Roses of No Man's Land

This tune is marked as a "Slow Air".  Could someone tell me what speed that should be in BPM  I am playing it at 100 bpm but I think that is probably too fast.  (although I think it sounds quite good at that speed)

The Kelty Clippie



            A                                  D
1. I have travelled roon' this country, from shore tae shining shore
           E                                           A
Frae the swamps o' Auchterderan tae the jungles o' Lochore
        A                                   D
But in all these far flung places, there's none that can compare
         E                                           A
Wi' the Lily o' Lumphinnans, she's ma bonnie Maggie Blair.

                   A                            D
Chorus: Oh, she's just a Kelty Clippie, she'll no' tak' nae advice
               E                                                            A
        It's "Ach drap deid, awa' bile yer heid, or Ah'll punch yer ticket twice."
              A                             D
        Her faither's just a waister, her mother's on the game
               E                           A
        She's just a Kelty Clippie but I love her just the same.

             A                             D
2. Frae the pyramids up in Kelty tae the mansions in Glencraig,
       E                                               A
We've trod the bings together in mony's the blyth Stravaig;
              A                                 D
Watched the moonlight over Crosshill, trod Buckhaven's golden sand,
     E                                                     A
And mony's the happy oor we've spent in Lochgelly's Happy Land.  [Chorus]

           A                                    D
3. Well I met her on the "eight fifteen" that night o' romantic bliss,
         E                                              A
I says "Hey Mag, pit doon yer fag, and gie's a wee bit kiss"
          A                               D
Well she didnae take that kindly, no she didnae like ma chaff
     E                                                       A
And bein' a contrary kind o' lass, she says "Come oan - get aff!"  [Chorus]

            A                               D
4.Noo she hasnae got nae culture, and she drives me roon' the bend,
     E                                                            A
She sits every night in an old arm chair, readin' the "People's Friend;"
        A                           D
Her lapels are fu' o' badges, frae Butlins doon at Ayr,
         E                                                           A
And she goes tae the Bingo every night wi' the curlers still in her hair. [Chorus]

         A                                     D
5. But things is a wee bit better noo - Ah've gone and bought the ring,
   E                                                               A
I won it frae Jim at the Pitch and Toss last night at the Lindsay Bing.
         A                                         D
Wi' her wee black hat and her ticket machine, she did ma heart ensnare
           E                                            A
She's the Lily o' Lumphinnans, she's ma bonnie Maggie Blair. [Chorus]

Lucy's Two



I love this tune. Composed by Nancy Kerr, it forms a set with Tom Tolley's Hornpipe on an album by The Melrose Quartet. You can listen to them playing it on the Tom Tolley's Hornpipe thread.

Tom Tolley's Hornpipe



Transcribed from the CD Fifty Verses by the wonderful Melrose Quartet (2013), Tom Tolley's Hornpipe is a traditional English tune. I think it originally comes from the Joshua Jackson manuscript of 1798.

The Train to Glasgow



Composed by Cape Breton fiddler Andrea Beaton.

Brudesmarsj fra Jelsa



This is a bridal march from Western Norway which I have taken from an album called "Traditional Music from Norway" by Gjesdalringen, a folk music and dance group.

My name is Nigel and, and, I'm a tune book-aholic. I've got hundreds of the things, and I love them. The majority are Scottish, but I've got a load of Irish, old-time, Cape Breton, etc as well. There's no way I've got 'em all - it's probably not possible, but here's a challenge: what ones have you got that I might not have? For every one you come up with, I'll post a new tune...

St Giles Cathedral



On this day (1st September) in 714, the Greek evangelist Aegidius (St Giles) died. He is the patron saint of Elgin, and of Edinburgh, where the city's main cathedral is named for him. I composed this tune in the style of John Sheehan, whose Dublin cathedral tunes I much admire.

The tune was done at one of my workshops, and the sound file can be heard here.

The new term for NGMS (Nigel Gatherer's Mandolin School) Intermediate Mandolin starts on Tuesday 10th September 2019. Full details and booking at www.nigelgatherer.com/classes/ngms_intm.html. Any questions, ask here or by email.

The new term for NGMS (Nigel Gatherer's Mandolin School) Improvers Mandolin starts on Tuesday 10th September 2019. Full details and booking at www.nigelgatherer.com/classes/ngms_impm.html. Any questions, ask here or by email.