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Keywords:
Robin Hood (9), Tobin Hood (5), oppression (6), Saxons (5), Normans (5), historical (6), educational (9), childrens (7), youth (12), CenterStage (9), Sheriff of Nottingham (5), musicals (7), revolution (19)
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Description:
After posting the first song I ever wrote for children's theater last week (Happy Birthday World, my mother's favorite), I started looking at other older recordings. Then, when a school called and purchased Robin Hood yesterday, I thought, Why not post highlights from some of my youth shows?
During the next month, while I write more Music Interview Blogs and prepare for my summer sessions to finish up the Rain Bather jazz CD (plus do other projects), I will be posting a series of highlights from the youth version of Robin Hood & The Free People of The Forest. I wrote 2 other versions of this show, one which ran off-broadway for 10 months ("Freedom's First Light") and one that I toured with for a few years. This version is performed by kids between 5 and 17 years of age, plus I sing the part of Robin Hood on a few tracks (cuz the recordings were pre-opening demos and the 14-year old kid I cast as Robin wasn't up to snuff yet when we went into the studio).
ROBIN HOOD Highlights (youth version):
Too Many Years (in which the Sheriff walks among the Saxons)
Out Of The Forest (in which Robin boasts & Dianah suggests revolution)
Hail To The Sheriff (in which the Merrie Men capture the Sheriff)
Lay Your Burdens Down (in which Friar Tuck encourages the Sheriff to pay for their feast)
One Less Child (in which Robin, Marion & Dianah lament the death of Much the Miller's Son)
In The Great Dream (in which the women, left behind, dream of a better way)
A couple other demos from my adult version are already posted:
Walls (in which Will Scarlet laments his life, is saved by love)
Here, For A Moment (w/ Emily Rohm) (love song between Robin & Marion)
Sweet Liberty (w/ Jessica Flood) - a song written for and performed at the Statue of LIberty dedication in the mid-80s, later folded into Robin Hood.
Lyrics:
TOO MANY YEARS
Saxon Villagers:
Too many years we serve the Normans.
Too many years they steal us blind.
Too many years we bow before them.
Too many years we live despised.
Too many years they've beat and brutalized;
No end in sight.
In their eyes we're less than cattle fenced up in their fields.
How can we escaped the princely power that they wield?
Beaten down too long.
Long ago at the field of Hastings
Their Norman king came sword in hand,
Slaughtering independent Saxons,
Making us slaves in our own land.
How can we fight their brand of tyranny?
Who'll make a stand?
All day long we work the fields that once belonged to us,
Then we grind the grain to flour that we cannot touch.
Beaten down too long.
Sheriff:
Look at you all, spoiled and dull; no fight, all fraud.
Just get to work. Earn me some perks. I'm getting board.
You realize I hold all your lives in my noble hands?
Village Women:
Morning to night we work the linen,
Sewing up lace and pretty hems.
But only Norman ladies wear them;
We can't afford these precious gems,
Unless we sell our virtue for a price
To Norman men.
All day long we cook and clean with kids strapped to our backs;
No life of our own, repeating empty, endless acts.
Beaten down too long.
Sheriff:
Why do you curse, moan and complain?
Why waste your breath?
I keep you fed, sheltered and safe.
Give me some rest!
Taxes I take! But look what it makes!
Give me some respect.
Male Villagers:
The sweat of your brow won't pay the taxman.
You can't pay the rent with calloused hands.
No matter how hard you work to get on,
Your earnings end up with them instead.
And if you complain, resist or carry on
They strike you dead.
All day long we do their bidding, "Come do this, do that!"
If you even hesitate, they sneer and knock you flat.
Beaten down too long.
Village Women:
Resigned and spent, we lend consent.
We have been giving in.
Disowned and poor, too insecure.
Treated like less than men.
With laws severe, we kneel in fear.
Playing into their hands.
It's time to rise with opened eyes.
It's time for our final stand!
Stand! Stand! Stand!
Saxon Villagers:
Too many years we serve the Normans.
Too many years they steal us blind.
Too many years we bow before them.
Too many years we live despised.
Too many years they've beat and brutalized;
No end in sight.
Dianah & Men:
Too many years we serve the Normans.
Too many years they steal us blind.
Too many years we bow before them.
Too many years we live despised.
Too many years.
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LOVE IT!! &mdash 05/15/08 - 10:51:59 AM
Vibrant, Viral and Vantastic. &mdash 05/15/08 - 11:07:50 AM
I recall another Hood piece of yours which I loved and this goes right up there as another gem which really deserves to be seen and heard by the masses.
Charlie [ Reply to This ]
Brilliant &mdash 05/15/08 - 12:24:37 PM
Fabulous sounds to match the setting of the play. The bells and other fx are placed with perfect timing.
The vocals and children's choir in this are fantastic. The use of synth brass gives a feeling of a more unreal setting %u2014 like in a computer game. But is very cool and goes well to the target group being youth.
BRAVO! [ Reply to This ]
Great! &mdash 05/15/08 - 03:19:50 PM
Awesome, a true gem. Great harmonizing and music work! KUDOS.
Take Care
- Yeman A. Al-Rawi [ Reply to This ]
Too Many Years &mdash 05/15/08 - 03:21:25 PM
Excellent choir ..the performance of robinhood
very awesome and impressive ,very authnetic ..
indeed top kind of Orchestration and writing .
thank you for sharin such work gives alot of
tips on writings ..!! [ Reply to This ]
I'd love... &mdash 05/15/08 - 07:14:49 PM
...to see this performed on the stage. I'll bet it is just wonderful. You apparently write everything...and do it all beautifully. I thoroughly enjoyed this song and your recording of it.
Peace.
Paul [ Reply to This ]
Dang! &mdash 05/15/08 - 08:05:43 PM
Epic Prog Showtune &mdash 05/20/08 - 08:19:34 AM
Cool comment, thanks. I never thought of it that way, but I always try and add a tweak of a new sounds whenever I got bored... Now I'm gonna market it as a progressive showtune musical! [ Reply to This ]
Not sure what to say Tobin! &mdash 05/15/08 - 10:24:00 PM
Writing, performance and production (sound) are all absolutely amazing. What an interesting musical life you've had - time for a MJ blog on Tobin Mueller I think :)
Otstanding!
Neil [ Reply to This ]
long live Softsword, &mdash 05/16/08 - 07:19:20 AM
we've seen the last of good king Richard, well not quite.
An excellent and entertaining work.
John [ Reply to This ]
Of all the musc I've heard &mdash 05/16/08 - 12:28:31 PM
from you, this has got to be one of your highest forms of achievements. What a musical post ! Am I glad I heard this gem Tobin. To me you should be making a full time living on Broadway. So well produced, love how the chorus about 3/4th of the way through were it get real emotional with the choir so well mixed in each side of my earphones.
We are so blessed to have your musical talent here at MJ. No seems to match your level of professionalism in children theatre. What a gift. What musical achievements.
I think this is a real inspiration to me for me to do better.
I think with talent like you have, you push us all to a higher level just by listening to your musical pieces.
But this to me is were you SHINE bigtime. I would think that anybody at the highest level of children's theatre should be very impressed by you. [ Reply to This ]
I agree... &mdash 05/17/08 - 10:30:24 AM
...Couldn't have been stated better. Children's Theatres (and Broadway), pay attention!!! Next stop: the Schubert Theatre. Bravo!
Peace.
Paul [ Reply to This ]
incredible &mdash 05/18/08 - 01:20:53 AM
this is really a new type of music for me so i'm soaking it up like a sponge. i feel far more comfortable simply beholding it than i would critiquing it. the talent displayed is just amazing and the scale of it is grandiose... the amount of sweat poured into this one track is inspiring. the body of work your creating seems more like a testament than a song catalog. [ Reply to This ]
This is &mdash 05/18/08 - 11:42:56 AM
Excellent! Tobin &mdash 05/18/08 - 05:19:43 PM
A very professional sound with great lyrics and fine performances. Its also so good to have someone doing something a bit from the norm here on Mac Jams. It definitely widens the collective perspective. Peace to you my friend, Norman PS My favorite Broadway show is Carousel [ Reply to This ]
Too Many Years &mdash 05/18/08 - 06:22:47 PM
LOVE IT !!! WONDERFUL !!! BRILLIANT PRODUCTION !!
Thanks for the brilliant music. And the download for my ipod.
Peace Dee x [ Reply to This ]
T &mdash 05/19/08 - 05:13:47 PM
I'm impressed. This is outstanding.
It takes special ability to do stuff like this.
LL [ Reply to This ]
Splendid &mdash 05/19/08 - 07:31:35 PM
Very cool &mdash 05/19/08 - 08:49:39 PM
Yet again.... &mdash 05/23/08 - 06:17:08 PM
Memories! &mdash 05/29/08 - 01:53:02 AM
I just stopped by MacJams to check out all the changes since I've been gone and found that you posted the Robin Hood stuff! Hearing these songs bring back so many fabulous memories. I don't think I'd be the person I am today if it weren't for your musicals, Tobin. :) It's so great to know that schools and troupes are still doing these shows.
You haven't posted the "Let Freedom in..." song from RH, have you? I remember LOVING that song, but I wouldn't listen to the recording because I remember my voice cracking on all the high parts.
Anyway, great to hear this again!! [ Reply to This ]
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