San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers on Tour
This medley was learned from the playing of the wonderful Cape Breton fiddler Jerry Holland who also penned a couple of the tunes. The last reel was composed by John Morris Rankin from Mabou in Cape Breton.
One of my favorite opening medleys to have a bit of fun with at concerts...
A fine rousing strathspey by William Marshall, one of Scotlands foremost 18th-century fiddler/composers, followed by a 'good-going' reel by Zeke Backus.
This air has been a favorite of our group for a few years.
The melody here will be recognized as that of the well-known song. "The Bonnie, Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond," but the words come from the Irish tradition.
This air and variation is typical of the more romantic 19th-century side of the repertoire
I learned the "Mull Rant" while recording with flutist extraordinaire Chris Norman, and subsequently taught it at one of our Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddle School sessions. The reel, written by Johnny Wilmot of Cape Breton, has a delightful twist near the end.
The two jigs in the previous cut and this reel are from the rich 18th-century repertoire
An old song by Robert Tannahill
"Fraser's Jig" is by Dan Hughie McEachern.
These are tunes from the Shetland Islands. A fiddler named Jack Goudie wrote the autobiographical "Jack Broke da Prison Door."