Celtic MIDI Sets, Page 3

My Celtic MIDI Sets, Page 3 (Sets 51-75)

Set #51
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Philadelphia Hornpipe	hornpipe	Tony Upton
The Flowers of Pittsburgh	hornpipe	Tony Upton
This is a pair of tunes I composed nearly 6 months apart, but somehow they ended up sounding quite similar. I have no idea why I named them the way I did, but it just seems to work for me.

Set #52
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
The New Policeman	reel
Drogheda Bay	reel
Down the Broom	reel
Drag Her Round the Road	reel
There's not much to say about this set, except that it's just a wonderfully fast-paced set of Irish tunes. Sounds like great session material to me!

Set #53
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Tongadale Reel	reel	Farquhar McDonald
Lady Margaret Stewart	reel
Tormod	reel
This set starts off with a very unusual (and rather obscure) tune composed by Farquhar McDonald. It's followed by a Scottish tune which is definitely less obscure than the first. If you listen very closely during the third play-through of the tune, you'll probably even hear a little "doubling." (Somehow I managed to include that when I sequenced it.) The final tune in the set is as obscure as the first, but I think it sounds pretty good here.

Set #54
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
The Birks of Invermay	strathspey
James Moray of Abercarney	strathspey	J.S. Skinner
MacLeod and MacKay	reel
Devil Among the Tailors	reel
Two strathspeys start this set off and are followed by a reel composed by James Scott Skinner and another tune which is rather well-known.

Set #55
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Planxty Hines		Tony Upton
Maire Ni Chathasaigh's	jig	Tony Upton
Robin Huw Bowen's Fancy	reel	Tony Upton
This is a set of three tunes I composed for the harp. (Not that I can actually play the harp at all - but I would like to someday.) The first tune is a planxty in the style of Turlough O'Carolan's compositions, and is named for a lifelong friend of mine. The second tune is a jig named after a talented and well-known Irish harper, and the third tune is a reel named after a "master" of the Welsh triple harp.

Set #56
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
The Swallowtail Jig	double jig
Dever the Dancer	slip jig
Crossing the Shannon	reel
You've probably noticed by now that I haven't done too much Irish music in my recent sets. I decided to do something about that by putting these tunes together. The first one is one of many tunes played in sessions all over the place. Alan Stivell did an outstanding rendition of the second tune in a live concert back in 1979 which I heard on the "Thistle and Shamrock." I don't know much about the last tune, but it seems to go well with the first two.

Set #57
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
The Claymore	strathspey
Glen Grant	strathspey
Tullochgorum	strathspey
Old-Time Wedding Reel	reel
Hamish the Carpenter	reel
Put Me In the Big Chest	reel
A real "monster" Cape Breton set!! All six of these tunes are quite popular in Cape Breton, and the final three tunes are often played as a set. The last two reels are also known by their Gaelic names, "Och a Chiallain" and "Cuir a Chiste Mhoir Mi."(I hope I got those names right - I'm not 100% sure I did!) I had a great time arranging these tunes - and I know you'll have a great time listening to them!!

Set #58
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Jones's Hornpipe	hornpipe
Pwt ar y bys	reel
Pant corlan yr wyn	reel
Coleg y prifysgol Abertawe	reel
Something else you've probably noticed by now is the extreme lack (or complete absence) of Welsh tunes. I haven't had much success finding any good Welsh dance tunes on the Net, but I did manage to find these four tunes. If you've visited here before, you might have noticed that I've changed the information on the tunes. Thanks to Jon Freeman, a visitor to this site, I now have the correct titles for all the tunes as well as the translations. The second title translates to "Thumbs Up," the third one translates (approximately) to "The Sheep Fold in the Valley," and the final title translates to "Swansea College."

Set #59
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Belharbour Hornpipe	hornpipe
Belharbour Hornpipe (3/2 version)	hornpipe
Manchester Hornpipe	hornpipe
This set starts with two versions of "Belharbour Hornpipe," which I presume to be Irish. The first version is the "original" version with a little bit of a "jazzy" sound the second time through. The second version is a 3/2 arrangement I came up with myself. It leads in to the third tune, which is a rather unusual tune (presumably from England) in 3/2.

Set #60
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
The January Storm	strathspey	Tony Upton
The Warlocks	strathspey
Miss Hutton's	strathspey	John Bowie
Lady Charlotte Campbell	strathspey
The first tune in this set is a 3-part strathspey which is quite reminiscent of a surprise thunderstorm that come through here in January 1999. It's followed by three traditional Scottish tunes, the second of which dates back to the 1780's.

Set #61
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Caledonia's Wail for Niel Gow Her Favourite Minstrel	slow strathspey
Lord Lyndoch's Welcome	strathspey
Culloden House	strathspey	J. Anderson
Mrs. Campbell of Lochnell	reel	Robert MacIntosh
The Fashion Which the Lasses Have	reel	Simon Fraser
Anna is My Darling	reel
This set of Scottish tunes starts with a slow air from the Simon Fraser Collection. The second tune comes from the Athole Collection, as does the tune composed by J. Anderson which follows. The first reel in the set, which was composed by Robert MacIntosh, comes from the Skye Collection, and the final two reels both come from the Simon Fraser Collection.

Set #62
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Paddy O'Rafferty	double jig
Devine's Favourite	double jig
Road to Skye	double jig
The first two tunes in this set are Irish jigs which are actually fairly popular in Cape Breton. The first one was actually the first tune I used on my "Featured Tune" page, back in the days when I still had one. The final tune is Scottish, but seems to fit in with the first two since it's also played in Cape Breton.

Set #63
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Wee Highland Laddie	4/4 pipe march
The Devil and the Piper	polka	Tony Upton
Here's a pair of pipe tunes which starts off with a march and finishes with one of my own compositions. Hamish Moore was my source for the first tune, and I guess you could say my warped imagination was the source for the second!

Set #64
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
The Tarbolton	reel
The Longford Collector	reel
The Sailor's Bonnet	reel
This is just a set of three "standard" Irish reels, to which I've added (as always) my own ornamentation and variations.

Set #65
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Mrs. Hamilton of Pithcaitlands	slow air	Niel Gow
Monymusk	strathspey
Jenny Dang the Weaver	reel
Primrose Girl	reel
Forest Lodge	reel
This is a set of tunes from the playing of Hamish Moore. The first tune is a slow air by Niel Gow which I have arranged especially for pipes. Two different versions of the second tune are used in this set, the second of which was arranged by Hamish Moore. After that come three popular reels, the first of which is also played on fiddle (I heard it played by Natalie MacMaster on her CD "Fit as a Fiddle").

Set #66
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Charlie Stewart	strathspey
The Miller of Drone	strathspey	Nathaniel Gow
The Drummer	reel
The Argyle Bowling Green	reel
Unfortunately, I don't have any background info on the first tune, but that didn't stop me from using it! The second tune was composed by Nathaniel Gow (obviously, the talent for composing tunes ran in the family!) and comes from the playing of Natalie MacMaster and Ashley MacIsaac. The last two tunes come from the playing of The Cast.

Set #67
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
The Three-Day Holiday	hornpipe	Tony Upton
The Rights of Man	hornpipe
Brumley Brae	reel
Captain Lachlan MacPhail	reel
This set starts off with yet another of my compositions, which, if you hadn't guessed, was inspired by a three-day weekend. It's followed by a hornpipe which may (or may not) have been composed by James Hill (of Northumberland). Eileen Ivers does an outstanding rendition of the tune on her CD "Wild Blue." The reel that follows comes from the playing of Seelyhoo, a group from Shetland. Geographically, it's quite a big jump from Northumberland to Shetland, but musically it's not quite as big as you might think. Anyway, another Scottish reel rounds out the set quite nicely.

Set #68
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Maturin-Maturine
Untitled	hanter dro
Untitled	hanter dro
Untitled	hanter dro
This is a set of four Breton tunes that I managed to create an arrangement of even though I've never heard them played before. If you listen closely, you might notice that the tempo and the meter change a few times in this set - I think that's part of what really makes it interesting to listen to.

Set #69
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Captain H.F. Campbell's	strathspey
The Braes of Busby	strathspey
Hon. Ms. Fraser	hornpipe
Caber Feidh	reel
This is yet another Scottish set - for some reason, I really seem to be partial to those! The second tune, published in Joseph McFayden's collection in 1795, seems to be closely related to "The Braes of Tullymet" (set 11). The tune that follows is one of the few hornpipes in my collection that I know to be Scottish. The final tune appears in the Skye Collection and, if I'm not mistaken, is also played as a pipe tune.

Set #70
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Untitled	highland
Niel Gow's Highland	highland
The Corner House	reel
Untitled	reel
Here's something Irish for a change! The first two tunes are highlands (which I don't think I've put into any of my sets so far), which are familiar to me from the playing of Altan. The tunes that follow aren't as familiar to me, but I hope you'll find that they fit right into this set.

Set #71
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Andy Irvine's Polka	polka
B Minor Polka	polka
Cuz Teehan's	polka
Britches Full of Stitches	polka
This is a set of 4 Irish polkas which seem to go well together. The first tune is also known in Scotland as "Banks of the Inverness," where it is played as a march. The second tune comes from the playing of Kevin Burke, and the third and fourth tunes are fairly "standard" polkas. Martin Hayes plays a very nice slow version of the final tune.

Set #72
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Roslin Castle	slow air
Original Lancashire Hornpipe	hornpipe
Miss Drummond of Perth's Favourite Scotch Measure		Niel Gow
The Firth of Cromartie	4/4 march	John & Andrew Gow
This set is a pretty interesting one - 3 key changes and 3 rhythm changes. The last two tunes are something of a "tribute" to the Gow family - the first one was composed by Niel, and the last one was composed by his sons John and Andrew. As I've said before, the talent for composing tunes obviously ran in the family…

Set #73
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
The Four Maries	waltz
A Gift to be Simple
Running in the Rain	hornpipe
The Glasgow Gaelic Club	6/8 pipe march
This is a set of bagpipe tunes I put together. This set is a bit different from the others because I finally managed to find a couple of tunes with two-part harmony. Beyond that, there's not much I can say about these tunes except that they're just an assortment of tunes I put together

Set #74
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Mr. Charles Graham's Welcome Home	6/8 march	William Gow
Coire an Lochan	reel	D. Muir
The Duchess of Buccleugh	reel	Niel Gow
This set of tunes, like the last one, is definitely Scottish. Unlike the last set, though, the tunes are played on the piano. The first tune is a 6/8 march composed by William Gow. The second tune, which I wish I had an English name for, was composed by D. Muir (I don't have a first name). And finally, the last tune was composed by Niel Gow. I guess you could say this set is a "Gow sandwich!"

Set #75
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
The Braes of Elchies	double jig	Charles Grant
Vallafield	jig
Da Shaalds o' Foula	jig
Da New Foula Reel	reel
Big John McNeil	reel	Peter Milne
I started off this set with three jigs, the last two of which are from the Shetland Isles. The first jig (which was composed by Charles Grant) was one I heard on one of Ashley MacIsaac's CD's. The first of the two reels that close out the set is actually a 4/4 version of the third jig, which I arranged myself. The final tune was composed by Peter Milne.