Much of the intonation is vague.  In taking the glissandos shown near the middle of the top line, the upper tone is sung about half way between B-flat and B-natural.  There is some abandon in the rhythm also.

The group of six notes marked with an asterisk are trilled on the semitone interval.

Dawak

Record D. The song of a medium when calling spirits into her (his) body.

This song is doubtless the invention of the singer.  It has that abandon which usually characterizes the songs of workers in the occult among primitive folk.

The song is cast mostly in the relative minor (G-sharp) of the pentatonic scale of B-natural major.  A-sharp does not belong to this scale.  There are five measures, where this note appears, but in each instance the tonality of the phrase momentarily rests in D-sharp minor, the relative of the pentatonic major of F-sharp.  A-sharp belongs to this scale, but B-natural does not.  The singer, with his instinct for the five-note scale, avoids the B-natural until the tonality shifts back to the original key.  The song is therefore classed as pentatonic in character.

The melody is distinctly harmonic in structure, as nearly all of the successions are made up of triad intervals.

Though the song runs but a minute and a half, the tempo changes eight times.  The performer takes nearly every new tempo with a well-defined rhythm.  There is considerable freedom shown in the first movement when the tremolos between B-natural and the G-sharp below are taken.

The singer shows quite remarkable flexibility of voice, excellent breath control, and a rather surprising quality of tone and accuracy of intonation.  As a demonstration of flexibility, about the middle of the first movement, he takes the quarter note B-natural in falsetto and immediately drops into the waver a tenth below, at the same time assuming his natural voice.  The falsetto tone is indicated in the transcription by a tiny circle above the note.  All of the wavered tones, as well as the falsetto at the beginning and the turn at the end are sung with one breath to a single syllable.  This is quite a remarkable performance considering that the singer had no voice training.

Near the opening of the first 2/4 movement is shown a group of five notes given in the time of four,—­a rhythmic effect few trained musicians can execute well.

Of the various performers who took part in making the fourteen records, this singer shows the best voice technic and control.

The fact that the singer scarcely repeats a single motive throughout the extent of the song, but is constantly introducing new tonal ideas argues an extempore performance.  It would be interesting to have for comparison another record of the same song made at another time.

Song of a Spirit

Record E. Sung by a medium when possessed by a spirit.

Melodically this song is quite in contrast with the Dawak.  This one is distinctly melodic in structure, though there are suggested harmonies.  These harmonies are mostly tonic and dominant alternating one with the other.