Welcome back! We’re here for this week, then we’re off again next week due to the bank holiday, but other than that it’ll be a busy term getting ready for our gig with the Lunatractors on 14th June and at the Three Degrees Festival on 5th July (both at More Music).
28/04/25
Here are a couple of great Irish reels – a 16 bar reel and 32 bar reel. Martin Hayes gives us an interesting take on the tune…
MIDI FILE: Humours of ScariffTreble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Alto Sax
Trumpet
Cello/Bass
Treble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Alto Sax
Trumpet
Cello/Bass
Westmorland/ Westmoreland Arrangement:
Each part gets gradually louder…
1a, 1aa: Strings only – melody and chords – no harmony parts
1b, 1bb – accordions join with LH chords (no basses)
2a+b – low harmonies from bowed strings. Accordions take lead on melody
3a+b – if it sounds good, do it! Low Harmonies, High Harmonies, Melodies, all Loud and Full
Bass instruments
Banjo
05/05/2025 – Bank Holiday – no session
12/05/2025
Here’s a couple of contrasting, but lovely 3/2 hornpipes from England. Each is characteristic of a different style. The French Milliner has a lot in common with NE and NW English folk tunes that were fashionable thanks to being commonly published in London, whilst the more sophisticated Beau’s Retreat is quite firmly Baroque in style, in common with Handel et al, who were also composing 3/2 melodies in London at the time. Young’s edition of the Playford Dancing Master was full of the fashionable tunes and dances of the day.
MIDI FILE: French Milliner, TheTreble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Alto Sax
Trumpet
Cello/Bass
Rutherford’s compleat vol 2
MIDI FILE: Beau’s Retreat, The
Treble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Alto Sax
Trumpet
Cello/Bass
This week we’ll have a go at arranging Akuvalssi from last term. Here’s the other arrangements for rehearsal purposes 🙂
19/05/2025
Here’s a fab and joyful “fiddle” tune, that’s very uplifting when everyone’s at it. I’ve seen and played various arrangements of it – I’m quite fond of AABBAACC, but a lot of folks play it AABBCC. I’ve also played it for contradance as AABC. Whatever makes you happy! Largely attributed to Marcel Messevier, a legendary Quebecois accordionist and accordion maker, although it’s unclear whether he wrote it or just popularised it. I messaged his family, who are also unclear, so… here we are – I’ve put him on the sheets as composer, but I guess we’ll never know.
MIDI FILE: Reel des AccordeonistesTreble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Alto Sax
Trumpet
Bass
Red House Arrangement
1st time: Tony starts with a drone and Lewis plays the A, joined by Andrew on B and Rob on C
2nd time: Everyone in, but still relatively quietly. June plays harmony part
3rd time: Plucked strings play melody and/or chords together and everyone joins on C
4th time: Bowed and plucked strings play melody and everyone joins on C
5th time: Everyone in with gusto!
Guitar
Ukulele
Mandolin
Cello/Bass
Westmorland/ Westmoreland Arrangement:
Each part gets gradually louder…
1a, 1aa: Strings only – melody and chords – no harmony parts
1b, 1bb – accordions join with LH chords (no basses)
2a+b – low harmonies from bowed strings. Accordions take lead on melody
3a+b – if it sounds good, do it! Low Harmonies, High Harmonies, Melodies, all Loud and Full Westmoreland Harmony parts
Bass instruments
Banjo
Akkuvalsi Arrangement:
Intro: Strumming instruments play bars 9-16
1st time – Everyone plays melody
2nd time – Harmony brought in by those who’d like to
Break – squeezeboxes um-pa bars 9-16
2nd part 1st time – bowed strings play melody, strums and squeezes um-pa
2nd part 2nd time – all in on melody, or harmony
Robin’s Waltz Arrangement (as per term 34):
Treble and Harmony part – four times through
1/ f. Just melody
2/ p. Just melody
3/ p. With harmony
4/ f. With harmony
Mr Lane’s Maggot (150bpm – “1, 2&”) (2m30)
1A/ f. Just melody
1B/ cresc each repeat. Just melody
2A/ mp. with harmony
2B/ cresc each repeat. With harmony
3A/ f. With harmony
3B/ cresc each repeat. With harmony
