Manuel Waldesco wrote:
> Hi there, I'm looking for some background to this Gaelic tune; all
> that I know is that it appears in the Simon Fraser Collection and,
> presumebly, given its title, would have been a song used for keeping
> the rythm while rowing (in those days with not many causeways!).
I don't know much, Manuel. Fraser was typically vague in his notes:
"The editor conceives the boat-songs among the most interesting and
expressive of the airs peculiar to the Highlands; they are composed in
a regular measure, to keep time with the rowers."
I suspect that the accidentals notated can safely be left out. Ossian
recorded a beautiful version of this tune on 'St Kilda Wedding'.
Stan Reeves once told me he thought many such rowing tunes are
preserved in so-called Gaelic waltzes, and it's true that they do have
the same rhythm. I don't know if he still reads Scots-L, but if you do
Stan, I'd be interested to hear your theories again.
X:376
T:Iomramh eadar Il'as Uist
T:Rowing from Islay to Uist
B:Simon Fraser Collection
Z:Nigel Gatherer
L:1/8
M:6/8
K:Am
E |: A2 A c2 d | B2 A B2 d | A2 A e2 e | fed e2 B |
c2 c d2 c | B2 A B2 d | fed e2 B | 1 c2 A GFE :| 2 A2 B c2 ||
G | E2 E E2 D | E2 E c2 d | B2 A G2 E | D2 C D2F |
E2 E E2 D | E2 E c2 d | B2 A G2 B | A3- A2 |]
X:377
T:Iomramh eadar Il'as Uist
T:Rowing from Islay to Uist
B:Simon Fraser Collection
N:Transposed from Am (to be whistle-friendly)
Z:Nigel Gatherer
L:1/8
M:6/8
K:Bm
F |: B2 B d2 e | c2 B c2 e | B2 B f2 f | gfe f2 c |
d2 d e2 d | c2 B c2 e | gfe f2 c | 1 d2 B AGF :| 2 B2 c d2 ||
A | F2 F F2 E | F2 F d2 e | c2 B A2 F | E2 D E2 G |
F2 F F2 E | F2 F d2 e | c2 B A2 c | B3- B2 |]
--
Nigel Gatherer, Crieff, Scotland
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/gatherer/
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