher-berries of Sun is a devotional form of music directed toward the worship of Aberethi the Yellow-sand originating in The Bamboo of Enlarging. The form guides musicians during improvised performances. The music is played on a ilireta and a ulabe. The musical voices are joined in melody. The entire performance should bring a sense of motion. The melody has phrases of varied length throughout the form. It is performed using the oyifolewe scale and in free rhythm. Throughout, when possible, performers are to alternate tension and repose.

• The ilireta always does the main melody and plays rapid runs.
• The ulabe always does the main melody and plays rapid runs.
• The Fisher-berries of Sun has a well-defined multi-passage structure: an introduction, a verse and a chorus, a lengthy bridge-passage and a lengthy finale.
• The introduction is at a hurried pace, and it is to be soft. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage.
• The verse is at a hurried pace, and it is to be soft. This passage typically has some sparse chords. The passage should be performed using legato.
• The chorus is very slow, and it is to be soft. Chords are packed close together in dense clusters in this passage.
• The bridge-passage slows and broadens, and it is to become louder and louder. Chords are packed close together in dense clusters in this passage.
• The finale is half the tempo of the last passage, and it is to be moderately loud. Chords are packed close together in dense clusters in this passage. The passage should be performed using legato.
• Scales are constructed from twelve notes dividing the octave. In quartertones, their spacing is roughly 1-x--x-x-x-x-xx-x-x--x-xO, where 1 is the tonic, O marks the octave and x marks other notes. The tonic note is fixed only at the time of performance.
• The oyifolewe heptatonic scale is constructed by selection of degrees from the fundamental scale. The degrees selected are the 1st, the 2nd, the 3rd, the 4th, the 5th, the 6th and the 8th.

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