Spring Season Songs in the South Russian Tradition
The South Russian singing tradition as an object of study possesses unique features, popularity of spring season songs being one of them. In the folklore they are called “vesnovyye” or “vesnianyye” (meaning just “spring songs”). Songs of various genres - game songs, round dance songs, lingering songs - are used to mark the periods of early spring (from Maslenitsa to Easter) or late spring (from Easter to the beginning of Petrov Lent), depending on the texts reflecting mythological ideas about spring as a period of the peak flourishing of the nature. The main characters of the songs are young girls ready to get married. However, the research performed showed that it is rather melodies and tunes than texts that can have this seasonal fixation and can match several various texts including those not bound by the calendar. Spring tunes get transformed, borrow signs they do not tend to possess from other genres and this way get into the intergenre cluster of the folklore tradition. This appears true for dance songs performed during the ritual processions through the village on the Trinity or accompanying ornamental round dances. With reference to performing, spring songs are based on the system of the calendar folklore vocal techniques like flageolets, yodels, combinations of chest and head resonance, lengthening of the last sound, special timbre coloring.