Important Tunes - Fiddle Club Books 1-6
Here are a number of "Important Tunes" from the first six books of the Potomac Valley Scottish Fiddle Club collection, broken down by type and key signature. Elke flagged these as important session and country dance tunes as I studied repertoire from her.
I've used key signature instead of key so as to make mixed major/minor key sets and strathspey/reel transitions easier. Tunes marked with a (P) are playable on a bagpipe chanter in A (border pipe, Scottish smallpipe, reelpipe, Walsh shuttlepipe) with minor modifications, and tunes marked with a (*) change key signature in the tune; I have given the signature in which the tune starts. If a tune is played in two rhythms, I've listed it twice. Similarly, if it appears in Fiddle Club more than once, I note it.
Note that even I don't know all these tunes, nor should any session be exclusively drawn from them. They're not even all the good or important tunes from these Fiddle Club books, much less the greater Scottish fiddle repertoire! But I've had a lot of requests of the sort "what tunes should I learn?", and I think this list is a pretty good start.
I'll make a similar list for books 7-13 as soon as Elke and I go through them, probably in fall 2006.
Airs:
3 sharps:
The Bonnie Lass o' Bon Accord (I-32), The Cradle Song (I-32), Miss Jamieson's Favourite (IV-6), Mrs Major L. Stewart of the Island of Java (IV-15), My Home (IV-27)
2 sharps:
Lochaber No More (IV-28)(P), Neil Gow's Lament for the Death of his 2nd Wife (V-4), The Rowan Tree (V-26)(P), Lord Lovat's Lament (VI-2)(P), The Hills of Lorne (VI-3), My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose (VI-29)
1 sharp:
Coilsfield House (I-2), The Lea Rig (I-16), Da Auld Resting Chair (I-28), My Dearie (II-16), Sitting in the Stern of a Boat (II-26), Miss Rowan Davies (IV-3), Mist Covered Mountains (V-4), My Cape Breton Home (V-9), Lament for the Death of Archie Beaton (V-26), The Bonniest Lass in a' the World (V-29), Birks of Invermay (VI-8)
0 sharps:
Rowing From Isla to Uist (I-18), Logan Water (II-2), Bonnie at Morn (II-30)
2 flats:
Grieg's Strathspey (VI-13)
Marches:
3 sharps:
The Duke of Fife's Welcome to Deeside (I-1), Father John MacMillan of Barra (II-5)(P), Trip to Mabou Ridge (II-6), Atholl Highlanders (II-7)(P), Farewell to the Tay (IV-1)(P), Scott Skinner's Compliments to Dr. MacDonald (V-3), Scotland the Brave (VI-25)(P)
2 sharps:
Earl of Mansfield (I-1)(P), Skye Gathering (I-17)(P), Terribus (II-8), Mithlodian Pipe Band (VI-2)(P), Inverness Gathering (IV-22)(P), The Barren Rocks of Aden (IV-30)(P), Lord Huntly's Cave (VI-4)(P), Hen's March (VI-17)(P), Murdo's Wedding (VI-26), Wings (VI-26), All the Blue Bonnets ar Over the Border (VI-27), Cock of the North (VI-27)
Strathspeys:
3 sharps:
Miss Admiral Gordon's (I-14), The Lime Hill (I-21), St. Kilda Wedding (II-27), The Iron Man (IV-3), John MacAlpine (IV-6), The Laird o' Drumblair (IV-8), Lady Madelina Sinclair (IV-12), The Miller of Drone (IV-24), Because He Was A Bonny Lad (IV-29)(P), Highland Whisky (V-2), J.F. Dickie's Delight (VI-14), Earl Grey (VI-21)
2 sharps:
Smith's a Gallant Fireman (I-2), This is No My Ain Hoose (I-14), Braes of Mar (I-17)(P), The Devil in the Kitchen (I-19), Miss Stewart of Grandtully's (II-2)(P), Orange and Blue (III-18)(P), Jessie Smith (IV-3), Stirling Castle (IV-8), Craigellachie Bridge (IV-16), Auld Tune o' Ayr (V-24), The Kirrie Kebbuck (VI-3), Struan Robertson's Rant (VI-8)
1 sharp:
Mor a' cheannaich (I-2)(*), Green Grow the Rashes (I-14), Haughs of Cromdale (III-19), King George IV (V-6), King George [V] (V-6), Kilmarnoch's Rant (V-21), The Auld Man's Mare's Dead (V-22)
0 sharps:
Miss Drummond of Perth (I-11), They Stole My Wife From Me Last Night (II-2), Tullochgorum (II-16), The Banks of Spey (II-32), The Fiddler is Coming Tonight (III-19), Braes of Breadalbane (IV-6), Cameron's Got His Wife Again (IV-23), Miss Lyall (V-2), Captain Campbell [of Carphen] (VI-3)
1 flat:
The Marquis of Huntly (I-5), Hamish Henderson's Refusal (II-22), Miss Margaret Gordon [of Lessmore] (VI-9)
3 flats:
Dean Brig of Edinburgh (III-18), The Earl of Angus and Arran (IV-18)
Reels:
3 sharps:
The High Road to Linton (I-20)(P), Put Me in a Box (I-21), Timour the Tartar (I-30), Willie Davie (I-30)(P), De'il Amang the Tailors (I-30), Sleepy Maggie (II-11)(P), Inver Lasses (II-12), Father Francis Cameron (II-23), St. Kilda Wedding (II-27), Mrs. MacLeod of Raasay (III-2)(P), The Mason's Apron (V-11), Reconciliation (V-12), James F. Dickie (VI-15), Gillian's Reel (VI-15)
2 sharps:
Skye Dance #27 (I-3)(P), Petronella (I-3), Soldier's Joy (I-13)(P), The Ale is Dear (I-20)(P), Geordie MacLeish (II-3), Pretty Pegg (II-3), Sir David Davidson of Cantray (II-12)(VI-15), Keep It Up (II-28), Jenny Dang the Weaver (III-2), Tail Toddle (III-6)(P), Skye Dance #28 (IV-20)(P), Harris Dance #32 (IV-21)(P), Jock Wilson's Ball (IV-29)(P), Largo's Fairy Dance (V-1), The Barrowburn (V-1), The King's Reel (V-7), Dick Gossip's (V-11)(P), Judy's Reel (V-12), High Reel (VI-2)(P), Reel of the Royal Scots (VI-6)(P), Miss Johnston (VI-16), Catchin' Rabbits (VI-18)
1 sharp:
Loch Leven Castle (I-3), Spootiskerry (II-23), Miss Shepherd (III-2), Flowers of Edinburgh (III-12), Glenburnie Rant (IV-4), Major L. Stewart-of the Island of Java (IV-10), The Cross of Inverness (IV-25), The Old King's Reel (V-7), Loch Torridon (V-13), The Drunken Piper (VI-5)(P), The Peerie Weerie (VI-32)
0 sharps:
The Drummer (II-12)(III-17), Skye Dance #30 (IV-20), Harris Dance #31 (IV-20), The Black Mill (IV-22)(P), Marry Me Now (VI-30)
1 flat:
Clydesdale Lasses (IV-25)
2 flats:
Captain Keeler (IV-24)
Hornpipes:
3 sharps:
Victoria (III-13)(P)
2 sharps:
Crossing the Minch (III-1), Staten Island (IV-5)
1 sharp:
Flowers of Edinburgh (III-12), Jackie Tar (III-15), The Steamboat (VI-23)
0 sharps:
Kohler's (II-31)
3 flats:
Banks (III-15)
Scots Measures:
2 sharps:
My Love She's But A Lassie Yet (I-16), Cairny Mount (II-1), O'er the Muir to Ketty (V-28)
1 sharp:
The White Cockade (I-12), Highland Laddie (II-1), East Neuk of Fife (II-31), The Cardin' o't (IV-4)
0 sharps:
Catherine Oggie (III-20)
Shetland Reels:
2 sharps:
Faroe Rum (I-27), Willafjord (I-28), Da Ferry Reel (IV-31), Lay Dee at Dee (IV-31), Miss Spence's (IV-31)
1 sharp:
Sleep Soond ida Moarnin (I-27), Spootiskerry (II-23)
Jigs:
4 sharps:
Calliope House (II-25)
3 sharps:
The Stool of Repentance (I-4)(P), Stan Chapman's (I-22), Atholl Highlanders (II-7)(P), The Cushion Dance (III-5), Mrs. McPherson of Cluny (III-10), Farewell to the Tay (IV-1)(P), Teviot Brig (IV-7), The Pibroch of Donald Dhu (IV-28)(P), The Steamboat Quickstep (V-33)(P), The Weaver and his Wife (VI-5), The Laird of Milton's Daughter (VI-7)
2 sharps:
The Muckin' o' Geordie's Byre (I-4)(P), The Curlew (I-8)(P), My Wife's a Wanton Wee Thing (I-15), Miss Sally Hunter of Thurston (II-4), Over the Water to Charlie (II-13), The Golden Rod (II-18), Peter Peerie's Boat (II-24), Jig of Slurs (III-4)(*)(P), Hey to Cupar (III-5), Mithlodian Pipe Band (VI-2)(P), Lads of Dunse (V-3), North Highland Dance #4 (V-16), Cardiff Caledonians (V-23), Charlie Hunter (VI-1)
1 sharp:
Drover Lads (I-8)(P), Miss Grace Hay's Delight (II-14), The Directors (II-17)(*), The Kenloch (II-18), As I Was Kissed Yestreen (III-5), Captain Charles Stewart's (IV-7), Johnny McGill (IV-24), Squirrel in the Tree (V-9), Miss Margaret Brown's Favorite (VI-1)
0 sharps:
Drummond Castle (II-4)
1 flat:
Sailor's Wife (II-13)
Slip Jigs:
2 sharps:
Rattlin' Roarin' Willie (I-16), Brose and Butter (II-21), Drops of Brandy (II-21)(V-10), Slip Jig Played in the Low Country (IV-19)
posted by Peter @ 12:52 PM
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