Celtic MIDI Sets, Page 4

My Celtic MIDI Sets, Page 4 (Sets 76-100)

Set #76
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Untitled	an dro
Untitled	an dro
Untitled	an dro
This is a set of three Breton an dros which I have arranged and put together. I really don't have any background information on the tunes, but I hope they sound good together!

Set #77
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
The Rising of the Lark	4/4 march
Rhun's Fort	4/4 march
Caerphilly March	4/4 march
Here are three more Welsh tunes which I have arranged. I didn't want to make Wales feel left out or anything! My thanks go to Jon Freeman for the last tune - hopefully I'll find ways to use some of the other wonderful tunes he sent me a while back.

Set #78
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Struan Robertson's Rant	strathspey
Donald Bane	strathspey
Auld Stewarts of Forthergill	reel	James Stewart Robinson
Miss Garden of Troup's Reel	reel	Robert Petrie
This is a set of traditional Scottish tunes, which I have made a few minor changes to. The third tune was composed by James Stewart Robinson, and the final tune was composed by Robert Petrie.

Set #79
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Hearty Boys of Ballymote	double jig
Out on the Ocean	double jig
Maguire's	double jig
Once again, I realize that there's a lot of Scottish music in these sets, but not as much Irish music. This set actually is Irish, though. There's not much else to say about this set, though - it's just pretty "standard" stuff.

Set #80
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Coilsfield House	slow air	Nathaniel Gow
This is a break from all the fast-paced stuff I usually have on these pages. It's a slow air composed by Nathaniel Gow, which I have arranged for harp, hammered dulcimer and guitar.

Set #81
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Crossing to Ireland	waltz
Down the Brae	reel
The Nine Pint Coggie	reel
Dowd's Favourite	reel
Yet another set of Scottish tunes! The first one is a traditional tune from the Simon Fraser Collection, where it is listed as a "slow waltz." It's followed by a tune which is listed as a reel, even though I've slowed it down here. I've heard the third tune played by Alasdair Fraser and by Altan (who called it "Clan Ranald" if my memory serves me), and the fourth one is one of my all-time favorites...definitely a change of pace from the first couple of tunes in the set!

Set #82
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Ballinakill	polka
Sweeney's	polka
Johnny Leary's	polka
Here's another set of three polkas. I don't think I've actually heard them played before, so I just used the ABC notation to come up with my own idea of what they should sound like. As far as background info goes, all I know is that these three tunes are traditional Irish tunes.

Set #83
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Tommy Bhetty's Waltz	waltz
Phroinsias Ui Mhaonaigh's Mazurkas	mazurka
John Doherty's Mazurka	mazurka
Recently, I was listening to one of Altan's CD's, and I heard them play the final tune in this set. It reminded me that I've put all kinds of tunes on these pages, but I never managed to put any mazurkas here. That's a shame, too, because they're pretty neat tunes. So, after almost two years of working on this site, I've finally managed to correct that. I started this set off with a waltz just to show the similarities - and the differences - between waltzes and mazurkas.

Set #84
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Chicago Reel	reel
Rip the Calico	reel
Mason's Apron	reel
This is just a set of good Irish reels. Need I say more?

Set #85
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
The White Petticoat	double jig
Seamus Cooley's Jig	double jig
Old Joe's Jig	double jig
Another trio of good Irish tunes. I've thrown in a couple of key changes and some unusual chords to keep this one interesting.

Set #86
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
King of the Fairies	set dance
Scully's Reel	reel
The Jug of Punch	reel
An Gabhrán	reel
Jack Keane's Reel	reel
This set starts off with a very well-known Celtic tune. The second tune is a variation of the first, and the final three tunes are really good Irish reels. The last two come from the playing of Patrick Street.

Set #87
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Fred Finn's	reel
The Redhaired Lass	reel
Woman of the House	reel
Yet another set of Irish tunes! I heard the first two tunes on a CD by the Chieftains ("Water From the Well") - they were part of an impressive trio of tunes played live at Matt Molloy's pub. Here's what the liner notes say about that set: "...In Matt Molloy's pub in Westport with four flutes, five fiddles, one bouzouki and the irrepressible pipes - there were even two harps for God's sake..." Enough said.

Set #88
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Mabou Coal Mines	strathspey
The Smith's a Gallant Fireman	strathspey
Laddie wi' the Plaidie	strathspey
Sir David Davidson of Cantray	reel	John Lowe
Miss Wedderburn	reel
The Ten Pound Fiddle	reel	J.S. Skinner
Gladstone	reel	J.S. Skinner
This is a great "monster" set of Scottish tunes. It starts with a strathspey I got from a MIDI file sequenced by Barry Taylor (via Gladys' Celtic Corner), and then continues with two different versions of another great strathspey (the first of which I also got from a Barry Taylor MIDI file). I don't have any info on the third tune, but I know that the reel that follows it was composed by John Lowe. The next tune is another one I have no info on. The final two reels were both composed by James Scott Skinner.

Set #89
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Carnival Jig	double jig	Tony Upton
James River Jig	double jig	Tony Upton
Scotty Fitzgerald's Jig	double jig	Sandy MacIntyre
After a long while, I've finally managed to dredge up a couple of my own compositions to put in this section. The first tune, a 4-part jig in A, is one of my earlier compositions. The second tune, also in A, is a tune I just recently "rediscovered." I composed it over two years ago, and then I completely forgot about it. It's named for a very large river that's a few miles from my home. The final tune (in A, of course!) is a wonderful jig composed by Sandy MacIntyre.

Set #90
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Marchioness of Huntley's Strathspey	strathspey	William Marshall
Miss Campbell of Saddell's	strathspey	Robert Mackintosh
Loch Earn	reel	Niel
Miss Shepherd	reel	J.S. Skinner
Carnie's Canter	reel	J.S. Skinner
This is a set of tunes I had a LOT of fun putting together. All of these tunes come from some of the most renowned composers of Scottish music. The first tune was composed by William Marshall, the second by Robert Mackintosh, the third by Niel Gow, and the final two by James Scott Skinner. Enjoy!

Set #91
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Martin Wynne's	reel
The Longford Tinker	reel
This is a pair of great Irish reels I heard on a Bothy Band CD I recently purchased ("Live in Concert"). The way they played these tunes was absolutely amazing! My arrangement can't begin to capture the energy and intensity they put into the tunes, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Set #92
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Untitled	hanter dro
Untitled	hanter dro
Untitled	hanter dro
Untitled	kost ar c'hoad
This is a set of four tunes from lower Brittany. The first three tunes in the set were published in Tonioù Breizh-Izel, a collection of over 3,000 tunes from western Brittany; I'm not sure where the fourth tune comes from.

Set #93
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Patsy Geary's	double jig
Coleman's Cross	double jig
The Mist on the Valley	double jig
This is a set of three great Irish jigs which I've put together. The first two are on the Bothy Band's "Live In Concert" CD. I don't know anything about the third tune, but I can say that my arrangement is in A instead of the original key of G.

Set #94
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
An deiz ha bloaz	dañs plin	Tony Upton
Ton double plin	dañs plin
Gouere	dañs plin	Tony Upton
Here's a trio of Breton dañs plinn for your listening pleasure. The second tune is a traditional one which was published in Tonioù Breizh-Izel (just like the first three tunes in set #92). It was originally set as a simple plin in E minor, but I changed the length of the second turn to eight bars instead of four and transposed it up to A minor. The first and third tunes are ones I've recently composed, after apparently having listened to a bit too much Breton music. The name of the first one means "The Birthday," which is appropriate since it was composed on my 25th birthday. The title of the third tune means "July," which is the month in which it was written.

Set #95
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Fingal's Cave	strathspey	John Gow
Arthur's Seat	reel	William Marshall
Mrs. Brown of Linkwood	reel	William Marshall
Calum Donaldson	reel	Ronnie Cooper
If you've listened to sets 37 and 90 and you enjoy what I did with them, then you'll probably enjoy this one too. These are all tunes I've found in the "Fiddler's Companion," an online index of over 20,000 fiddle tunes. (You can find out more about it on my Links Page .) The first tune, which was composed by John Gow, one of Niel's sons, has quickly become one of my all-time favorites. It's followed by a pair of tunes composed by William Marshall, who is mostly known for his strathspeys. The final tine in the set was composed by Shetland musician Ronnie Cooper. It was listed in the "Fiddler's Companion" as a march, but I've sequenced it as a reel for this set.

Set #96
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Pope's Toe	reel
Highlander's Kneebuckle	reel
Lord MacDonald's Reel	reel
This set was inspired by my frequent visits to "Gladys' Celtic Corner" (which you can visit via my Links Page) and my participation in FIDDLER, which was an online group for amateur fiddlers and fiddle fans. I transcribed the first two tunes from MIDI files from Gladys' site. Those files were based on the playing of Denis Murphy, an Irish fiddler. The third tune is normally played in G, but I transposed it to A for this set. It's originally a Scottish tune, but this setting is definitely Irish.

Set #97
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
The Gay Gordons	march
The Piper's Cave	march	J.S. Skinner
Dungarthill	march
Yet another set of Scottish tunes! I guess I've been in a Scottish frame of mind lately - I hope you don't mind too much. Anyway, this is a set of marches, the first of which was composed by James Scott Skinner. I've changed the key of the last two tunes, one from A to E and the other from D to A.

Set #98
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
Clawdd Offa (Offa's Dyke)	jig
Clawdd Offa	hornpipe
Dwr Glân (Sweet Water)	reel
This set is a rarity in my collection because it's a set of Welsh tunes. The first tune is a 3-part jig, while the second tune is a 4/4 arrangement I made of the first tune. The set ends with a nice reel in G minor to which I've added a couple of small variations.

Set #99
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
The Princess Royal (Turlough O'Carolan version)		Turlough O'Carolan
The Princess Royal (Scotch measure version)
This "set" is actually two versions of one my favorite tunes. The first version is the original one composed by Turlough O'Carolan (or something reasonably close to it!), and the second one is a Scottish arrangement which at times sounds completely different from the original. (Or at least it does to me.)

Set #100
Tune name	Type	Composer (if known)
The Moving Cloud	slow reel
The Moving Cloud	reel
St. Anne's Reel	reel
Reel Beatrice	reel
The slow version of "The Moving Cloud" I arranged for this set happened entirely by accident. When I converted the ABC to MIDI it only came out at half speed for some reason, but I liked the sound of it when I listened to it. The two reels that end the set are two of my favorites.