Folk Group Term 42

Welcome back! A couple of dates for us this term if we’re up for it: Friday 21st March at More Music and a recording at some point too as well as a possible community festival… date tba

20/01/2025

Although it’s Burns night this weekend, we’ll do something suitable next Monday, as it’s closer to the day itself. In the meantime, here’s a lovely Finnish Vals. If there’s time we’ll re-visit Säkkijärven Polkka from Term 35, 2022.

MIDI FILE: Akuvalssi

Treble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Cello
Alto Sax

27/01/25

Here’s a great fiddle tune from Shetland – I’m a bit Burns’d out after this weekend if I’m honest, but this is a great tune and not strictly anything to do with Burns! Michael Ferrie wrote it whilst playing with the teen fiddle group “Fiddler’s Bid” in the 1990s, but sadly died aged 21 from cancer.

MIDI FILE: Michael’s Mazurka

Treble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Alto Saxophone
Cello

03/02/25

Here’s a great Freylekh or Sher from the Klezmer traditions. Has a lot of phrases and rhythms for both types of dance and would probably work for either depending on the backing…

A Freylekh is a frantic dance tune. Shers are square dances, whilst Freylekhs is more often a “snake” or circle dance, with a bouncy on-beat step. A Freylekh-Sher is a square dance.

N.B. As with many older traditional tunes the spelling of “Freylekh”, for example will vary considerably when written down!

MIDI FILE: Freylekh Sher

Treble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Alto Sax
Trombone
Cello

10/02/25

Here are a couple of very jolly little tunes from Eastern Canada – presumably matching with their titles! The Nova Scotia can be used as a hornpipe, although it is more properly a Barndance or set-dance, meaning it has its own dance associated rather than a generic hornpipe-ish thing. The Cape Breton Jig I have very few ideas about – it’s been in and out of fashion for a very long time in sessions (possibly because of the “Jesus Christ Superstar” bit in the 2nd part!), but can be played in any number of ways, which makes it a popular tune for soloists.

The Nova Scotia

Treble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Alto Sax
Trumpet
Cello

MIDI FILE: Cape Breton Jig

Treble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Alto Sax
Trumpet
Cello