TOW#23: The Music o' Spey

[John Kelly]

Alistair (et al),
There are indeed words to this great slow air. I remember hearing it first being performed away back in my tender years on The White Heather Club by the singing sisters Anne and Laura Brand - remember them? They did it in waltz time and it was called "Oor Ain Fireside". Done too by Alasdair Gillies, Calum Kennedy, Valerie Dunbar and others. Began with the words "Noo the bairnies a' are sleepin'...." Tried to find the lyrics on-line just now but not successful so far.

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Alistair (et al),
There are indeed words to this great slow air. I remember hearing it first being performed away back in my tender years on The White Heather Club by the singing sisters Anne and Laura Brand - remember them? They did it in waltz time and it was called "Oor Ain Fireside". Done too by Alasdair Gillies, Calum Kennedy, Valerie Dunbar and others. Began with the words "Noo the bairnies a' are sleepin'...." Tried to find the lyrics on-line just now but not successful so far.

[Trish Santer]

Seems my pdf has disappeared, so I've now downloaded it properly and will re-attach.
You can find Scott Skinner manuscripts in the Aberdeen University (Elphinstone Institute) collection, and Greig-Duncan collection. There are words to the Cradle Song, maybe not the same song as John Kelly posted, here: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/scottskinner/displ...ID=JSS0062
and to The Music of Spey, here: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/scottskinner/displ...ID=JSS0721 Scroll down the page for notes on the author of the lyrics.

[Tosh Marshall]

I had another bash at it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv7YJ4AYYaQ
It's slower than I did last time! My last one was pretty fast!!!

[John Kelly]

Much better pace this time, Tosh, and notes cleanly picked and all adding to the tune's "story". Paul Anderson said to me that playing fast tunes can be easier as you are quickly on to the next note so errors can be glossed over, whereas with the slow air, every note is important and is heard, so a wrong one is much more obvious. It has stuck with me as a really sensible idea and one I keep in mind when I try to perform slow airs.

[Tosh Marshall]

Many thanks John, it can be difficult when you don't know the correct tempo of a tune. Had I done a bit of research before heading in like a bull in a china shop, then I would have seen it's a slow tempo. Really loved your version John, beautiful feel to it........thanks to Nigel for choosing this one.

[nigelgatherer]

Does anyone have an idea of what sort of tune they'd like to do next?

[Stephen Roberts]

I'd quite like a jig.

[NiallAnderson]

I was about to start trying to learn an English jig, Seven Stars (thanks to Google for some abc) -

X:1
T:Moon & 7 Stars,The. JaW.054
T:Seven Stars,aka. JaW.054
M:6/8
Q:120
S:James Winder Ms, Lancashire, 1835-41
R:Jig
O:England
A:Wyresdale,Lancashire
H:1/8
Z:vmp.Chris Partington, Aug 2004
K: D
d2A AGF|GAB A3|Bcd efg|fed cBA|!
d2A AGF|GAB A3|Bcd efg|Adc d3:|!
|:e2A A2f|efg f3|fgf e2d|cdB A3|!
BGB AFA|BGB AFA|Bcd efg|Adc d3:|]

after hearing it played by Spiers and Boden and Bellowhead - it's used as an instrumental after their version of a sea shanty (Haul Away). See

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrKgIzWbwwU

Written down like that, the description sounds very bizarre, I'll grant you, but it's a cracking tune. Anyone like to join me?

Niall

[John Kelly]

(22-08-2011 08:56 PM)nigelgatherer Wrote:  Does anyone have an idea of what sort of tune they'd like to do next?

Nigel, I have just been playing a great march called "Captain Lachlan MacPhail of Tiree". Here is a link to a Soundcloud recording I have just posted with the tune played on my tenor guitar (just finished building it) and bouzouki.
Captain Lachlan MacPhail of Tiree

I can produce abc notation and probably a pdf file if I am not breaching copyright regs.

[George]

John, you 'march' is a 'reel' by Peter Farquhar. It's in DONALD SUTHERLAND'S Collection of Highland Bagpipe Music. I's a great tune!