January 1, 2021 · 14:50

Glory of the Sun

There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. (1 Corinthians 15)

We are stardust… (Joni Mitchell)

A shiny-bright tune to wish one and all a kindly New Year of health, happiness and fellowship!

Glory of the Sun is from Playford’s 1657 English Dancing Master, paired here with Rob Harbron’s ultimate driving-with-the-windows-down composition The Road to Poynton. English folk trio Leveret spin a set to raise our spirits in dark times ‒  for in the shortest days and darkest hours of the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice rolls us surely back towards the Sun, and into an untrodden New Year.

Leveret

Andy Cutting (diatonic button accordion), Rob Harbron (English concertina), Sam Sweeney (fiddle)

Recorded live for their 2016 album In The Round

(Glory of the Sun / The Road to Poynton, YouTube video 5.46. Published by Leveret on Feb 25, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kMR3Cz5oPg)

Leveret have a new double album out, Variations Live, recorded live in lockdown. Find it here https://leveretband.com/music-shop (But be quick – it’s limited to 1,000 copies!)  

Leveret: website Facebook Twitter YouTube

(Image: Detail of a miniature of Cephus (the King), from Ptolemy’s Almagest. British Library.)

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October 2, 2020 · 15:11

Steppy Downs Road

After a long break (apologies!), let’s kick off with a little airy lightness, written by English fiddler Sam Sweeney and recorded live in lockdown by his newly-minted Sam Sweeney Band. The tune, named after a Cornish country lane, is from their recent album Unearth Repeat, which has helped raise spirits, feet and lockdown dust during these low days.

Times are desperate for musicians and all creative artists right now. Wherever I can in my tunes blogging, I’ll be posting links for voluntary funding and music purchase. If you enjoy the music, please do buy or donate, if you can. Any amount helps, no matter how small.

Here’s Sam’s fundraiser link for the band.

Happy fiddling, everyone: wishing you well and happy!

* * *

Sam Sweeney Band

Sam Sweeney (fiddle), Jack Rutter (acoustic guitar), Louis Campbell (electric guitar), Ben Nicholls (double bass), Dave Mackay (keyboards)

Recorded live in lockdown, May 2020

(‘Steppy Downs Road (Live in Lockdown)’, YouTube video 4.53. Published by Sam Sweeney on 19 May 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf4nmbIpcBQ&feature=emb_logo)

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Sam Sweeney: website  funding Twitter Facebook

Album Unearth Repeat is available from Sam’s website shop, and linked online vendors

Keep an eye on Sam’s Twitter and Facebook posts for updates on recordings, videos, gigs and other projects!

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September 30, 2018 · 16:40

Milford

 

 

Andy Cutting’s lovely bourrée Milford seems to be rarely played. Here he is: first, playing it for a dance; and second, teaching it at workshop. As far as multi-instrumental versions go, the tune is part of trio Leveret’s repertoire (of which Andy is a member), but the only online video of a live performance is too poor a recording to be worth sharing, so finally I’ll link you to the marvellous audio from their album New Anything, on Spotify.

 

Andy Cutting (diatonic button accordion)

Playing for an Italian community dance in 2012.

(‘Millford (Andy Cutting), YouTube video 4.46. Published by girando49, Mar 13 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uGZxf4Zb5U)

 

Andy Cutting (diatonic button accordion)

Teaching session at a Bonn, Germany, workshop in 2014.

(‘Milford – Andy Cutting’, YouTube video 2.25. Published by mattias de smet, May 20 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9FbuxBArc8)

 

Leveret

Andy Cutting (diatonic button accordion), Rob Harbron (concertina), Sam Sweeney (fiddle)

Audio track from their their 2016 album New Anything.

https://open.spotify.com/search/results/Leveret%20Milford

 

Andy Cutting:  website  Facebook

Leveret:  website  Facebook

 

 

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August 18, 2018 · 16:11

Hamilton Ironworks

 

A surprisingly jaunty melody, for a tune named after the 19th century Ozark Mountains foundry that produced iron for American Civil War canonballs.

Before teaching a fascinating fiddle masterclass, legendary Missouri musician and steamboat pilot John Hartford regales us with tales of Missouri fiddler Roy Wooliver (1896-1964), with whom the tune is identified.

Want to cut straight to the tune? John begins playing at 2.40.

 

John Hartford (fiddle)

Standard tuning GDAE; key of D.

(‘John Hartford Old Time Fiddle Lesson: Hamilton Ironworks’, YouTube video 7.43. Published by VaporBatVideos, Jul 4 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gds8UIP95fo)

 

Roy Wooliver (fiddle) 

Enjoy Roy Wooliver playing Hamilton Ironworks at Larry Warren’s amazing Slippery Hill website here.  (Field recording by John Hartford.)

 

 

 

John Hartford (1937-2001):  website

 

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May 29, 2018 · 11:19

GDPR: not just a new fiddle tuning…

 

I’m always delighted when someone opts to follow Fiddletails on WordPress.com or via email. However, I’d like to make sure I’m complying with the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that came into effect on 25 May 2018.

 

So, to be clear:

Fiddletails.com does not store any personal information about your visit to this blog other than:

‒ to store your name and email address if you have opted to receive notification of new blog posts via email;

‒ to store your name and email address if you make a comment on a post;

‒ to analyze and optimize your content and reading experience through the use of cookies.

 

If you ever want to change how you receive email notifications or unsubscribe altogether ‒ whether you are a wordpress.com user following via Reader, or simply following via email ‒ visit this link and scroll down to the appropriate heading:

https://en.support.wordpress.com/following/#change-your-email-settings

 

For more information on WordPress.com’s use of cookies, visit:

https://automattic.com/cookies/

(And you can turn off the use of cookies at any time by changing your specific browser settings.)

 

You can read WordPress.com’s updated Privacy Policy, effective from 25 May 2018, here:

https://automattic.com/privacy/

 

Thank you all for your musical interest and support – see you again in a new tune very soon!

 

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April 2, 2018 · 18:15

The Shepherd and the Shepherdess / Maiden Lane

 

A long, hard winter is still trying to cling on here in London – but I’m banishing the blues (and ending a dismally long Fiddletails break) with this absolute frolic of a set guaranteed to put the Spring back in your step.

The Shepherd and the Shepherdess is from an unpublished manuscript found by Boldwood members in the Vaughan Williams Library, Cecil Sharp House, London (home of the English Folk Dance and Song Society). Maiden Lane is an early Playford tune, from the 1651 first edition.

Two tunes across three videos, then. First, Christine Cooper and Jamie Huddlestone play both tunes as a fiddle/melodeon set (Key: G). Second, the Boldwood string/accordion quartet play Maiden Lane with a different flavour (G). And we finish with fiddler Laurel Swift’s slow teaching video of Maiden Lane (A).

Aaaand…. dance!

 

Christine Cooper (fiddle), Jamie Huddlestone (melodeon)

(‘The Shepherd and the Shepherdess / Maiden Lane’, YouTube video 3.58. Published by Christine Cooper on Jul 20 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8H8W7eAQJM)

 

Boldwood

Becky Price (accordion), Daniel Wolverson (viola), Matthew Coatsworth (fiddle), Kate Moran (fiddle)

Filmed during a recording session at Christ Church, Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, England in November 2016.

(‘Boldwood – Maiden Lane’, YouTube video 2.45. Published by Boldwood on Dec 1 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCUTMHVp0S0)

 

Laurel Swift (fiddle)

Teaching video made for Laurel’s West London Folk Bank class at the West London Trades Union Centre in Acton, London.

(‘Maiden Lane’, YouTube video 1.34. Published by Mary Doody on Sep 19 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HXSjaeP2gQ)

 

Christine Cooper Bandcamp Tumblr Folk and Honey

CD available at: http://christinecooper.tumblr.com/music

 

Jamie Huddlestone Soundcloud Youtube

 

Boldwood website Facebook

New album Glory of the West and previous CDs available from the website, plus two brilliant dance tune books: The Boldwood Dancing Master, a book of over 70 English country dance tunes from 1679 to 1838; and The Second Boldwood Dancing Master, over 60 tunes from 18th century manuscripts with suggested chords

 

Laurel Swift website Facebook

Details of Laurel’s collaborative folk music project Travelling With Thomas

Laurel’s West London Folk Band tunes: YouTube and ealingsessions

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December 3, 2017 · 17:05

Christmas Time in the Morning

 

As the northern hemisphere days draw in, there’s the promise of the winter solstice and that first imperceptible swing back towards the light. To celebrate the season, here’s a blithe spirit of a tune from the Civil War era, recorded on a summery backyard deck, and posted in chill December in time to get it down and playable for Christmas.

(I was unable to contact the musicians; I hope they’ll forgive being fiddletailed without permission – it was just too delightful to resist.)

 

Joe Huff (fiddle), John Meade (banjo)

(‘Christmas Time in the Morning’ Civil war era fiddle tune – Joe Huff fiddle & John Meade banjo’, YouTube video 3:57. Published by Graham Meade, Aug 13 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgxxeMebSc8 )

 

 

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October 14, 2017 · 13:32

Gunga

 

Pre-eminent English melodeon player Andy Cutting presents this airy tune in two videos, one teaching, and one performance. According to a YouTube comment, ‘Andy isn’t sure of the real name, and only knows that it’s Scandinavian.’ If you knowGunga’s secret identity, please let us all know!

Andy Cutting is renowned for his work with a number of iconic bands, including Leveret, Blowzabella and Topette. You can hear him live right now, along with fiddler Sam Sweeney and conertina-player Rob Harbron, on the current Leveret album launch tour.

 

Andy Cutting (melodeon)

Recorded playing for his class at the 2016 Burwell Bash folk music summer school.

(‘Andy Cutting, playing “Gunga” Melodeon and Accordion Workshop Burwell Bash 2016’, YouTube video 4.36. Published by Burwell Bash Aug 22 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6los3syfWVg)

 

Andy Cutting (melodeon), Jock Tyldesley (fiddle), Tola Custy (fiddle), Katherine Mann (flute), Brian Finnegan (whistle), Ed Boyd (guitar)

‘Gunga’ is first tune up (1.20) in this clip from the wonderfully eclectic 2016 Burwell Bash tutors’ concert.

(‘The Tutors’ Group Performance, Burwell Bash 2016 Tutors Concert’, YouTube video 16.15. Published by Burwell Bash, Aug 9 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvHsEn-jdM0)

 

Andy Cutting:  website   Facebook   Twitter

 

Leveret:  Current tour   website   Facebook   Twitter

New album Inventions available from RootBeat Records and via their website

 

Burwell Bash 2018:  http://www.burwellbash.info/

 

Use the Fiddletails search box to find more tunes by Leveret and Blowzabella

 

 

 

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September 11, 2017 · 19:39

Farewell Trion

 

A panoramic view from the top of Lookout Mountain, overlooking Chattanooga, February 1864, by George N Barnard.

 

The haunting Farewell Trion began life as a two-part tune composed by fiddler Joe Blalock (b.1854) on his return home to Mentone, Alabama, after he’d been laid off from the mill in Trion, Georgia. Joe’s great-nephew Mack Blalock (1914-1987) got the tune from him, and passed it on to acclaimed present-day fiddler James Bryan, his neighbour in the Lookout Mountain region of Alabama. In the 1980s, James added the third part that we hear in these two gorgeous renderings.

You can find more background on the tune’s origins and the Trion mill at banjohangout. I’ve been unable to find any way to contact James Bryan; I do hope he won’t mind too much that I’ve Fiddletailed him without permission.

 

James Bryan (fiddle)

Recorded at MerleFest, 1993, accompanied by Carl Jones and Tom Jackson

(‘James Bryan – Farewell Trion’, YouTube video 1:32. Published Feb 28, 2011, by Barry Brower. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOar4KegZiY)

 

Tashina Clarridge (fiddle), Jefferson Hamer (guitar)

From a 2011 performance on Bainbridge Island, WA, USA.

(‘Farewell Trion (Fiddle Tune)’, YouTube video 6:23. Published Mar 14, 2011, by realtimesw. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w9LpD-Gnro)

 

Tashina Clarridge:  Facebook  The Bee Eaters

Jefferson Hamer:     website  The Murphy Beds  with Eamon O’Leary

 

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August 13, 2017 · 12:59

Morning Hambo

 

 

Olaus Magnus Historia om de nordiska folken. Bok 1 – Kapitel 1 – Om Bjarmaland, dess läge och beskaffenhet. Utgivningsår 1555.

 

What better on a sunny Sunday than this wonderful daybreak of a tune! The hambo is an old Swedish dance, part of a set of old folk dances known as Gammaldans. This modern hambo was composed by acclaimed American mountain dulcimer player Mark Gilston.

 

Mark Gilston (mountain dulcimer)

 

(‘Morning Hambo by Mark Gilston on mountain dulcimer’, YouTube video 1:54. Published on Oct 5 2016 by Tradman X. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca0qqzKiEco)

 

And here’s a brief clip of how to dance the hambo. Enjoy!

 

(‘Folkdans, Gammaldans.Hambo’, YouTube video 0:43. Published on Jun 2 2009 by Josephina Jia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCfGTvjXNOw)

 

Mark Gilston:  website   Facebook   YouTube

 

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