This week was a close one, the winner by one vote is Galley of Lorne, which was submitted as an old Gaelic waltz. I'm not familiar with it. I found this on thesession.org. This is the abc from that site: X: 1 T: Galley Of Lorne R: waltz M: 3/4 L: 1/8 K: Amin A3 E A2 | c3 B c2 | e3 c e2 | a4 g2 | e3 d c2 | B3 c d2 | e3 d c2 | B3 A G2 | A3 E A2 | c3 B c2 | e3 c e2 | a4 g2 | e3 d c2 | B3 A G2 | A3 B A2 |1 A4 E2 :|2 A6 | |: g3 a g2 | e3 d e2 | g3 a g2 | e3 d e2 | a3 b a>g | e4 a2 | a3 b a>g | d6 | A3 E A2 | c3 B c2 | e3 c e2 | a4 a>g | e4 f>d | B3 G c>B | A6 | A6 :| Here's a YouTube video:
It's a nice tune. The A part reminds a bit of Edelweiss.
This Jim MacLeod version is actually a medley of tunes, the titles being "The Cuckoo", "Galley of Lorne", "The Tocherless Lass", "Leaving Stornoway" as far as I recall. Scottish country dance bands regularly play medleys of tunes to get the variety and length needed for a dance such as the waltz Jim plays here.
The most beautiful version I know is played by The McCalmans. Nick Keir played the tinwhistle in the most beautiful way. It's so sad he passed away last year.. I hope the McCalmans don't mind I uploaded a part of their medley to have an example for everyone in the SAW-group. It's from the album "Listen to the Heat" [MP3=]http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=119347&d=1400329859[/MP3]
A very fine version, Hendrik. The McCalmans produced a lot of very fine material.
I almost forgot I made this recording half a year ago with a tinwhistle part.
Great stuff, Hendrick. Your version seems slightly different to the one on The Session which is what I have done.
Not done a lot lately but I had to have a bash as I just had a new tailpiece put on the Cherry......
Nice playing Tosh and Maudlin! There seem to be very different interpretations of this tune. I covered the McCalmans version I posted earlier in this thread , but that's defenitely not the melody we hear from other bands. Can anyone tell us more about this song? I also can't find anything about a Galley or the story about this tune. There is an accomodation called "The Galley of Lorne" but I don't think that's what this tune is about.
I've been a bit quiet lately but I wasn't going to miss out on a Scottish Waltz. Really like everyone's offerings so far. I have listened to all the versions on Spotify and I think Lurtie is right that the McCalman's version is a different tune. It wouldn't be the first time a tune is named incorrectly on a traditional music album, one of the problems of an aural tradition you take it as gospel that a tune is called "so and so" from the person you learn it from. Nobody can remember the names of good proportion of the tunes played at our local session and it is possible to learn a new tune without ever knowing what it's called. Lurtie made such a fantastic job of the McCalman tune, whatever it's called, so I've gone with that one, so he doesn't feel left out when everyone else goes with the session version! Summer has arrived here so I recorded this in the garden.
Nice job, Luurtie. You're equally at home on the mandolin as well as the tin whistle. Excellent playing Maudlin. I like how you provided a metronome (your foot) so that we all can figure out how to play it. Tosh, that particular mandolin has always been a favorite of mine. I'd say the new tailpiece "shines like silver, and rings like gold"! Well done. Nicely played James. Love all the double stops and ringing strings.
That was very nice James! You really make that mandolin sing with that sustain...
Had a bit of time this week so gave this one a go. I very much enjoyed Luurtie's version but went with the abc provided by Barbara. Luurtie, you really have that tinwhistle down and a wonderful interpretation of the tune. Tosh, your Cherry sounds really nice, hopefully you'll find time to post more often with it. James, very nice version with the 'chord' plays, really great sound. I also don't know what a Galley of Lorne is so I went with a galley on a ship and being in a minor key you need rough seas...
Lovely arrangement Bob, well played, and as you say the minor key and boiling seas go well together. I'm even more convinced now that the McCalman/lurtie/my version of it, is an entirely different tune. I wonder what it is?
This is my take of the abc-version. Did my first multitrack recording with a simple guitar accompaniment. I hope I chose the appropriate chords. I played my mandolin with a beautiful Indian Rosewood pick by Timber Tones I got the day before. The vids of Maudlin, Tosh and Bob helped a lot – thank you all. I like the other version, too. I’m amazed of your skills Luurtie and James.
Wonderful players and mandolins on this tune.
Dusty and Firthjof, very nicely done. David, great arrangement of the tune. I really like the bass and your usual sound just rings through so clear.
Well, looks like I'm way behind on my homework. I went with Barbara's abc version here as well. The rhythm sounded sort of rolling, and so many folks have worked out great slower versions, so I stepped up the tempo a smidge; my fingers almost kept up. I'm playing a Missouri mandolin, a PacRim octave, and a lovely Canadian 12 string guitar keeping rhythm. I included the ship theme, but threw in the Galley of Lorne as it appears on some coats of arms, for example here, and on some containers of Scottish ambrosia.
What a very varied set of offerings for this fine tune, and all with their own special strengths both in audio and video. I had recorded the tune some time back and today was walking along the River Echaig here at home (at least I was walking along the banks of the river!) and got some video footage i thought might go with the tune. I enjoy having the tune in my head as I wander along, fitting the video to the tune as far as possible. No galleys I'm afraid, apart from the one in the opening thumbnail which depicts the crest of the Clan Campbell.
Very nice John! Which instruments did you use? I sold my banjo for to buy an Irish bouzouki and hope to get these kind of sounds. Lovely It's an octave mandolin I quess.
Hi Hendrik, and thanks for your comments. The mandolin and the octave are both my own builds. I like the octave (and even more the bouzouki) for the added sustain they give, and I think that both go well along with mandolin on those tunes.
