Two Sisters: Saturday, July 27 | 9pm
July 21, 2024
Categorized in:
Second Inversion
“The Cruel Sister” from The Book of British Ballads inspired the music on this week’s episode.
If you’re a fan of campfire stories or Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, you’re gonna wanna hear this one…
It’s a tale of two sisters: one is bright as the sun, the other one cold and dark. When a young man comes courting, the dark sister gets jealous. She pushes the bright sister into the sea so that she can marry him. But when two minstrels find the dead sister washed up on the shore, they create a harp from her breastbone, strung with her long yellow hair—and they play that ghostly instrument at the dark sister’s wedding.
“Binnorie” is the name of the tune, or “The Two Sisters,” as it’s come to be known. It’s an old murder ballad that is still haunting new composers today.
This Saturday on Second Inversion, we’ll hear two contemporary composers put their own chilling spin on this classic folk tale. Plus: the original “Binnorie,” as it would’ve been heard in the hills and villages of England and Scotland nearly 400 years ago.
To listen, tune in to Classical KING on Saturday, July 27 at 9pm PT.
