The Umber Bell

The Umber Bell is a form of music used for entertainment originally devised by the elf Alisa Respectsparkled. The form guides musicians during improvised performances. One to six singers recite nonsensical words and sounds while the music is played on a thefira, a feferi and a thawa. The musical voices bring melody and counterpoint. The melody and counterpoint both have short phrases throughout the form. It is performed without preference for a scale and in free rhythm. Throughout, when possible, performers are to glide from note to note and alternate tension and repose.

• Each singer always does the main melody, should bring a sense of motion and is to become louder and louder.
• The thefira always does the main melody, should be strong and is to be very loud.
• The feferi always does the main melody, should be melancholic and is to be loud.
• The thawa always does the counterpoint melody, should feel mournful and is to be soft.
• The Umber Bell has a well-defined multi-passage structure: a theme, a brief exposition of the theme, a bridge-passage and a brief recapitulation of the theme.
• The theme is at a hurried pace. Each of the singers' voices covers its entire range, the feferi ranges from the raucous low register to the strident middle register and the thawa ranges from the watery middle register to the raspy high register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage.
• The exposition accelerates as it proceeds. Each of the singers' voices covers its entire range, the feferi ranges from the strident middle register to the buzzy high register and the thawa stays in the heavy low register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage.
• The bridge-passage gradually slows as it comes to an end. Each of the singers' voices stays in the low register, the feferi ranges from the strident middle register to the buzzy high register and the thawa ranges from the heavy low register to the watery middle register. Chords are packed close together in dense clusters in this passage.
• The recapitulation is twice the tempo of the last passage. Each of the singers' voices ranges from the middle register to the high register, the feferi stays in the buzzy high register and the thawa ranges from the heavy low register to the watery middle register. Only one pitch is ever played at a time in this passage.

Events

• In late winter of 130, The Umber Bell was created by the elf Alisa Respectsparkled in Creaturebuds