Introduction.
In 2004 the Committee realised that the Repertoire list on the website had grown to a point where it was no longer a useful resource for a newcomer.
A music
subcommittee was set up, which met on
The list divides the repertoire into four categories
CORE
CORE needing
practice
ARCHIVE
RECENT
SUGGESTIONS
For a newcomer, the most important category is the CORE repertoire, the sets that everybody knows, and that are played regularly.
In the second category, ‘CORE needing practice’, the committee identified other sets that were almost CORE, but needed to be played more regularly. This category also contains some new sets made by moving tunes between existing sets, which we felt were not being played very much, because the existing sets were too short, or contained tunes that did not seem to go together very well. No completely new tunes were introduced.
As an experiment we intend to pick about four of these sets at a time and ensure that we play them at every meeting for about three months, and then move on and work on another four. Written music will be available at the meetings for the sets we are working on.
Many tunes were simply removed from the old list. Some of the others that are no longer played regularly, but have been so in the past, or because of associations with particular individuals, are in the ARCHIVE List. The Archive list is intended as a reminder for longstanding members, not for newcomers.
RECENT SUGGESTIONS contains tunes that individuals have suggested since mid 2004, and will be added to as suggestions arrive
Sources. See end of document.
Keys are indicated for most tunes.
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CORE sets.
Da Ferrie Reel D
Lay
Miss Spence’s Reel D
Jack Broke the Prison Door G
Donald Blue D
Sleep Soond ida Morning Am
Lasses Trust in
Bonnie Isle of Whalsay G
Da Peerie Hoose Ahint da Burn G
Da Merry Boys of
Wallafjord D
Da Tushkar A Ronnie Cooper
Miss Susan Cooper D Ronnie Cooper
Mill Brae A Ronnie Cooper
Faroe Rum D
Aandowing at the Bow G
Da Forefit of the Ship D
John Spence of Uyeasound A
Hurlicks Reel A Tom Anderson
Robertson’s Reel A
_____________________________________________________________________
Garster’s Dream G
Da Brig D
Da Shaalds of Foula G
_____________________________________________________________________
The Headlands A Ronnie Cooper
Mangister Voe A Tom Anderson
Caledonian March D
The Lovat Scouts A J Scott Skinner
The Duke of Fife’s Farewell to Deeside A J Scott Skinner
The Barren Rocks of Aden D PM A.MacKellar
The 79ths Farewell to
Ronald Cooper (Shetland two-step) (A/D/A/G/A) (2a,2b,1a,2c,2a) Frank Jamieson
_______________________________________________________________________
Norwegian Polka
D
Known as The
The Old Polka D
(sometimes) Peter Pratt’s Polka D
Da Boannie Polka D
Seven Step Polka G
Sister Jean D
____________________________________________________________________________
The Full Rigged Ship Am
The New rigged ship A
Da Auld Resting Chair G Tom Anderson
Hamnavoe Polka G Tom Anderson
Da Rodd Ta Houll D Tom Anderson
Da Slockit Light D Tom Anderson
Hakki’s Polka D Tom Anderson
Spootiskerry G Ian Burns
Swedish Ganglat D
Danish Hoppsa No.1 G/D
Danish Hoppsa No.2 D “Hoy” tune
Twa’ Fiddles at Da Fireside G Tom Anderson
A tune introduced by Cameron Gaskell, before his obligations to North Sea Gas from around 2003 stopped him coming quite so often.
____________________________________________________________________________
Louis Waltz D French Canadian From playing of Louis
Beaudoin
Margaret’s Waltz A Pat Shuldham Shaw)
Farewell to
Margaret’s Waltz
Starry Nights D
Isle of Gletness G
Rona’s Voe G Ronnie Cooper
Sunset over Foula D Ronnie Cooper
Country Waltz Key? American from Graham Dolan
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CORE
needing practice
At the
meeting on
Da Guisers Song
D
Gideon Stove
The
Auld Noost
G
Ronald Jamieson
New set
Da Alamootie
G
Tom Anderson
Harmony part
Abby
Newton;
work
on arrangements
Da Sooth End
A
Willie Hunter
Junior
New Set
Peter’s Peerie Boat
D
Tom Anderson
Da Aald Hill Grindd
G
Traditional
from playing of J.J.Stickle
Fram Upon Him
D Traditional
from playing of J.J.Stickle
______________________________________________________________
Da Sixereen D Tom Anderson
Mickie Ainsworth D Ronnie Cooper
Da Rodd Tae Holigarth D Peter Scollay Brush up
Magnie’s Matchless D Peter Scollay
Da Laird O’ Gulberwick G Tom Anderson
Leaving
(Willie) Pottingers Reel F Tom Anderson
Margaret Ann Robertson A Frank Jamieson New set
The Sands of Murness A Frank Jamieson
Saandie Burn Reel A Frank Jamieson
The Joy of It D Catriona MacDonald Brush up
Are
there harmony
parts to this, if so does anyone have written music for them?
Leveneep Head A Frank Jamieson Brush up
Saint Anne’s Reel D Traditional
Calum Donaldson A Ronnie Cooper
Michael’s Mazurka G, Gm, G Michael Ferrie Brush up
Work on harmony parts and arrangement
Orkney Waltzes
The Stronsay Waltz A J. Chalmers Brush up
The Rope Waltz D Traditional?
The Shetland Fiddler D Traditional? Brush up
The
Rosedale D Traditional?, from playing of Willie Johnson
Da Lerwick Lasses G Trad. from playing of J.C.Smith Brush up
Da Scallowa Lasses Am Trad. from playing of Peter Fraser
Underhill G Trad. from playing of Peter Fraser
Da Galley Watch D Trad. from Mirrie Dancers
Signature Tune of the Orkney- Brush up
-Reel and Strathspey Society D Traditional
Gairsay D W.R.Aim
Svensk Maskerade G ?Traditional Brush up
If I Get a Boannie Lass G Trad. from playing of Henry Thomson Brush up
Jeannie Shock Da Bairn G Trad. from playing of Henry Thomson
Oot be Est da Vong D Trad. from playing of Henry Thomson
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Archive Tunes and Historical
Associations
This is Peter Budd’s very subjective list of tunes we don’t regularly play anymore. The enormous ESF repertoire list which was on the website up to January 2005, was an unwieldy amalgam of a list I made in 1991 of repertoire the fiddlers had been playing from 1981, when I first went to Zetland Hall in Pilrig Street, to which tunes had been added year by year. Many of these additions may have only been played once, but made a big impression, or perhaps someone provided written music in the hope we would learn the tunes. These strays have been removed.
In editing the list for this 2005 Archive section I have selected tunes that had strong specific connections with individual players or used to be CORE tunes for the whole group. The Archive list is intended as a reminder for longstanding members of the group, not for newcomers.
Peter Budd January 2005.
The 1980s.
In
1981 at Zetland Halls in
Willie Johnson was a great enthusiast for, and player of pipe tunes, especially the classic 2/4 and 6/8 marches that do not feature at all in the current ESF repertoire, and sadly I cannot remember many of the pipe sets, but examples were:
The Hills of
The Athole
and Breadalbane Gathering
A
The
Glengarry’s March (2/4) A
The Heights of
Tam Bain’s Lum (hornpipe) D PM D.S.Ramsay
Mr and Mrs Alec Ross (6/8 March) D John MacGregor
Crossing the
Mair’s Hornpipe
Burning of the Pipers Hut (2/4) Bm 4 parts Traditional
Paddy’s Leather Breeches (6/8 jig) Bm Traditional
The Jig of Slurs (6/8 jig) D PM G.S.McLennan
The Atholl
Highlanders Farewell to
The Conundrum A Donald Macleod.
The Drunken Piper (March) A A. MacLeod
Country dance tunes in the 1980s included:
Bratach Banna D
The Hopeful Lover A
Title Unknown D
The Piper’s Cave D
The Breakdown A
Fairy Dance D
Mrs MacLeod A
Davy Nick Nack G
Dancing Bear Em
Soldier’s Joy D
White Cockade G
Jenny Nettles Am
A set of tunes for the Eightsome Reel, from Elizabeth Peploe, which may reflect the Suzuki repertoire more than ESF.
Dan the Cobbler D
The Blackthorn Stick A
The Rakes of Kildare Am
Father O ‘Flynn D
Cherish the Ladies D
The New Rigged Ship D
Off she Goes D
The Mucking of Geordies Byre D
Teviot Brig A
Captain White D
Roaring Jelly D
In the mid 1980’s the Zetland Association
sold the building
in
During the late 1980’s, in the upstairs room at the West End Hotel, Thursday nights would find Ronnie Watson occupying the same seat on the left of the fireplace and Sam Hepburn, an Orcadian, on the right. Ronnie had played cornet in a dance band and was very fond of Scottish Country Dance Band tunes with key changes like the two steps, The Six Twenty Two Step, Looking for a Partner, Maggie Watson’s Farewell to Blackhammer (J.Craigie) polka and Adam Rennie tunes like Caddam Woods.
The Duke of
Lady Mackenzie of Coull D
Caddam Woods G once through
Caddam Woods A once through
The Bluebell Polka G /C Jimmy Shand
Sam held the fiddle vertically on his chest and had a wonderful dynamic and rhythmic style, moving the bow vertically up and down, at first glance appearing expressionless, but always with a twinkle in his eye. He knew a lot of old mainland tunes. One set that was always identified with him was:
‘Sam’s Jigs’
The Braes of Elchies? D
Pet of the Pipers A
The Banks of Allan D
The Hills of Glenorchy Em
The Drunken Parson G
In the Late 1980’s
the group had regular visitors from
Da Sooth End A Willie Hunter Senior
Peter’s Peerie Boat D Tom Anderson
Mavis Grinnd A Source unknown
Jenny Slater D Tom Anderson
Dick Rutter has been a member of the group for at least twenty years, and is still coming regularly in 2004. His preferences are for the repertoire from the North East of Scotland, often in distant keys, including many beautiful Slow Airs and Slow Strathspeys. He seems to constantly learn new, often very technically demanding tunes, which he plays on fiddles he has made himself. Many of these tunes are solo pieces, but a few of his favourites like Ian Powrie’s Big Dougal (a tune written for a Clydesdale horse), Margaret Ann Robertson, and Mrs Helen Robertson have gone into the group repertoire.
Some of the CORE sets of tunes which used to played by everyone, but which we do not play regularly anymore include:
Da Rodd ta Houll D Tom Anderson
The Hillswick Wedding D Tom Anderson
Up and
Da Cross Reel Am
Da Fashion o’ Da Delting Lasses D
Unst Bridal March G or A
Da Bride’s a Boannie Ting G or A
Da Greenland Man’s tune A
Christmas Day I’da Morning D
Millie Godger D
A speciality of Elizabeth Peploe, it contains some hard to follow extra beats.
Da Day Dawn A
Three Drunken Fiddlers Em
Oliver Jack G
Da Black Hat D
Three Drunken Fiddlers was a tune Catriona MacDonald taught the ESF in about 2000
Up Helly Aa Tunes
The Guizers song Key? Gideon Stove
The Galley March Key? Gideon Stove
My Love is Like a Red, Red, Rose Key?
A Rosebud by my early walk Key?
Ye Banks and Braes G
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RECENT SUGGESTIONS
since
mid 2004
Rayburn Reel A/Am Stephen Spence
Gibbie Gray Am Stephen Spence
Pigs Reel C Stephen Spence
In the summer of 2004 Graham Dolan went up to Shetland for a guitar course. He came back and told us that in Shetland they don’t play any of “those old tunes” anymore……, and he gave us the music for these three that were very popular while he was there.
Ashokan Farewell D Jay Ungar
New
Come Back Paddy Reilly F or G or A. Traditional?
Isle of Vaila D Alan Gifford
In January 2005, Vaila
Irvine, from the Zetland Association, put
in a
request for the set of three waltzes to be played by the ESF at the
annual Sossermeat Supper in
This
came from Amy Westwell(fiddle)
and her father Phil (low whistle) who came to meetings in 2004,
and had
spent time in Orkney. Does
anyone know
the names of the tunes?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sources,
written and
recorded.
Where known I have tried to include the composer’s name.
The pre
2005 repertoire
list was annotated with written and recorded sources for each tune. I
feel this
is no longer useful. The original list was made in 1991, and an
increasing
number of the sources listed are no longer in print.
Instead I
have listed the
most important sources with an indication of which tunes they contain.
The finest source for many of the Shetland tunes in the group’s repertoire is the CD resissue on TOPIC of the two CDs that Tom Anderson recorded with Aly Bain in the early 1980’s. This is currently available in January 2005.
Tom Anderson MBE, fiddler, composer, folklorist and teacher, was a profoundly influential figure in Shetland music. He and Aly Bain, with Trevor Hunter and Davie Tulloch, spanning three generations of music-making in the islands, play fiddle duets and quartets in the distinctive Shetland idiom.
1 Jack Broke da Prison Door / Donald Blue / Sleep Soond ida
Mornin' / Lasses Trust in
2 Da Day Dawn / Da Cross Reel
3 Shive Her Up / Ahint da Deakes o' Voe
4 Da Silver Bow
5 Auld Foula Reel / Wynadepla
6 Da Slockit Light / Smith o' Couster / Da Grocer
7 Da Auld Restin' Chair / Hamnavoe Polka / Maggie's Reel
8 Unst Bridal March / Da Bride's a Boannie Ting
9 Jack is Yel Alive / Auld Clettenroe
10 Da
Mill /
11 Pit Hame da Borrowed Claes / Wha'll Dance wi' Wattie /Bush Below da Gairden
12 Soldier's Joy
13 Shetland Moods / De'il Stick da Minister / Taste da Green
14 Dean Brig / Banks
15 Ferrie
Reel /
Lay
16 Up an'
Da Trig Bag
17 The Silvery Voe / Mrs Babs Anderson / Pottinger's Reel
18 If I Get a Bonnie Lass / Jeannie Shoke da Bairn /
Oo't be Est da Vong
19 Auld Swaara
20 Faroe Rum / Aandowin' at da Bow / Da Forefit o' da Ship
21 Mrs Jamieson's Favourite / Lady Mary Ramsay / Mary Ramsay
22 All da Ships ir Sailin' / Sheldor Geo / Mak a Kishie Needle Dye
23 Freddie's Tune / Da Blue Yow
24 The Full Rigged Ship / The New Rigged Ship
25 Naanie
an'
Betty / A Yow
26 Maggie O'Ham / Da Foula Shaalds
27 Com Agen Ye're Welcome / Da Corbie an' da Craw
28 Ian S. Robertson / Madam Vanoni
Tom Anderson fiddle
Aly Bain fiddle
Trevor Hunter fiddle
Davie Tulloch fiddle
Violet Tulloch piano
Willie Johnson guitar
The most important sources are three books from Tom Anderson, which are, sadly, no longer in print. Edinburgh Music Library used to have copies, they may still have them.
The Edinburgh Shetland Fiddlers has a small library, and Peter Brown, our librarian may be able to help with hard to locate items.
Hand me Doon Da
Fiddle. Tom Anderson
and Pam
Swing.
Da Mirrie Dancers. Shetland Folk Society. 1970 and an extended edition in 1985.
Ringing Strings. Tom Anderson. Shetland Times Limited. 1983.
The tunes contained in these books are listed below
The other Tom Anderson collections that were published after this, contain almost exclusively his own compositions, and are not sources for the ESF repertoire.
There are a number of Shetland Tunes in books published by Christine Martin, which are readily available at present (2005).
Cruinn Comhla. The
Well Travelled Fiddlers
Collection.
Christine Martin and Anne Hughes. Taigh na Teud (Harpstring House) 1995
Ho Ro Gheallaidh. Volume 1. Session Tunes For
Scottish Fiddlers.
Christine Martin and Anne Hughes. Taigh na Teud (Harpstring House) 1990
Ho Ro Gheallaidh. Volume 2. Session Tunes For
Scottish Fiddlers.
Christine Martin and Anne Hughes. Taigh na Teud (Harpstring House) 1998
The Shetland Tunes in these three books are listed below.
Da Mirrie
Dancers
Edited by Tom Anderson and Tom Georgeson
Shetland Folk Society. (First Edition 1970).
Second Edition 1985
ISBN 0 948276 02 9
Page
Da Aald Hill Grinnd 17
Da Aald Reel o Whalsay 10
Aandowin At Da Bowe 24
Aith Rant 14
Da Back Reel 21
Da Black Hat