Tag Archives: Session Tunes
Kid on the Mountain (Eaeol)
In the slip jig “Kid on the Mountain,” the âkidâ in the title is a young goat, of course, not some human child stranded on some high wind-blown wintry mountain in Jaunary. Â When I play it I like to think of the kid as traversing a rocky slope on a nice Spring day. Now this […]
The Butterfly (Edor)
“The Butterfly” slip jig is very popular among (some) musicians and dancers, and shows up in John Saylesâs much-loved film The Secret of Roan Inish (1994). It is a three-part tune and is played AABBCC. Though commonly called âThe Butterfly,â it is claimed to also be called âBill Groganâs Goatâ or âBarneyâs Goat.â As the version of “Barney’s Goat” I looked […]
Ballydesmond Polkas (Ador)
The  three Ballydesmond Polkas can be found on a number of recordings and websites. The order and numbering given here is from the album entitled The Star Above the Garter, by Denis Murphy (1910-1974) and Julia Clifford (1914â1997), siblings from Sliabh Luachra.  The area called Sliabh Luachra (pronounced Schleeav-lokhra, with the âkhâ as that middle-of-the-mouth […]
Maggie in the Woods (G)
“Maggie in the Woods” is a popular two-part polka, similar to âThe Scartaglen Polkaâ (also in G), though the latter has three parts. There are some common lyrics to this polka: Â If I met Maggie in the wood / I would kiss her if I could / thatâs the thing would do her good / […]
Calliope House
The jig “Calliope House” was composed in the open air by the English mandolin, banjo, and concertina player Dave Richardson (of The Boys of the Lough).  Originally in E,  this tune was thus outside the range of traditional flutes, whistles, and pipes. It has since been transposed and is now in sessions most commonly played in D. […]
Willafjord (D)
Willafjord is the Shetland reel often played in Scottish sessions with Spootiskerry. This tune is in Tom Andersonâs Haand me doon da fiddle  (1981) tune book, where he writes (in dialect): If du imagines some een gaen wij wan fit ida stank an de idder een on a broo an gaein a lunk as dey go alang, […]
Far From Home (G)
There is some confusion about the reel “Far From Home” (G). Some say it was written in 1998, some say it is much older. The latter are correct. I know because the tune is #1261 in OâNeillâs 1850 (1903). Some say the tune is from Shetland, while others deny it. It does seem odd that […]
Da Rodd ta Houll (D)
“Da Rodd ta Houll” is a Shetland reel in D, also called âDa Road to Hull.â It was written by Shetland fiddler Tom Anderson (1910-1991) who once stated (in dialect): “Dis tun was written in 1936 whin I came up to Unst to visit a schoolmaister friend oâ mine. It happened ât dat moarnin wis […]
The Bonnie Isle Oâ Whalsay (A)
The reel “The Bonnie Isle Oâ Whalsay” has sundry variations. This is (arguably) a Shetland reel, as Whalsay is a small island in the Shetlands.  Of course, a tune and its name can have very different origins, so tune names alone are a poor basis for determining tune ontogeny.  However, this tune does also have a certain Shetlandishness about it, […]
Breeches Full of Stitches (A)
The polka “Breeches Full of Stitches” is a great tune for beginners, or those first learning Irish polkas. Some people play this in G, but Kevin Burke plays it in A Ionian.  So, here itâs in A Ionian. Martin Hayes plays this in his typical slow, deeply emotional way on his first album Martin Hayes […]