I heard this beautiful slow air by the great John M Mason while helping out at the Fiddle Competitions during the Oban and Lorne music Festival last weekend, and just decided I wanted to try a version of it on my octave. Thought of the mandolin but decided the octave had much better sustain. Acoustic guitar backing has been added. The video footage was taken on the beach at Westport in Kintyre, near my home; it is a 5 mile unbroken stretch of sand dunes and is a protected area. Here is the abc for the tune, got from the Session website: X: 1 T: Lament For The Death Of The Rev. Archie Beaton C: John M Mason M: 4/4 L: 1/8 R: Slow Air K: Gmaj Bc|d3 d {e}dc {Bc}BA|{F}G2 B2 D3 G|{EF}E2 {F}GE {DE}D3 B,|{B,}A,6 (Bc)| d3 d {e}dc {Bc}BA|{F}G2 B2 D3 G|{EF}E2 {d}cA {G}F3 D|{D}G6 :| {C}B,A,|G,3 B, D3 D|{Bc}B3 A {F}G3 E|{DE}D2 {F}GE {DE}D3 B,|{B,}A,6 {C}B,A,| G,3 B, D3 D|{Bc}B3 A {F}G3 E|{DE}D2 {F}GB, {A,B,}A,3 B,|{A,}G,6 {C}B,A,| G,B,DG Bdga|{ga}b3 a {ga}g3 e|{^c}d2 {ga}ge {^c}d3 B|{B}A6 (Bc)| d3 d {de}dc {Bc}BA|{F}G2 B2 D3 G|E2 {d}cA {G}FDCA,|{A,}G,6 z2|
How pretty. It does sound nice on your OM.
JK, you always seem to pick the winners. Cheers! .tef for St Notation and TABs http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/at...5&d=1304622994
That was lovely! And isn't that beach gorgeous looking as well!
Another lovely tune John. Your OM sounds great and your video makes me wonder if I have another trip to Scotland in me. My wife says no and it’s her relatives. We’ll see. Did you take those pictures today? Also, Thanks for putting this on Soundcloud.
That's a lovely tune, and fun to play! I have a vague recollection we may have had a thread on it already. I recorded it some months ago on my Ajr: Martin
Thanks for comments, all. Interesting to hear your version, Martin, played in a more up-tempo manner and I like that tone from your mandolin. Mike, pictures were taken on Wednesday afternoon, having driven down to attend a funeral - maybe that was part of the reason for doing the clip! Thanks again.
Another trip into John's and my past -- we each recorded versions of this great lament more than a decade ago. I like the tone on my old video, but it was frankly too fast for a lament (John kindly described it as "interesting" in an "up-tempo manner"). This new recording is at a more appropriate tempo, with octave mandolin harmonies by Peter Macfarlane/Vermont Fiddle Orchestra: https://cvsfc.org/VFOtunes/2021Apr/L...ad-Harmony.pdf Mid-Missouri M-0W mandolin Mid-Missouri M-111 octave mandolin Vintage Viaten tenor guitar https://youtu.be/0k0X0yoTewQ Martin
I haven’t listened to the previous or other versions posted, but a lovely, very well presented slow air here, Martin.
I really like this new version, Martin, and am happy to hear a "less up-tempo version"! I like too, as you might expect, the absence of tremolo in your playing of this one.
Me too about the tremolo, very tranquil Martin, and the bass runs sound great!
Thanks, John W and K, and Simon! I was happy to record this without tremolo -- playing the arpeggio pattern on the tenor guitar filled in those gaps nicely. I like those Vermont Fiddle Orchestra arrangements I found. There are quite a few more from that source, and I'm about to upload another modern Scottish slow air with a somewhat different feeling, "Leaving Lochboisdale". No tremolo in that one either, you will be pleased to note. Martin
How could I miss such a beautiful tune. I tried to play it too, but couldn't keep myself from doing the occasional tremolo. Thanks John for intoducing the tune and Martin for providing the sheet music I like both your versions!
Fine and relaxed playing Christian. Anyone notice that John’s in the media again? https://www.theguardian.com/lifeands...-lake-district Very impressive.
Very fine interpretation of this great slow air, Christian. I cannot believe it was eleven years ago this month that I first posted my version here. The older one gets, the faster time seems to pass by! Carpe Diem. I love the photos of Dundonald Parish Church and the views of the Ayrshire coast you have included early in your video. Have you visited this area? Rev Archie Beaton, who died in 1971, was the minister of this church and John M Mason conducted the Kilmarnock and Ayr Strathspey and Reel Society and was also one of the founders of The Scottish Fiddle Orchestra, conducting this from its formation in 1980 until his death in 2011. This would be a great tune for our new SAW member jhfiddler!
Thanks, Simon, but I'm sure no one will confuse me with this athletic fell runner who shares my name! I spent many years walking and climbing in the mountains of Scotland but now in my late seventies I tend to restrict myself to the lower slopes and good hill and forest paths. My home area abounds in just such delights as you often see in my video offerings.
Very nice Martin and Christian! All three with your own unique styles. Not only beautiful, but important to anyone that notices. I know we do.
I had completely forgotten, that I already recorded this tuns. Anyway, I like the new recording a tad better. I found a leadsheet here: https://static1.squarespace.com/stat...hie+beaton.pdf What I like in particular is the chord progression in measures 15 and 19: the dominant seven chord to the minor chord on the sixth step of the major scale followed by the minor chord, of which it is the dominant. And there's a nice hamony line:
Very nice, Christian. That harmony line really adds something, compared with your previous recording.
Such a nice air. You all played it with nice tone and feeling.
Just getting a bit of spare time to listen to other versions. Really nice John, I love the deep bass tones of your octave. And Christian, another successful, precise and clean performance of this lovely Air.
Great arrangement and playing, Christian. That pdf you have linked to is one of the arrangements belonging to the Clyde Coast Strathspey and Reel Society (CCSRS) and they are based just across the Firth of Clyde from me. I am familiar with a lot of their arrangements and have played their version often with local fiddlers here. It is a tune well worth revisiting. I note it is almost 12 years since I first started this thread and still only you, Martin and myself have posted versions. Who is next to have a go? The pdf arrangement Christian linked to is well worth having a look at.
