TOW#23: The Music o' Spey

[Jack Campin]

Tosh, that's helluva fast. It normally gets a lullaby-like feel.

[Tosh Marshall]

Sorry Jack, I hadn't heard another version so was doing it blind so to speak, I didn't even bother to check whether there were any versions on YouTube......I'll have another bash later in the week when I have more time.....

[Trish Santer]

Ooooo Tosh, it's definitely a SLO-O-O-OW air! Add as many ornaments as you like to it too, as you mandolin players can! A friend has a lovely harmony too. Put in lots of rubato too!
I'll maybe post my own version later, although I did transpose it into G.
In the meantime, try this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI_PidbiTWo
BTW, I'm surprised it's never found its way into any of your excellent session books, Nigel. It seems to be very seldom played in Edinburgh sessions that I've been to, but is a "standard session tune" in Linlithgow just down the road!

[JAJ]

(09-08-2011 12:19 AM)Trish Santer Wrote:  It seems to be very seldom played in Edinburgh sessions that I've been to, but is a "standard session tune" in Linlithgow just down the road!

What's the other tune then?

[Trish Santer]

The Roke and the Wee Pickle Tow - of course!!

[John Kelly]

At last I have got round to putting my version of this lovely tune on to SoundCloud. Played on my JK bouzouki and George Lowden O32 acoustic guitar and recorded using Reaper software. I played each part twice, AABB, as a variation rather than ABAB.
Trish, how about a melody line again as in our previous collaboration, though I just played in A as that was what Nigel presented us with. Could put it into G to suit the key I think you chose.

Here is the link: Music O' Spey

[Trish Santer]

JK, I can play it in A, so will record it soon: your version is great, tho' still a little faster than I would take it.

[alistair]

(09-08-2011 12:19 AM)Trish Santer Wrote:  Ooooo Tosh, it's definitely a SLO-O-O-OW air! Add as many ornaments as you like to it too, as you mandolin players can! A friend has a lovely harmony too. Put in lots of rubato too!

"Music of Spey" was one of tunes we arranged and played at the A'theGither workshop in Abington the weekend before last, along with two other Scott Skinner tunes, the Laird o' Drumblair (strathspey) and Angus Campbell (more or less the same tune as a reel).

But the other Skinner slow air I always associate with Music of Spey is Cradle Song (ABC appended). I have never heard it played in a session, or seen it used in a class. Nor have I had the chance to test how effective it might be as a lullaby ...

X: 1
T: The Cradle Song
C: J.S.Skinner
R: air
Z: John Chambers <jc@trillian.mit.edu>
N:
M: C
L: 1/8
K: A
| "A"Ac {c}BA e2 "D"f2 | "A"e4 c2z2 | "A"Ac {c}BA "F#m"{A}e2 c2 | "Bm"{c}B4- "E7"B2c2 \
| "A"Ac {c}BA e2 "D"f2 | "A"e4 "A7"c2A2 | "D"{FG}FE AB "A"{AB}c2 "E7"{Ac}B2 | "A"A6 z2 |
| "D"fd Ad f2 a2 | "A"e4 c2z2 | "A"Ac {c}BA "F#m"{A}e2 c2 | "Bm"{c}B4- "E7"B2z2 \
| "A"Ac BA ef ga | "A"e4 "A7"c2 A2 | "D"{FG}FE AB "A"{AB}c2 "E7"{Ac}B2 | "A"A6 z2 |]

[Trish Santer]

Sorry, ABC doesn't mean much to me but I've used the Concertina.net converter to make it into notation, so see: http://www.concertina.net/tunes-temp/4e4319e771ec4.pdf
Definitely a song I've heard but can't think of the title this late!

Back to Music of Spey, one of the best versions I've heard is by Phil and Aly (Aly Bain on fiddle of course) on "The Pearl" CD of theirs: you can listen to it on iTunes: taken at slowish speed and plenty of rubato, and oodles of feeling!

[alistair]

(10-08-2011 11:59 PM)Trish Santer Wrote:  Sorry, ABC doesn't mean much to me but I've used the Concertina.net converter to make it into notation, so see: http://www.concertina.net/tunes-temp/4e4319e771ec4.pdf
Definitely a song I've heard but can't think of the title this late!

Back to Music of Spey, one of the best versions I've heard is by Phil and Aly (Aly Bain on fiddle of course) on "The Pearl" CD of theirs: you can listen to it on iTunes: taken at slowish speed and plenty of rubato, and oodles of feeling!

Sorry Trish I should have attached the PDF of Cradle Song. [There's a link on Nigel's web site to a very good tutorial on ABC ( http://abcnotation.com/ ). I use a shareware utility Melody Assistant ( http://www.myriad-online.com/en/products/melody.htm ) to convert ABC, but as you found there are lots of other ways.]
Do you think there are words to Cradle Song? Presumably not composed by Skinner himself.