The Voynich Manuscript of Music

The unplayable "Faerie's Aire and Death Waltz" by John Stump

Image credit: https://socks-studio.com/2012/05/19/the-unplayable-score-faeries-aire-and-death-waltz-john-stump/

John Stump was an American compositor who became famous after his death for his unplayable song “Faerie’s Aire and Death Waltz”. The song is supposed to be a joke, a parody, and, as the sheet says, “Arranged by Accident”. Moreover, the composition includes unusual indications such as “insert peanuts”, “moon walk”, “remove cattle from stage”, and my favorite: “if you can’t play this, why don’t you call your Mommy”.

Although this song was meant to be played by more than just one person, (at one point it mentions 16 pairs of hands), some have managed to record the melody. Here’s a link to a YouTube video where you can listen to it:

While I am no music expert, I find this song more aesthetically pleasing than melodic. But to each their own…

Thank you for reading!

Cited Works

• “John Stump.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 Jan. 2024, es.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stump.

• Lucarelli, Fosco. “The Unplayable Score: Faerie’s Aire and Death Waltz – John Stump.” SOCKS, 19 May 2012, socks-studio.com/2012/05/19/the-unplayable-score-faeries-aire-and-death-waltz-john-stump/.