25/09/23
Welcome back all!
We’re starting with a fun reel from Scotland. Miller (1789-1861) was born in Perth and was a member of the Forfar Militia. Later moved to Dundee and became a pipemaker, and performer on the Northumbrian, Union and Great Highland Bagpipes. https://tunearch.org/wiki/. I think this’ll go well with Colonel McBain’s Reel from Term 36
Treble Harmony
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Mandolin
Bass
Cello
2/10/23
This weekend’s ceilidh:
Arrive ready to soundcheck at 6pm (5:50 at the latest especially if you need to tune up etc). Doors open at 7. Music and dancing at 7:30 to 8:15 then 8:40-9:25 and go home. To get the £5 tickets ask for the “LA3/LA4” ticket apparently.
MIDI FILE: FlaskadrigaTreble
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N.B. The phrase I was kicking myself over: Fra se (It.). To himself (herself ), aside – see last four notes of bar 4
09/10/23
What a great job everyone did at the ceilidh! So very impressed with everyone 🙂
So…Sorry if this seems like a punishment!!! It’s such a great tune and written for harp (genuinely no pressure David). It was written as a sort of competition with another composer who didn’t believe a blind harpist from Dublin could be as good as he’d been told. He came out calling Carolan a genius of Irish music for his versatility and also for this tune which Carolan is reported to have made up on the spot (hard to know – he had lots of tunes that he used for several purposes as gifts for his benefactors etc). Sounds great fast or slow in my opinion. I love to play this on the mandolin personally.
MIDI FILE: Carolan’s ConcertoTreble
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Here are some details for the 20th October at King’s Community Church, Phoenix Street, Lancaster LA1 1DD:
6:30 Ceilidh band set up
7:00 Set up snacks, welcome table
7:30 Doors
7:35 Ceilidh starts
8:30 Drinks & Snacks
8:40 Suzie & Lou CAP input
8:50/9 Ceilidh resumes
9:45 Ceilidh finishes
10:00 Clear up & close up
16/10/23
I was reminded of this fab tune at a wonderful concert in Coniston on Saturday – Nancy Kerr and James Fagan.
The composer was a first nation Australian who ran a 1930s dance band in Darwin (not folk), but this tune of his has made it’s way into the tradition and has become a popular addition to the Australian folk repertoire.
MIDI FILE: Ti Tree WaltzTreble
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Cello
06/11/23
Hope you all had a good half term. We have a request for a birthday ceilidh on March 2nd of next year, in the centre @Halton – let me know your availability if you can tonight (6th) please 🙂
Here is one of my favourite Norwegian Schottises “Come to me in the Evening” (wrongly believed to be Swedish), that I remember first hearing as a child in the 1980s played by the amazing Celtic harpist Wendy Stewart (of Ceolbeg and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music, where she is principal tutor of Scottish Harp), and her husband Alan (another accomplished musician) when they lived in Lancaster.
MIDI FILE: Kom Til Meg om KveldenTreble and Harmony
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13/11/23
You’ll never guess why I chose this tune ;). Normally played ABABACAB
MIDI FILE: Valse du mois d’NovembreTreble & Harmony
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20/11/23
A Racenitza (there’re a LOT of different spellings!!!) is the national dance of Bulgaria. I learned this from a French flautist, who learned it from a band from Seattle, who learned it from a band from New Orleans, who learned it from a band from Serbia, who learned it from a Bulgarian friend, so it might not be entirely accurate ;). That’s folk music for you ha ha! Either way a great tune – harmony is made up by me, so feel free to change it 😉
MIDI FILE: RacenicaTreble & Harmony
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27/11/23
Here’s a couple of hornpipes from the Browne Family manuscripts – numerous books of tunes and more from the (now) National Trust Property – Townend in Troutbeck, Lake district. They can now be found and viewed by appointment at the Armitt Museum and Library in Ambleside.
MIDI FILE: Appleby Election HornpipeTreble & Harmony
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04/12/2023
Happy to report that More Music will be pleased to host us for the next two weeks. Thanks all – see you there 🙂
Here are a couple of contemporary Scottish waltzes in honour of St Andrews Day last week ;). (i.e. as a response to Janet’s scowling – ha ha!)
Here’s the official melody from Gordon!MIDI FILE: Gillian’s Waltz by Gordon Gunn
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Treble
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11/12/23
This is the last one of this term. We’ll be back on the 15th Jan :). Merry Christmas!!!
Here’s a popular Spiritual, claimed by both the Appalachian settlers (mostly Scots/ Scots-Irish) and the African-Americans, who often worked side by side (although the Appalachians still got paid and were free – they didn’t get paid much: think London Irish). I based the arrangement on several recordings – lots of empty sounding chords (5ths and octaves). I would never condone encouraging a shepherd to abandon their flock! – seems counter-intuitive given the common religious meaning these days 😉
N.B. Many singers will include the occasional F-natural for a more “bluesy” sound.
MIDI FILE: Rise up Shepherd and FollowMelody and Lyrics
Melody and Harmonies
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If there’s also time, we’ll have a go at Bransle d’official (you already know it) – from Orchésographie written or transcribed by the French cleric, composer and writer Thoinot Arbeau pen name of Jehan Tabourot (1519–1593).
UPDATE: I stand corrected – the dance moves are listed in the original book (I only had a transcript of the melodies) – here you go! Hope your C16 French is up to it, because mine isn’t!
MIDI FILE: Branle de l’OfficialTreble
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