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Tales from the Red Book of Tunes
Folklorist Jiri Hansom Felding is caught in a web of jigs and reels even as she tries to untangle the secrets of the melodies set down in the ancient Red Book of Tunes. The complicated politics of a modern contra dance, the hopes of the elephant seller's daughter, and the dangerous myth of the Bramble Hive are all stones in a river of music and dance connecting the players across time and distance.
286 pages, Paperback
First published January 2, 2014
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About the author
Tyler Johnson
3 books4 followersTyler Johnson is an author and poet living in Carrboro, North Carolina. He grew up in rural Hanover County, Virginia, near Scotchtown, in a log cabin built by his father. His writing is rich with that Southern voice, but influenced by an ear for other dialects and a taste for other cultures.
Traditional music and dance are integral parts of Tyler’s life and work. He is a regular contra and folk dancer. He plays the mandolin, Irish tenor banjo, and guitar for dances and for fun.
National Endowment for the Arts Master Fiddler Rodney Miller says about Tyler, “Rare is the writer who is able to spin a tale so rich in the lore of folk music and dance traditions. To do it in a manner that spellbinds and beguiles and gives us meaningful insights into our collective spirit is extraordinary.”
Tyler started his career as a communications systems engineer, developing and researching high performance network systems. He has published several international standards through the ITU-T in Geneva and through the IETF. Tyler has also worked in documentary film and television production, but his true loves have always been music and writing.
Tyler’s books include The Swamps that close (2004), Tales from the Red Book of Tunes (2014), and Dancing the Haw (2015). His poems have appeared in The Carolina Quarterly, Iodine, The Sow’s Ear Poetry Review, and Prairie Wolf Press Review.
He is a member of the band Rip The Calico.
Tyler’s schedule is sometimes available for readings and workshops in both poetry and prose.
Traditional music and dance are integral parts of Tyler’s life and work. He is a regular contra and folk dancer. He plays the mandolin, Irish tenor banjo, and guitar for dances and for fun.
National Endowment for the Arts Master Fiddler Rodney Miller says about Tyler, “Rare is the writer who is able to spin a tale so rich in the lore of folk music and dance traditions. To do it in a manner that spellbinds and beguiles and gives us meaningful insights into our collective spirit is extraordinary.”
Tyler started his career as a communications systems engineer, developing and researching high performance network systems. He has published several international standards through the ITU-T in Geneva and through the IETF. Tyler has also worked in documentary film and television production, but his true loves have always been music and writing.
Tyler’s books include The Swamps that close (2004), Tales from the Red Book of Tunes (2014), and Dancing the Haw (2015). His poems have appeared in The Carolina Quarterly, Iodine, The Sow’s Ear Poetry Review, and Prairie Wolf Press Review.
He is a member of the band Rip The Calico.
Tyler’s schedule is sometimes available for readings and workshops in both poetry and prose.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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January 28, 2019Donated to our local library
March 10, 2014
A collection of short stories organized around what I assume to be a fictional collection of folk dance tunes from the fictional "Hollean." I couldn't find it in a Google search, but it seems to be based on the British Isles. It is unclear what may be historical and what is fiction. Regardless, it is a clever frame for the stories.
Any folk dancer will enjoy this book. It captures the feel of dancing and of the dance community. Most of the stories are well written character studies with vague, unsatisfying endings. Not to my taste. There are two notable exceptions and those stories are unforgettable. The language is beautiful and heartfelt throughout. I'll return to this collection again.
Any folk dancer will enjoy this book. It captures the feel of dancing and of the dance community. Most of the stories are well written character studies with vague, unsatisfying endings. Not to my taste. There are two notable exceptions and those stories are unforgettable. The language is beautiful and heartfelt throughout. I'll return to this collection again.
December 3, 2014
Tyler Johnson’s collection of short stories, entitled Tales from the Red Book of Tunes, tells the stories behind tunes originally collected by fictitious thirteenth century musician Mil Harei, as he crossed the fantastical northern isles of Hollean. Each short story is accompanied by a tune allegedly set down by Harei in The Red Book of Tunes. Interspersed throughout is an interview with Jiri Hansom Felding, fictitious editor of The New Book of Red Tunes, and professor in the Department of Folklore and Cultural Preservation at Highlands University, Telm.
The stories span the centuries: from Hollean’s distant past, to the present day. We learn much about the people and the place through the music and through the stories that seem to flow effortlessly from the mind of Johnson. From the first story, “The Standing Goat,” one is captivated by Johnson’s lyrical prose and his strong evocation of place.
The themes are universal: lost love, jealousy, fear, dysfunctional families, folk legends, yet they are set in such a way as to be unique. Though the setting is fantastical, the people who inhabit Johnson’s stories are real people with real problems that undergo some sort of transformation; we learn to care deeply about the characters in the short space dictated by the form. And we feel the theme of each tune, deftly composed by Johnson, course through each story. For one doesn’t as much read these stories, as sing them, as they flow ceaselessly through the reader like the movement of contra dancing through the initiated.
One is left wanting more, waiting for the stories to continue, eager to step again into more tales, to be swept up by their powerful and melodious appeal. An excellent and brilliant debut collection, Tales from the Red Book of Tunes is a must read for anyone who has ever been touched by the power of music.
-Matthew Peters, author of The Brothers’ Keepers and Conversations Among Ruins
The stories span the centuries: from Hollean’s distant past, to the present day. We learn much about the people and the place through the music and through the stories that seem to flow effortlessly from the mind of Johnson. From the first story, “The Standing Goat,” one is captivated by Johnson’s lyrical prose and his strong evocation of place.
The themes are universal: lost love, jealousy, fear, dysfunctional families, folk legends, yet they are set in such a way as to be unique. Though the setting is fantastical, the people who inhabit Johnson’s stories are real people with real problems that undergo some sort of transformation; we learn to care deeply about the characters in the short space dictated by the form. And we feel the theme of each tune, deftly composed by Johnson, course through each story. For one doesn’t as much read these stories, as sing them, as they flow ceaselessly through the reader like the movement of contra dancing through the initiated.
One is left wanting more, waiting for the stories to continue, eager to step again into more tales, to be swept up by their powerful and melodious appeal. An excellent and brilliant debut collection, Tales from the Red Book of Tunes is a must read for anyone who has ever been touched by the power of music.
-Matthew Peters, author of The Brothers’ Keepers and Conversations Among Ruins
March 13, 2014
Tyler Johnson’s collection of short stories, entitled Tales from the Red Book of Tunes, tells the stories behind tunes originally collected by fictitious thirteenth century musician Mil Harei, as he crossed the fantastical northern isles of Hollean. Each short story is accompanied by a tune allegedly set down by Harei in The Red Book of Tunes. Interspersed throughout is an interview with Jiri Hansom Felding, fictitious editor of The New Book of Red Tunes, and professor in the Department of Folklore and Cultural Preservation at Highlands University, Telm.
The stories span the centuries: from Hollean’s distant past, to the present day. We learn much about the people and the place through the music and through the stories that seem to flow effortlessly from the mind of Johnson. From the first story, “The Standing Goat,” one is captivated by Johnson’s lyrical prose and his strong evocation of place.
The themes are universal: lost love, jealousy, fear, dysfunctional families, folk legends, yet they are set in such a way as to be unique. Though the setting is fantastical, the people who inhabit Johnson’s stories are real people with real problems that undergo some sort of transformation; we learn to care deeply about the characters in the short space dictated by the form. And we feel the theme of each tune, deftly composed by Johnson, course through each story. For one doesn’t as much read these stories, as sing them, as they flow ceaselessly through the reader like the movement of contra dancing through the initiated.
One is left wanting more, waiting for the stories to continue, eager to step again into more tales, to be swept up by their powerful and melodious appeal. An excellent and brilliant debut collection, Tales from the Red Book of Tunes is a must read for anyone who has ever been touched by the power of music.
-Matthew Peters, author of Conversations Among Ruins (forthcoming through All Things That Matter Press), and The Brothers’ Keepers (forthcoming through MuseItUp Publishing)
The stories span the centuries: from Hollean’s distant past, to the present day. We learn much about the people and the place through the music and through the stories that seem to flow effortlessly from the mind of Johnson. From the first story, “The Standing Goat,” one is captivated by Johnson’s lyrical prose and his strong evocation of place.
The themes are universal: lost love, jealousy, fear, dysfunctional families, folk legends, yet they are set in such a way as to be unique. Though the setting is fantastical, the people who inhabit Johnson’s stories are real people with real problems that undergo some sort of transformation; we learn to care deeply about the characters in the short space dictated by the form. And we feel the theme of each tune, deftly composed by Johnson, course through each story. For one doesn’t as much read these stories, as sing them, as they flow ceaselessly through the reader like the movement of contra dancing through the initiated.
One is left wanting more, waiting for the stories to continue, eager to step again into more tales, to be swept up by their powerful and melodious appeal. An excellent and brilliant debut collection, Tales from the Red Book of Tunes is a must read for anyone who has ever been touched by the power of music.
-Matthew Peters, author of Conversations Among Ruins (forthcoming through All Things That Matter Press), and The Brothers’ Keepers (forthcoming through MuseItUp Publishing)
September 19, 2014
This book is a collection of fictional tales about folk tunes supposedly written down long ago in the Red Book of Tunes, but actually composed by the author. The stories vary wildly with something here to appeal to most fiction readers. However, I thought the best part was listening to the tunes on the author's website. I would definitely recommend listening to the tunes before reading each story as they add an entirely new dimension to the stories.
I agree with another reviewer here that the stories and music seem so authentic that I Googled them to see if they were based on real history (they aren't). I liked some of the stories so much I really wanted them to be factual and I was, probably irrationally, disappointed when they weren't.
I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
I agree with another reviewer here that the stories and music seem so authentic that I Googled them to see if they were based on real history (they aren't). I liked some of the stories so much I really wanted them to be factual and I was, probably irrationally, disappointed when they weren't.
I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
December 14, 2016
I've been contra dancing, but I've never before heard of the Red Book of Tunes. I was still able to enjoy the stories.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews