“Toi et Moi” is #24 in the Bal Folk Tune Book. Played on the Lilly, it has that quality inherent to many scottishes of being delightful. This is the third of Trevor Upham’s tunes that I’ve recorded for the Bal Folk Tune Book Project.
Tag: scottish
A Bal Folk Scottish
When I think back to when I first heard Bal Folk accordion, one of the things that I loved was that there was nothing ironic or world weary about. It was anti-misanthropic. This tune is exactly the kind of tune that gave me that feeling. It’s number 23 in the Bal Folk Tune Book.
FRLO: Scottish à Catinaux & Scottish du Pére Rouxel
This one is suitable for dancing! The June 2021 edition of the Free Reed Liberation Orchestra plays two bog norm scottishes. The group this time is mostly stalwarts with one new member – hello, David Barnet!
The group is:
Anahata, Matthew Bampton, David Barnert, Gary Chapin, Margaret Cox, Andrew Edgington, Steve Gruverman, Eric Johnson, Howard Mitchell, Gren Penn, Julian Scholefield, Janneke Slagter
Leave us a tip at at the link above or buy tee shirts, mugs, and a bunch else at https://accordeonaire.threadless.com
Love on the IV Chord (Bal Folk #26, 131, 132, 140)
Something of a theme for this entry in the Bal Folk Tune Book Project. I noticed that a number of mazurkas I play have a characteristic of beginning the B section with the IV chord. It creates a lovely sense of levitation and, if the song were telling a story, I think that’s when you would know the two of them were really in love!
It happens often enough in mazurkas that I am beginning to think this is a defining trait of a subset, but it doesn’t only happen in mazurkas. As I was recording the mazurkas, I remembered the tune, “Mominette” (by Maxou, in the tune book as untitled #26), which also goes to the IV chord at the B section and is quite lovely (especially as the A section has a ominous tone. Will things work out??? Yes, yes they will. You know because of the IV chord.)
Also, with the mazurkas, the first is a sans nom tune that I began to call “Hannibal’s Mazurka” some years ago (I was teaching the ancient Romans at the time). If anyone knows a different name, let me know. I can be taught!
Three Scottishes (#9, 7, and 4)
Scottish des Oiselets (the second tune) is by Trevor Upham — one of a number of tunes by him and Chris Shaw from the George Inn Giant Ceili Band that were added to the Bal Folk Tune Book when Mally Productions took it over from Dragonfly. It’s a tricky tune and I had one of those things happen where, even though I’ve been playing it all week, when the camera was going I couldn’t get through without a flub. Finally, I got it, and here it is. A sweet tune that feels more cinematic the dance-ish. The other two tunes were less dramatic in their nascence, being traditional and somewhat less twisty.
Bal Folk Scottishes #5 and #6
This is part of the Bal Folk Tune Book Project. Scottishes #5 and #6, “Scottish à Catinaux” and “D’où Viens-tu P’tit Bonhomme.” The first tune I play as I always have and realized today that I’ve been doubling all the parts forever. Well, that’s a habit that’ll stick. The second tune I don’t play at dance speed, just a little slower, more cinematic or — as I’ve been accused — Wagnerian. I am NOT AT ALL pleased by my accordion face in this one. Not exactly a gormless wonder, but hardly gormful.
L’Aigo de Rotzo (Bal Folk #3)
Enjoy this scottish, tune #3 in the Bal Folk Tune Book. The second tune is another scottish (though I play it at polka speed), called L’eau de Roche. I would have bet money that it was also in the Bal Folk Tune Book but I was wrong! (It was probably in the pink or blue book.) Consider it a bonus for the Tune Book Project.
L'Accordeonaire 