Slow Session 4th March

[alistair]

What about "Castles in the Air" (the tune of the nursery rhyme "Wee Willie Winkie" I think) as this week's session tune? I don't have the music for it, and don't know what the preferred key is, but usually play it in G. It goes well with "The Iron Man" (session book 2, p5), something of a neglected masterpiece in the Slow Session I think. Other great strathspeys we might enjoy playing include Stirling Castle, of course, the Glasgow Highlanders (signature tune of the BBC Scotland radio series "The McFlannels", which most readers will no doubt be too young to remember), and Crowhillock.
In fact Frank and Diane played a great pipe strathspey last week which I did not catch the name of: we could maybe try that again this week.

[nigelgatherer]

The strathspey played last week was Devil In the Kitchen which is a terrific tune, also used for a song sung by Ray Fisher on her LP "Willie's Lady" - can't remember what it's called now, and the record is in the attic.

[Eric Renshaw]

(02-03-2009 11:24 AM)nigelgatherer Wrote:  The strathspey played last week was Devil In the Kitchen which is a terrific tune,

I have just played it through and really like it. Fancy another bash? I'm game to try and play along with any of Alistair's suggestions as well, and try and pick them up by ear as I go. It's all highly enjoyable and good fun.

[nigelgatherer]

Here's Castles in the Air:

Castles In the Air

[alistair]

Thanks for both Nigel. I had remembered a few more notes in "Castles in the Air", e.g. an A-B semi-quaver lead notes where the rest is at the end of line 2.
Also is there not a second (B?) part (the chorus I guess in the song), where the first line goes up to high G, and the rest is more or less the same I think as the first part?
Anyway we could keep this as a backup and make "Devil in the Kitchen" the primary session tune.
Come to think of it we could maybe get Duncan to sing "Wee Willie Winkie"
Wikipedia gives these words:

Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,
Up stairs and down stairs in his night gown,
Tirling at the window, crying at the lock,
"Are the weans in their bed, for it's now ten o'clock?"

"Hey, Willie Winkie, are ye coming ben?
The cat's singing grey thrums to the sleeping hen,
The dog's spelder'd on the floor, and disna gi'e a cheep,
But here's a waukrife laddie that winna fa' asleep!"

Onything but sleep, you rogue! glow'ring like the moon,
Rattling in an airn jug wi' an airn spune,
Rumbling, tumbling round about, crawing like a cock,
Skirling like a kenna-what, walking sleeping fock.

"Hey, Willie Winkie - the wean's in a creel!
Wambling aff a bodie's knee like a verra eel,
Rugging at the cat's lug, and raveling a' her thrums
Hey, Willie Winkie - see, there he comes!"

Wearit is the mither that has a stoorie wean,
A wee stumple stoussie, that canna rin his lane,
That has a battle aye wi' sleep before he'll close an ee
But a kiss frae aff his rosy lips gies strength anew to me.

which are not quite what I recall. Although I was brought up in and near Glasgow, in this song the word used was always "bairnies" rather than "weans": and it fits the tune better anyway. The last line of the first verse as I remember it was
"Are a' the bairnies in their beds, it's past eight o'clock?"
[Obviously children's bedtimes were earlier in the West ...]
...
Also I am not familiar with the word "Tirling": we would have said "Chappin'"

[nigelgatherer]

Yes, that was a very much simplified version for one of my whistle classes (mostly pensioners). The words to "Castles In the Air" are interesting:

The bonnie, bonnie bairn, who sits poking in the ase,
Glow'ring in the fire wi' his wee rond face;
Laughing at the fuffin lowe abat what sees he there!
Ha! the young dreamer's bigging castles in the air.
His wee chubby face and his fouzie curly pow,
Are laughing and nodding to the dancing lowe;
He'll brown his rosy cheeks, and singe his sunny hair,
Glow'ring at the imps wi' their castles in the air.

Sie a night in winter may weel mak' him cauld;
His brow is bent and braid, O pray that daddy Care
Would let the ween alane wi' his castles in the air!
He'll glower at the fire! and he'll keek at the light!
But mony sparkling stars are swallow'd up by night;
Aulder een than his are glamoured by a glare,
Hearts are broken, heads are turn'd wi' castles in the air.

He sees muckle castles, tow'rin' tae the moon,
He sees little sodjer laddies, pu'in' them a' doon,
Warlds whamblin up an' doon, bleezin' wi' a flair'
See hoo he loups as they glimmer in the air!
For a' hoo sage he looks, whit can the laddie ken?
He's thinkin' aboot naething---just like mony michty men;
A wee thing maks us blink, an' something mak's us stare
Mair fouk than him are biggin' castles in the air!

(courtesy of Mudcat)

[Eric Renshaw]

With all these great tunes being constantly suggested - many thanks - perhaps we should have a medley of the week rather than a tune of the week? Looking forward to Wednesday night.

[Ptarmigan]

(02-03-2009 04:20 PM)nigelgatherer Wrote:  .. for one of my whistle classes (mostly pensioners).

Och Nigel, an' here's me thinkin' I was the only person who had one of those!

Cheers
Dick

P.S. Yes, I will be trying them out with this tune .... Ta.

[alistair]

(02-03-2009 04:20 PM)nigelgatherer Wrote:  ....
For a' hoo sage he looks, whit can the laddie ken?
He's thinkin' aboot naething---just like mony michty men;
A wee thing maks us blink, an' something mak's us stare
Mair fouk than him are biggin' castles in the air!

(courtesy of Mudcat)

Yes interesting words: I had no idea there was another song to the same tune.
Sounds like the last verse could well be referring to our current wad (?) of disgraced bankers.