30/01/23
Welcome back!
Thought we could start with a lovely waltz by Lars Hökper from Sweden
MIDI FILE: Hökper’s ValsTreble. Harmony
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele. Uke Harmony
Mandolin
Cello
Yannick asked her friend about this tune – here was the response!: He is a player and composer from Dala Floda. He has written many good tunes, but his waltz is one of the most played in Sweden. He plays a lot with Mats Arnberg, also from Dala Floda, following the tradition of the Tillman Brothers.
Mats published a book of his tunes
Here’s a translation of the blurb by the bald:
“Hökper’s waltz “A waltz from the end of the 70s. I often find it difficult to name the songs. That was also the case with this waltz until it was spread and played by many. The title was kind of given by itself”
Booking for 18th Feb:
Yannick’s (significant) birthday party is in the More Music hall. Arrive 6:30 to be set up before the guests arrive at 7 please. I’m working on a set-list now, but it’ll be made up of dances we did at the one before the winter break.
06/02/23
Here’s the set list for Yannick’s birthday on the 18th – nothing too surprising 🙂
Circassian Circle (32 bars) – 105bpm x3 and x2 of each Waddington/ Rochdale Coconut
March to the End (32 bars) – 90bpm Kerry Polkas x 3 of each (Ceilidh Book Term 7)
Cumberland Square 8 (64 bars) 100bpm x4 – Jig of Slurs
Ninepins (32-ish bars) – 100pbm+ x lots! Swap tunes after stops: Welsh Tunes: Pant cor yr Wyn/ Ffidl Ffadl
Bransle de Moutarde (Horses Bransle) – 90bpm x7 or 8 in total! Horse’s Bransle/ Babels – 90bpm
Circle Waltz – 105bpm Midnight on the Water x 4
Here’s a couple of lovely reels from North America. Tom Kruskal’s is named after a friend of theirs. The two composers are based in Portland, Maine, fairly close to the Canadian border:
MIDI FILE: Tom Kruskal’s ReelTreble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Cello
“Cornflower Fields Reel”: MIDI FILE: Reel de Champs de Bleuets
Treble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Cello
20/02/2023
You guys were brilliant on Saturday night! Thank you 🙂
This klezmer tune has been around as long as I can remember playing Klezmer (quite a while!). “Mitzvah” is a God given duty and Gedole means “cool”, so “a commandment to be cool”? (a Freylekhs is a lively dance). Either way – it’s a great tune and is uke, whistle, harp and melodeon friendly! Hurray!
MIDI FILE: Mitsve-Gedole FreylekhsTreble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Cello
https://youtu.be/SxDrYSRNVxI from 00:55
I’ve been feeling guilty about Rob having to ride back in the rain after I’d offered him a lift on Saturday, so if there’s time…
MIDI FILE: Rob’s Rainy RideTreble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Cello
27/02/2023
Here’s a couple of lovely Irish tunes that work well fast or slow 🙂Both are popular session favourites
MIDI FILE: Beltable Waltz
Treble
Guitar
Banjo
Uke
Mandolin
Cello
MIDI FILE: The Congress Reel
Treble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Cello
06/03/23
Keeping Celtic from last week we go to Scotland for a couple of lovely tunes – Strathspey and Reel
Calum’s Road written by Donald Shaw of Capercaillie. There are no cars on the isle of Raasay (nr Skye), but Calum McLeod almost single-handedly built the one road the length of the island Calum’s RoadMIDI FILE: Calum’s Road
Treble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Cello
There is an earlier version of Colonel McBain’s Reel from 1760, but I prefer this one.
Treble Harmony
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele Harmony
Mandolin Cello
13/03/23
Here’s a couple of tunes I originally learned from a John Kirkpatrick album. Was reminded of them a couple of years ago when I went through J. Walsh’s, Third Book of the most celebrated jiggs, etc. 1731. Joaks are a type of dance.MIDI FILE: Yellow Joak
Treble and Harmony
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele Harmony
Mandolin
Cello
MIDI FILE: White Joak
Treble and Harmony
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele Harmony
Cello
Spotify link for BOTH tunes
20/03/23
There are several Kolomeike/ Kolomeyka tunes from the Klezmer tradition and this is a less well known Ukrainian Klezmer one. Lots of expressive speeding up and slowing down fun available.
MIDI FILE: KolomeykaTreble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Cello
27/03/23
Amazing local musician Paul Sherwood is an active member of the Cumbria Gaita (Galician bagpipe) Band, and has set up an occasional Galician session in the Gregson centre, suitable for any instrument. I was looking through the tunes he has suggested for the session and was reminded of this one I used to play and (mostly) fits really well on all of our instruments 🙂
MIDI FILE: Aires de PontevedraTreble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Cello
If there’s time, we’ll revisit the Muiñeiras from 2015
This is the last one from this term. We’re back on the 17th April 🙂
