slow tunes?

eilam · Post by **eilam** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 10:39 am

i wanted to know what cool slow tunes you use in between all the fast ones.
I know Sven writes and sings unreal songs, but we can't sing,
so i was wanting to find some nice slow airs.
thanks, eilam.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 11:05 am

Here are some of the slower tunes you could hear at our sessions:

Crested Hens

Planxty Hewlett

Planxty Fanny Power

The Ashokan Farewell

Josefine's Waltz (when Jill Winters plays this on cello, it'll bring tears to your eyes, it's so lovely)

If Ever You Were Mine

Also, every blue moon, someone will play an air or other listening piece for us. This doesn't happen often but is considered a great honor to the session when it does.

--James

bradhurley · Post by **bradhurley** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 11:13 am

peeplj wrote: Crested Hens

The funny thing about that one is that it's played slow only because Solas recorded it that way. It's a hurdy-gurdy tune, composed by Gilles Chabenat, and I think it's meant to be played as a bourrée. I heard a recording of it played by Chabenat himself and it was quite fast. Of course, it sounds nice played slow too.

Another tune like that is "Far Away," the waltz composed by Pete Jung from New York state. He composed it on his mandolin while driving home (steering with his knees!) from Brattleboro, Vermont, and he intended it to be played as a fast waltz. But nearly everyone (including me) prefers to play it slow, and it reportedly drives him crazy.

Up here, one of the favored slow tunes for sessions is Inisheer. A lovely melody...I hear it at almost every session but never get tired of it.

Jayhawk · Post by **Jayhawk** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 11:17 am

To add to James' list:

Planxty Irwin
Sheebeg Sheemore
Easter Snow (OK, so no one plays along with me, but it's still a great slow aire)
The New Land (could be "A" new land - Bretton or Cape Bretton tune)

Eric

Chiffed · Post by **Chiffed** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 11:39 am

Some from our set list:

Sheebeg..
Dark Island
MacPherson's Lament
A Flook air on a big bass A bansuri (forget the name right now)
Ned o' the Hill

We don't do them very 'trad'; we either have a harmony part on hammered dulcimer, or harmony in a lower flute or whistle. When our fiddle player is with us (rarely these days), he breaks out the viola and uses lots of double-stops. Very pretty. We're also doing the second movement of the Bach Flute Sonata in Eb, transposed to D, on dulcimer and flute. Oddly, it goes great with Dark Island.

eilam · Post by **eilam** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 12:28 pm

some of the waltz's that we play that are nice (please forgive me for the botching that i am about to make)
Midnight over the water, lovers waltz, leaf's waltz (Sarah Bauhen), lonesome moonlight waltz.

some cool slow ones: she left a star & the sadness of some ( both Sarah Bauhen).

i forgot about Crested hens, we used to play it long time ago, Solas style..

thanks, e.

Craig Stuntz · Post by **Craig Stuntz** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 1:00 pm

I was really enjoying listening to Frankie Kennedy playing An Feochan last night.

-Craig

herbivore12 · Post by **herbivore12** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 1:20 pm

There are some slow-reel type tunes that can be nice to play:

The Sunset

The Ruined Old Cottage in the Glen

Cuz Teehan's (Is it McGoldrick who does this tune followed by Her Long Black Hair? That's a pretty nice slowish set.)

carrie · Post by **carrie** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 1:27 pm

herbivore12 wrote:There are some nice slow-reel type tunes that can be nice to play:

The Sunset

The Ruined Old Cottage in the Glen

Cuz Teehan's (Is it McGoldrick who does this tune followed by Her Long Black Hair? That's a pretty nice slowish set.)

Yes, it's McGoldrick. Dreamy.

Farewell to Glasgow is very pretty. I also love The Cradle Song, which is by the Scottish fiddler J. Scott Skinner. Chris Norman has a beeeeeeeautiful version on his Man with the Wooden Flute. I like Blind Mary too.

Carol

BarFly · Post by **BarFly** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 1:49 pm

Three of my favourite slow jigs: (at least that's how I play them)

The End Of The Day
Split Rock
The trip To Brittany

JS · Post by JS » Mon Jul 03, 2006 1:54 pm

"Crossing to Ireland." And I'm really fond of "Wayfaring Stranger" on flute too.

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 2:33 pm

I've told here before (but let me repeat) this story:

The tune to Gershwin's 'Someone to watch over me'
was first played very fast, if you can imagine that.
It was a little throwaway interlude as the dancers
got into place during one his his musicals. Just fluff.

Then, one day, sitting at the piano, Gershwin played
it slowly, and there was one of the most beautiful
ballads of the last century.

Bachelor's Farewell.

Moran's Return

The Osprey

talasiga · Post by **talasiga** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 5:12 pm

Chiffed wrote: .......
A Flook air on a big bass A bansuri (forget the name right now.

.......

thanx for that. jim stone keeps raising this thing about the the suitability of bansuri for the precision needed in ITM. but then, methinks he is talking about jigs and things and this one is a slow air and would be amenable to the fluid bamboo flute by anyone's reckoning.

has anyone suggested Carrick Fergus?
and Wild Mountain Thyme?
Bonnie Light Horseman?

What about From Clare to Here?
and Song for Ireland?

I won't mention my other favourites.

Chiffed · Post by **Chiffed** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 5:23 pm

talasiga wrote:
Chiffed wrote: .......
A Flook air on a big bass A bansuri (forget the name right now.

.......
thanx for that. jim stone keeps raising this thing about the the suitability of bansuri for the precision needed in ITM. but then, methinks he is talking about jigs and things and this one is a slow air and would be amenable to the fluid bamboo flute by anyone's reckoning.

has anyone suggested Carrick Fergus?
and Wild Mountain Thyme?
Bonnie Light Horseman?

What about From Clare to Here?
and Song for Ireland?

I won't mention my other favourites.

Well, it's not really a bansuri. The 6th hole resides in the same zip code as the 5th, and the F# is in tune in equal temperment. I know, 'cause I made it.

Wild Mountain Thyme! We finally got the singer to learn this one, and it's quite fun. One can muck with the changes endlessly.

bayswater · Post by **bayswater** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 12:36 am

Lunasa's "Inion Ni Scannlian". Great, slow waltz! It's on their "The Merry Sisters Of Fate" album.