Songs of the Copper Eskimos 339 



CHAPTER 2. DANCE SONGS FROM REGIONS SURROUNDING 

 THE COPPER ESKIMOS 



MACKENZIE RIVER DANCE SONGS 



The Mackenzie river region lies to the west of that which the Copper 

 Eskimos inhabit. It is not so far removed, however, that some intercourse 

 should not occur. Twelve songs have been collected from this area, all of which 

 are dance songs, and the first of which is designated an aton. The last is reputed 

 to be a Russian song, and is exceedingly difficult and complicated, especially 

 on account of the numerous chromatics, modulations and shifts in pitch due 

 to what may be untrue singing. In the general conclusions its features have 

 not been calculated. 



No. 114 is not unlike some songs from the Copper Eskimos, except that it 

 lacks refrains and connectives. The verses are all alike, with A and B phrases. 

 The speed is moderate — M.M. 104. There is a syncopated rhythm and a 

 tendency toward two sixteenth notes at the ends of the measures instead of an 

 eighth, and sometimes for the second half of the second beat. The song begins 

 on the final half of the fourth beat in a five-four measure which perhaps should 

 be split into a three-four and a two-four. 



Connectives are not lacking in all the songs from the Mackenzie, for in the 

 next, No. 115, one is used for an introduction and again to join the two almost 

 identical halves of the song which are composed of two phrases each. The last 

 part of each phrase is sung to burden syllables and between the A and B phrases 

 of each half there are extensions of the A phrase which might very well also be 

 called connectives. Those which introduce the first half of the song and connect 

 it with the second are different from those used by the Copper Eskimos in that 

 they are longer and there are two words as well as some burden syllables. This 

 song is much more lively in tempo than the average or even the fastest Copper 

 Eskimo tune, for it moves at 144 M.M. Its dotted eighths and sixteenths 

 beside lending precision of movement also add to the liveliness. There is an 

 interesting rhythmic contrast in the beginning of the B phrase where a smoother 

 movement of paired eighths appears. 



Most of the Mackenzie river songs are much shorter than those of the 

 Copper Eskimos and lack the divided verse with its refrain for each verse-part, 

 the refrain and the connective. Many are similar to the final songs in each of 

 the three Copper Eskimo sets, the pisik, aton and unclassified. 



There is a flowing quality to the melody of No. 116 which reminds us of 

 the weather incantations, and the octave intervals would be rare in the Coron- 

 ation gulf neighbourhood. No. 117 is another short song with rapid tempo 

 Its double dotted quarter notes and the triplet rhythms, as well as the series of 

 sixteenths, especially at such a speed, are features that are not at all character- 

 istic or even common in the Copper Eskimo tunes. No. 118 is another very 

 rapid tune which in plan is very like No. 66 among the atons of the Copper 

 Eskimos. There is the same striving for the balance of parts which in the Mac- 

 kenzie area seems to have been more often attained in compositions of this type. 

 T'^j|Jarge intervals and the rise of the curve of the melody in the middle of the 

 soi-igto exceptional heights mark No. 119, which does not display much evidence 

 of design in its short length, but which is in its beginning very tuneful. 



885«— 22i 



