Virtual Greenshoots

Greenshoots Music Group

While the regular Greenshoots meetings are suspended due to Coronavirus (since March 2020), I have recorded versions of the tunes we might have played, and made them available below. They are played as we would in Greenshoots - starting slowly for a couple of times, then speeding up, and then speeding up again. Play along! If any current Greenshoots members want to record and contribute these or other tunes from the tunebook in the same style, then have a go and let me know.

Go to Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, VE Day, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12, Week 13, Week 14, Week 15, Week 16, Week 17, Week 18, Week 19, Week 20, Week 21, Week 22, Week 23, Week 24, Week 25, Week 26, Week 27, Week 28, Week 29, Week 30, Week 31, Week 32, Week 33, Week 34, Week 35, Week 36, Week 37, Week 38, Week 39, Week 40, Week 41, Week 42, Week 43, Week 44, Week 45, Week 46, Week 47, Week 48, Week 49, Week 50.

If you want to find a particular tune recording, then there is an alphabetic index of tunes available.

Virtual Live Sessions?

I don't think it is currently technically feasible to run a live virtual music session between a dozen simultaneous amateur players online, without specialist hardware and software that is hard to set up. Let me know if you know otherwise - I've tried JamKazam, and although it may work for some, It hasn't worked for my trials, and setup would stretch most amateur players. For the technical background and some possible workarounds, see my article on Virtual Music Sessions.

Coronavirus Week 1 (Mid-March 2020)

• Three Around Three. An English country dance tune
• Blackberry Blossom. An American bluegrass fiddle tune.
• Nathaniel Gow's Lament for the Death of His Brother. A Scottish lament, also known as Gallowglass.
• Cliffs of Moher. An Irish jig.
• High Reel. An Irish reel.
• Tombigbee Waltz. An American Waltz.
• Top of Cork Road. An Irish Jig, also known as Father O'Flynn.
• Willafjord. A Shetland fiddle tune.

• Anne Fraser MacKenzie. A Scottish Jig.
• Angeline the Baker. An American bluegrass fiddle tune.
• Hunsdon House. An English dance tune, from Playford.
• Morpeth Rant. A Northeastern Rant - modern tune
• Old Morpeth Rant. A Northeastern Rant - old tune
• Shepherd and Shepherdess. An English March
• Lark in the Morning. An Irish Jig.
• Sweet Jenny Jones. A Welsh air. When you have got Sweet Jenny Jones up to speed (not very fast), it makes a good alternative to "Happy Birthday" to mentally play twice while washing your hands as virus killer!

Contribution from Greenshoots member John McKenzie, of the Lockdown Waltz by Bert de Cock:

• Lockdown Waltz by Bert de Cock, Played by John McKenzie, with PDF score. Bert was asking for contributions for a virtual orchestra - see Bert's muzikids website, but we seem to have missed the deadline. It's still a nice tune, and John plays it solo slowly and then faster and adds the accompaniments. He also provides a version of the sheet music with chords added for the rhythm section.

• Christ Church Cathedral. An Irish air by John Sheahan 1988.
• Nantwich Fair. An English jig. Apologies for variations on the last three notes of penultimate bar - my fingers knew a different version and it took a while to get them under control!
• Cobbler's Hornpipe. An English Triple Hornpipe (from Playford 1701).
• Corn Riggs are Bonny. A Scottish air (words by Robert Burns), evolved to be an Irish/English polka.
• Les Poules Huppées (The Crested Hens). A French Bourrée by Gilles Chabenat 1983.
• Wind that Shakes the Barley. An Irish reel.
• Young Collins. An English Morris reel
• Manchester Hornpipe. An English swung hornpipe.

• Earl Grey. A reel from Northwest England.
• Farewell to Whisky, or Farewell to Whiskey. A Scottish air, by Neil Gow 1799. Because of the poor barley crop that year, Highlanders were prohibited from 'wasting' barley by making whisky.
• Fête du Village. A French Bourrée.
• Excuse Me. An English jig in Playford 1868.
• Foul Weather Call. An English Hornpipe
• The Railway. A Scottish Jig
• Archibald MacDonald of Keppoch. Another Scottish lament. Archibald MacDonald lived 1678 to 1745.
• Ballydesmond Polka 1. The first of two Irish polkas
• Ballydesmond Polka 2. The second of two Irish polkas
• Ballydesmond Polkas 1 and 2. Now you can play them separately, why not put them together as a set?

Contribution from Greenshoots member Jim Dalgleish:

• Battle of the Somme. Last 2 bars as intro, then slow*2, medium*2 and faster*2. This was generated using Sonic Pi software on his Raspberry Pi credit-card-sized throw-away computer! As this computer version keeps a strict beat, it's a good test of your timekeeping through the Scottish snaps, to play along with it!

• Jamaica. A reel from Playford 1665.
• Britannia Two Step. An English jig.
• Abbots Bromley Horn Dance. A march in jig time. This is the haunting tune used in Thaxted, for a dance from Abbot's Bromley in Staffordshire using reindeer antlers at least a thousand years old.
• Lord Zouche's Maske. Lord Zouche’s Maske is one of the oldest written English tunes apparently. Written by Giles Farnaby 1560 to 1640, and first published in 1599. The local Cambridge connection is that it is in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book of 1618.
• Flowers of Edinburgh. A Scottish reel.
• Albert Farmers Bonfire Tune. An English polka from Surrey.
• Nancy Clough. A Northumberland tribute by Tom Clough to his wife Nancy.
• Sadlers Balloon. James Sadler was the first Englishman to ascend by balloon, in 1784.

• Sir Roger de Coverley. An English slipjig from Playford 1685.
• Salmon Tails up the Water. A Northumberland reel (or rant)
• Morgan Rattler. An English jig - possibly named after a smuggling ship, a stagecoach, a naval prison, or a cosh!
• Sally Sloane's Jig. A jig, originally English but developed by Sally Sloane who was an Australian accordionist

• Ar Eirinn. An Irish air.
• Breeches Full of Stitches. An Irish polka.
• Foxhunter's Jig. Another English slipjig.

• Arran Boat. A Scottish air
• Davy Davy Knick Knack. An English Polka
• Ashokan Farewell. An American lament, by Jay Ungar, 1983.

• Bonny At Morn. A Northumberland lullaby.

• Pretty Maggie Morrisey. An English hornpipe.
• Sweets Of May. An Irish jig, appropriate for the time of year.
• Polly Put the Kettle On. An English reel, based on a children's song.
• Staines Morris. An old tune (in Playford 1651)m, with later words about "Then to the Maypole haste away, for 'tis now our holiday".
• Linnen Hall. An English jig.
• Coilsfield House. A Scottish air by Nathaniel Gow, around 1800. Coilsfield House is the site of the grave of King Coilus (Coel Hen ap Tegfan, King of the Britons, died 420 AD), who gave us the nursery rhyme about "Old King Cole".
• Weavers March. A Scottish 18th C march.
• Captain Lanoe's Quick March. An English jig march.

• Si Bheag, Si Mhor. An Irish air in 3/4 time (apparently about big and small fairy hills!), by the blind Irish harper Turlough O’Carolan, 1691.

• Slower run through (each tune once).
• Faster run through (each tune twice).

• Liverpool Hornpipe. An English 4/4 hornpipe, so swung.
• Step and Fetch Her. A Morris march from Bampton.
• Streets of Laredo. A song starting in Scotland (Banks of the Devon), and travelling via Ireland (Bard of Armagh) to the USA!
• Steamboat, or the Good Natured Man. An Irish Hornpipe.
• Strike the Bell. Written by Henry Clay Work in 1865 - he also wrote My Grandfather's Clock.
• Stool of Repentance. A Scottish jig. Robbie Burns twice was banished to the Stool of Repentance for adultery, and wrote a poem with this title.
• Da Slockit Light. A Shetland air by Tom Anderson, 1969, lamenting the fading lights of his childhood island, as the drift to the mainland cities emptied the crofts.
• Stop The Cavalry. An English Polka

• Lord Inchiquin. An Irish air in 3/4 time, by the blind Irish harper Turlough O’Carolan.

• Waltz for the Valeta. As played in Suffolk by Percy Brown, for this well-known country dance.
• The Wren. A French An Dro that travelled to the USA and back to England.
• Fourpence Halfpenny Farthing. An English Jig.
• Father Kelly's Reel. An Irish reel.
• Floral Dance. A traditional processional tune from Helston in Cornwall, made known by Katie Moss in 1911 and Terry Wogan in 1978!
• Flower of the Quern. A Scottish air by James Scott Skinner 1884.
• Les Filles de Mon Pays. A slow march/song from the Morvan area of France, lamenting the girls left behind as the men march away to war.
• The Flight. An English Jig, where the music goes up and down like the flight of some bird, or maybe a hot air balloon?

• Harvest Home, or the Cork Hornpipe. An Irish hornpipe, very common in English sessions.
• Hector the Hero. A Scottish lament for Major General Sir Hector Archibald MacDonald, KCB, DSO (1853-1903), who was persecuted for being son of a crofter.
• Tobin's Favourite. An Irish jig.
• Fisher's Hornpipe. An Irish hornpipe.
• Spootiskerry. A Shetland reel by Ian Burns.
• Roslin Castle. A Scottish air.
• Jack's Maggot. An English dance tune in Playford 1701
• Jack the Horse Courser. An English march (or hornpipe).

• Goddesses. A Playford dance from 1651.

• Off to California. An Irish hornpipe, very common in English sessions.
• Oh Joe, the Boat is Going Over. An English polka from East Anglia.
• Oscar Woods Jig. An English jig, also from East Anglia.
• Orange in Bloom, also known as the Sherbourne Waltz. An English waltz.
• Trade Wind Hornpipe. An English hornpipe, used as theme music to the radio series "The Navy Lark".
• Orlando's Return. An English march.
• Over the Hills and Far Away. An English march or reel, used as the tune to various songs.
• Oh Susanna. An American well-known song, used as old-time dance tune.

• Galopede, or the Yarmouth Reel, or Persian Dance. Collected by Cecil Sharpe in East Anglia, and common in English sessions.

• Great North Run. Robert Whitehead 1986. A reel from Northumberland, with driving rhythm.
• Carolan's Welcome. An air by Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738), the blind Irish harper.
• Major Mackie's Jig. A jig from Scotland.
• Planxty Irwin. An Carolan ode.
• Planxty Fanny Power. A second Carolan ode. As these are often played together, here is a run through the pair
• Miss McLeod's Reel. An Irish reel.
• Madame Bonaparte. An English hornpipe.
• Dark Island. A Scottish air usually attributed to Iain MacLachlan 1958, but with alternative attribution earlier to Allan MacCormack 1930.
• Dark Island 2nd part, and Dark Island two-part mix Seconds by Chris H, and a mix of the two with less than perfect track synchronisation!

• Blackthorn Stick. An Irish Jig
• Farewell to the Dene. By Willie Taylor, copyright Coquetdale Music Publishing courtesy of Kathryn Tickell.
• King of the Cannibal Islands, or Vulcan's Cave. An English Jig, apparently based on a quadrille by John Charles White of 1815.
• Mudgee Waltz. An Australian Waltz
• Orataba Waltz. Another Australian Waltz
• Mudgee and Orataba Waltzes as a pair Given these two are often played together, here is a run once through them both.
• Liberty. A US march, two-step or reel. Also known as "The Tipsy Parson"
• Liberty Bell. A US march by John Philip Sousa, made famous as the theme to Monty Python.
• King of the Fairies. A well-known Irish hornpipe.

• Soldier's Joy. An English reel, popular in sessions.
• Blind Mary. An Irish air in 3/4, attributed to Turlough O’Carolan , but disputed.
• Butterfly. An Irish slipjig.
• Delia by Samuel Howard (1710-1782), from his opera The Amorous Goddess.
• Brighton Camp. An English march.
• Ned Of The Hill, or Eamonn an Chnoic. An Irish 3/4 air about Edmund O'Ryan who apparently was a Robin Hood character during the Jacobite/Cromwell era.
• American Patrol, by F W Meacham 1885. Made popular by Glen Miller.
• George Green's College Hornpipe. An East Anglian hornpipe.

• George Brabazon. Another planxty air from Turlough O’Carolan (1730).
• George Tremain's Quickstep. An English dance from North Yorkshire. George was melodeon player for a sword dance team in the 1920s.
• Devil Among the Tailors. A Scottish reel
• Spancil Hill. An Irish 6/8 air. Spancil Hill Fair is supposedly the oldest horse fair in Ireland, held annually on 23 June.
• Rights of Man. An Irish Hornpipe (or reel) - a common session favourite.
• Cooley's Reel. An Irish reel.
• Sandy Boys. An American Appalachian fiddle tune.
• Mount Hills. A Playford 4/4 dance from 1701.

• Three Sea Captains. An English jig.
• Mr Beveridge's Maggot. A3/2 tune from Playford 1695.
• Redhaired Boy. A Scottish/Irish reel.
• March of the Men of Devon. A Welsh tune, despite the name - the Devon men were miners.
• Dribbles of Brandy. An English Jig (Aird 1788)
• My Lord Cutt's Delight. An English tune from Northumberland, before 1694.
• Coleraine. An Irish jig.
• Cumberland Square Eight. A Scottish reel.

• Seven Stars, or "The Moon and Seven Stars". An English Morris jig
• Egan's Polka. An Irish polka
• Westering Home. A Scottish 3/4 air.
• Trumpet Hornpipe. An English hornpipe used as the theme for Captain Pugwash on TV.
• Constant Billy. Another English Morris jig.
• Navvie on the Line. An English hornpipe.
• South Winds. An Irish 3/4 air.
• Staten Island. A Scottish reel. Apparently not named after the New York borough, but rather the island off the tip of South America near Tierra del Fuego.

• Out on the Ocean. An English jig.
• Hobart's Transformation. An American reel - Hobart (B. 1775) was an early American bishop.
• New Rigged Ship. A Shetland Reel. Often played as a set with Hobart.
• Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen. A Scottish 3/4 song.
• Tip Top Polka. An English polka.
• Mist Covered Mountains. A Scottish 3/4 air.
• Lemmie Brazil's No. 1. First of a pair of English hornpipes, from the playing of Lemmie or Lemmy (Lementina) Brazil (b. circa 1890). Her surname is apparently pronounced 'Brazzle', and was a large traveller family.
• Lemmie Brazil's No. 2. Second of the pair.

• Quarter Brawle. By Tielman Susato (Danserye 1551).
• Princess Royal (Morris). Original tune by Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738) was minor key, but it was shifted to this major key version for use in Morris dancing.

Contribution from Greenshoots member Bruce Kent,

• Michael's Mazurka by Shetland fiddler Michael Ferrie, who died in 1996 at the age of 21. Also a slower computer synthesized version, and a PDF score.

• Astley's Ride. An English reel - Philip Astley is credited with founding the modern circus.
• Bagpipers. A march from the Mittel ms in Kent (1799).
• Barbara Allen. A Scottish air.
• Brestle Hornpipe. A straight (not swung) hornpipe from the Winder ms 1835. I wonder if Brestle = Bristol?
• Coming Through the Rye. An Scottish trad air set to words by Robbie Burns.
• Elsie Marley. A northeastern jig. Elsie was a famous innkeeper near Durham.
• From Night Till Morn. An English reel.
• Goddesses. A Playford dance tune - here with the original version from 1651, and a later, more decorated version from 1721.
• Go 'List for a Sailor. An English song tune used for Morris.
• Peacock Followed the Hen. Another Playford tune - a slipjig from 1698.
• Shrewsbury Waltz. A waltz from Shropshire.

• The Ton. A Scottish polka, also known as Jessie's Hornpipe. The recording for this was originally in the Week 19 list, but the music wasn't in that week's PDF, so it is moved to this week.
• Hunt the Squirrel. An English jig
• Parnell's March. An Irish march. A new addition to the 2019 Annex.
• Jenny Lind. An American polka from 1845, presumably inspired by "The Swedish Nightingale".
• Cuckoo's Nest. An English Morris dance march. This accidentally got into the Session Tunebook twice in two different modal keys (A Dorian and E Dorian) for several years, so they are consolidated here. Note that the E version doesn't repeat the B part.
• Grogan's Favourite. An Irish reel, also known as Eileen O’Callaghan’s Reel.

• Mrs Jamieson's Favourite. A Scottish jig/air by Charles Grant (1810-1892).
• Monk's March. An English march. General Monck marched in 1660 in the English Civil War, and was supposedly famous for arriving at battles too late to fight. Hence the rather halting rhythm of this tune!
• Proudlock's Hornpipe. An English hornpipe, closely related to the previous tune. Lewis Proudlock (1838-1914) was a Northumbrian miner and fiddle player, who collated many old tunes.
• Old Tom of Oxford. An English Morris dance, complete with the 'slows' for the dancers to leap to. Old Tom (Great Tom) is the bell at Christ Church college.
• Carolan's Draught. An air in march time by the blind Irish harper Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738).
• John of Paris, or Jean de Paris. A jig from the English version of a French comic opera; music by Henry Bishop in 1814.
• Linhope Loup (aka Linehope Lope). A Northumberland hornpipe. The Linhope Loup (pronounced to rhyme with cow) or Linhope Spout is a famous waterfall.
• Red Lark or Little Red Lark. An Irish waltz/air.

• The Recovery. An English Polka. Note that it finishes with one A part.
• Jump at the Sun. An English jig by John Kirkpatrick, 1972.
• Gilsland Hornpipe. A hornpipe from Northumberland, that is often found in a set with the Linhope Loup from last week.
• Paddy Carey. An English Jig, from a comic song of the 1780s (about an Irishman).
• Scan Tester's No. 1. First of a pair of reels from the Sussex concertina player Scan Tester (1887-1972).
• Scan Tester's No. 2. Second of the pair.
• March of the Kings of Laois, or "Rory O'Moore". An Irish jig march.

Contribution from Greenshoots member Bruce Kent:

• Carolan's Concerto. A masterpiece from the blind Irish harper Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738).

• The Big Ship, or "Glise de Sherbrooke" A Canadian Slide/reel. I know the tune as "The Big Ship Sails on the Alley Alley Oh" - a playground "Thread the Needle" game from my primary school days.
• Oyster Girl. An English Jig. Often just 32 bars, but I include a third part to make a 48-bar dance tune.
• Dorset Four Hand Reel. An English reel (from Dorset!).
• Star of Munster. An Irish reel.
• Double Lead Through. An English Reel from the playing of William Kimber.
• Turkey in the Straw. An American reel, with several song offshoots (some offensively racist). There is also available a swung version on fiddle by Greenshoots member Peter Duthie as Turkey in the Straw swung.

Contribution from Greenshoots member Bruce Kent:

• Tabhair Domh Do Lámh, or "Give Me Your Hand" - an Irish air by Ruairi Dall O'Cathain, c. 1570-c.1650.

Contribution from Greenshoots member Clive Quick:

• Blue Eyed Rascal. An Irish hornpipe. Timing of first few bars of B part differs slightly from score. Also available (from Paul) is Blue Eyed Rascal Synth - a computer synthesised version with chords and strict timing.

• Road to Lisdoonvarna. An Irish Jig.
• Gairsay. A Scottish march by W. R. Aim (died 1982) named after an island in the Orkneys.
• Sweep's Hornpipe. An English hornpipe - lots of triplets, so not trivial.
• Westphalia Waltz. A Polish, German, USA waltz. Named not directly after the province in Germany, but after a town in Texas.
• The Quaker. An English Polka.
• Dingle Regatta. A second Irish jig.
• Lady in the Boat. Another Irish jig.

Contribution from Greenshoots member Bruce Kent:

• Paddy Fahey's Reel 10. An Irish reel by the Galway fiddler Paddy Fahey (1916-2019), who wrote lots of tunes, all usually known just as "Paddy Fahey's"! First on alto flute with bass notes, then faster on normal flute with some notes an octave above. Also available (from Paul) is Paddy Fahey's Reel 10 Synth - a computer synthesised version with chords.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 24 PDF.

Coronavirus Week 25 (September 2020)

• When Daylight Shines. An English jig.
• Seneca Square Dance, or "Waiting for the Federals". An American march. Naming is not clear. Seneca Indians (part of the Iroquois nation) were relocated to Oklahoma after the War of 1812, and there is a town of Seneca, Missouri.
• Tam Lin. A Scottish reel.
• Lambs Fold Vale, Pant Corlan Yr Wyn (valley fold of the ewes), also known as "Let Now the Harp". A Welsh air or polka.
• Captain O'Kane. An Irish jig by Turlough O'Carolan )1670-1738).
• Expectation Waltz, or "Ozhidanie". A Russian waltz - be careful with the rests! We also have a fiddle version of Expectation Waltz recorded by Greenshoots member Peter Duthie.
• Muckin' o' Geordie's Byre. A Scottish jig.
• Keep Your Feet Still. A Northumberland reel.To me, it reminds me of Barry Bucknell's TV DIY show of the 60s with theme tune of "This Old House".

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 25 PDF.

Coronavirus Week 26 - Half a year!

• Blue Eyed Stranger. An English reel.
• Black Jack, or "Black Joke", or "Black Joak". An English jig.
• Bear Dance. A Flemish Polka.
• Blaydon Races. An English jig/song from 19C County Durham.
• British Grenadiers. An English march.
• Burning of the Piper's Hut. A Scottish march/lament.
• Bielbie's Hornpipe. An English hornpipe from Northumberland.
• Buttered Peas. An English jig.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 26 PDF.

Coronavirus Week 27

• Rakes Of Mallow. An Irish polka.
• Kershaw's Hornpipe. An English hornpipe.
• Blenheim House. An English Reel, presumably named after Blenheim Palace, home of the Churchill family, Dukes of Marlborough.
• Butchers Hornpipe. An English hornpipe from Yorkshire.
• Shove the Pig's Foot a Little Closer to the Fire. An American Reel. We also have a a fiddle version by Clive Quick, which is similar but different.
• Cock O' The North. A Scottish jig.
• The Ash Grove. A Welsh air.
• Denis Murphy's Polka. An Irish polka popularised by Denis Murphy (died 1974), but older in origin.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 27 PDF.

Coronavirus Week 28

• Fairy Dance. A Scottish reel by Nathaniel Gow, 1812.
• Winster Gallop. An English march.
• Curly-headed Ploughboy. An English reel.
• Keel Row. An English reel from Tyneside.

• Willafjord and Spootiskerry. A pair of Shetland tunes. Willafjord was popularised by Tom Anderson. Spootiskerry is by Ian Burns.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 28 PDF.

Coronavirus Week 29 (October 2020)

• Men of Harlech. A Welsh march.
• Chinese Breakdown. An American march.
• Eric's Waltz. A French waltz by Eric Elsener.
• Marmalade Polka. An English polka.
• Random Notes. An English jig – also a bit challenging.
• Mrs Saggs. An air by Chris Wood 1990. Here also is a version by me on Baritone Concertina, plus two versions on fiddle by Clive Quick - slower version and faster version.
• Rambler's Hornpipe, or "Old French". A Canadian/American hornpipe.
• Katyusha. A Russian march.

• Blue Eyed Rascal. An Irish hornpipe, and a bit of a challenge! Having practiced against Bruce's leading, I recorded it myself, so here also is my Blue Eyed Rascal.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 29 PDF.

Coronavirus Week 30

• Keeper Would a Hunting Go. An English song/march.
• Sheffield Hornpipe. An English hornpipe.
• Lillibulero. An Irish song after English march by Purcell in 1689.
• Carolan's Concerto. A masterpiece from the blind Irish harper Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738). This has also been recorded by Bruce Kent, as Carolan's Concerto on Flute (with nice trills/turns), which he will lead in the next Live Virtual Greenshoots session.
• Dance To Your Daddy. A Northumberland waltz-time song.
• Lily Marlene. An air from the Second World War, sung by both sides.
• Foxhunter's Jig. An English slipjig.
• Roxborough Castle. A Scottish Reel.
• Roxborough Castle Hornpipe. The same tune swung as a hornpipe.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 30 PDF.

Coronavirus Week 31

• Tink A Tink. An English reel from the Mittel manuscript 1799.
• Blarney Pilgrim. An Irish jig.
• Bluebell Polka. A Scottish polka. Note that I play it swung, so lengthen the first and shorten the second of each pair of quavers.
• The Abbess. An air by Andy Cutting 2010, by kind permission. There is also a Abbess MIDI - a computer-generated track with chord accompaniment, to give a feel for the richness of applying the guitar chords to the melody.
• London Hornpipe. An English hornpipe.
• Old Kiss My Lady. An English march from Shropshire.
• Rocky Road to Dublin. An Irish slipjig. Note that this starts in A minor and shifts to A Dorian, so from no sharps to one sharp.
• Dashing White Sergeant. A Scottish reel.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 31 PDF.

Coronavirus Week 32

• Grandfather's Clock, by Henry C Work 1876. An American song tune.
• Kerfunten, by Colin Hammy Hamilton. A 20th century Irish jig, named after a village in Brittany.
• March of the Concertinas, by Alan Day. A 21st century English March.
• Alexander's Hornpipe, also known as Sandlark Hornpipe. An Irish swung hornpipe.
• Swallowtail Jig. An Irish jig.
• Bloomsbury Market. An English dance tune from Playford 12 Edition 1702.
• Colored Aristocracy. An American cakewalk (ragtime) tune.
• Westmoreland Waltz. An English waltz.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 32 PDF.

If you want to practise these tunes live, join the Live Virtual Greenshoots session on each Monday evening. Email me (greenshoots@paulhardy.net) if you want to know more.

Coronavirus Week 33 (November 2020)

• Aiken Drum. A Scottish song tune as a reel.
• Alexandra Park. Another Scottish reel.
• All in a Garden Green. A Playford 1651 dance. Liz Revell has offered to lead this one at next Virtual Greenshoots Live. Plus, we played this at a Chiltinas meeting last year, so you can try playing along with All in a Garden Green in 4 parts, in an arrangement by Paul Barrett.
• Alston Clog Hornpipe. A Lancashire hornpipe with a challenging second part!
• Amazing Grace, or "New Britain". A well-known hymn from 1831, after a traditional British tune.
• Ap Shenkin. A Welsh march.
• Apley House. Another Playford dance from 1702. Apley is in Shropshire.
• Archie's Fancy. A Northumberland waltz by Billy Pigg (1902-1968), by permission of Kathryn Tickell as Coquetdale Music. We played this also at a Chiltinas meeting last year, so you can try playing along with Archie's Fancy in 3 parts.
• Ar Eirinn, or "For Ireland, I Won't say Her Name". An Irish air. This has also been recorded by Bruce Kent, as Ar Eirinn on Flute, which he will lead in the next Live Virtual Greenshoots session.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 33 PDF.

Coronavirus Week 34

• Archie's Fancy. Repeat from last week, to give it due time. See above.
• Astley's Hornpipe. An English hornpipe. There are also three versions on fiddle by Clive Quick - slower version, mid-speed version and faster version. Listening to these makes me realise I was consistently playing the note in the middle of the second bar wrong - as a D not as an E!
• Arran Boat. A Scottish air.
• Atholl Highlanders. A Scottish jig march (two for the price of one, as four sections).
• Aunt Hessy's White Horse. A South African squashbox tune.
• Away to the Maypole. An English march.
• Alston Clog Hornpipe. Repeat from last time - A Lancashire hornpipe with a challenging second part!
• Ashokan Farewell. An American lament, by Jay Ungar. See below for 2-part version.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 34 PDF. A two-part arrangement score of Ashokan Farewell is in Ashokan Farewell 2part PDF.

Coronavirus Week 35

• Bang Upp. An English jig, from Cumbria, with similar version in John Clare m.s.
• Banish Misfortune. An Irish jig.
• Ye Banks and Braes O Bonnie Doon. A Scottish waltz
• The Barber's Pole. An English hornpipe. To be led by Bruce Kent in the next live session.
• Battle of the Somme. A Scottish retreat in 9/8 by Pipe-Major Willie Lawrie (William Laurie), who died in 1916 from trench warfare conditions in the Somme.
• Bean Setting. An English Morris jig from Headington.
• Because He Was a Bonny Lad. A Scottish march/polka, much played in Northumberland.
• Beatrice Hill's Three-Handed Reel. An English reel/hornpipe from Gloucestershire.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 35 PDF.

Coronavirus Week 36

• Bobby Shaftoe. An English children's song as a reel or polka.
• The Black Nag. An English jig, from Playford 1657.
• La Belle Catherine. A Canadian reel from Quebec. This has also been recorded by Bruce Kent, as La Belle Catherine on Flute, which he will lead in the next Live Virtual Greenshoots session.
• Bewick's Hornpipe. An English (Northumbrian) hornpipe from the tune books of Robert Elliot Bewick (1788 - 1849). To be led by Clive Quick, and he provides three versions on fiddle - Slow version at 80 BPM, medium version at 100 BPM.and faster version at 120 BPM.
• The Black Rogue. An Irish jig.
• The Black Velvet Band. An English broadside ballad, in waltz time.
• Blowzabella. An English jig, based on an 18C song about the advantages of two professions.
• Boda Waltz. A waltz from Boda in the Dalarna region of western Sweden. There is a three-part setting of this in my Parts Tunebook.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 36 PDF.

Coronavirus Week 37

• Bodmin Riding March. An English march from the riding festival in the town of Bodmin in Cornwall.
• Bonaparte Crossing The Alps. A common Scottish/Irish/English march, here as a hornpipe. Bonaparte crossed the Alps in 1800. To be led by Clive Quick, and he provides four versions on fiddle - Bonaparte slow not swung, Bonaparte slow swung, medium version at 100 BPM and faster version at 120 BPM.
• Bonnie Kate. An English march or polka. Often paired with "Harper's Frolic".
• Bonny At Morn. A Northumbrian lullaby/wake-up air, in waltz time. To be led by Bruce Kent. This has also been recorded by Bruce and Sue, as Bonny at Morn Bruce and Sue, twice on flute by Bruce, and then sung by Sue.
• Bonny Breast Knot. An English reel from Sussex.
• Bonny Green Garters. An English Morris jig.
• Boolavogue. An Irish ballad about Father John Murphy and his army in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. Uses an earlier tune - 'Eochaill'.
• Bourrées Carrées de La Châtre. A pair of French square Bourrées - 'Le Ruban Bleu', and 'En Passant la Rivière'.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 37 PDF.

Coronavirus Week 38 (December 2020)

• Boyne Hunt. An Irish reel, based on a earlier Scottish tune.
• Boys of Bluehill. An Irish hornpipe. This has also been recorded by Bruce Kent, as Boys of Bluehill on Flute, which he will lead in next session.
• Brafferton Village. An English air by the Northumbrian piper Kathryn Tickell 1987, © 'Not Them Again', by kind permission. There is also a two-part setting of this in my Parts Tunebook.
• Breeches Full of Stitches. An Irish polka. It is pentatonic, so you could play it on the black keys of the piano!
• Brian Boru's March. An Irish march. Brian Boru (941-1014) ended Viking domination of Ireland, and became High King of Ireland.
• Bryony Lemon's Jig, better known as Patsy Geary's. An Irish jig, that I learned as a nameless jig at a workshop by Bryony Lemon.
• Bucks of Oranmore. An Irish reel with variations.
• Ca the Yowes to the Knowes. A Scottish love song with words by Robbie Burns. Title means "Drive the Ewes to the Hills". Peter has offered to lead this.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 38 PDF.

Coronavirus Week 39

• Captain Maguire, or the Humours of Listowel. An Irish polka.
• The Campbells are Coming. A Scottish jig march, probably from the Jacobite rising of 17:15. Now the clan anthem of Clan Campbell.
• Cheshire Rounds. An English waltz-time tune that sounds like 'rounds' of church bells. It's simplified from an earlier 3/2 triple hornpipe of the same name in Playford 1701.
• Campbell's Farewell to Redcastle, or Farewell to Red Gap. There seems to be a theory that the Campbell is Robert Campbell who led the Glencoe massacre in 1692, but nobody seems sure which red castle is involved!
• Carolan's Fourth Untitled. An Irish jig air by the blind Irish harper Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738) - the fourth un-named such in his masterworks. Clive Quick has offered to lead this next time. He provides three versions on fiddle - Slow version, medium version.and faster version.
• The Capuchin. An English jig, from Yorkshire (and elsewhere). A Capuchin is a Franciscan friar, wearing a brown cloak, hence cappuccino coffee?
• Castles in the Air, or Bonny Jean of Aberdeen. A Scottish hornpipe rhythm tune, with variants used for a bawdy song involving 24 virgins. This has also been recorded by Bruce Kent, as Castles in the Air on Flute, which he will lead in next session.
• Caitlin Triall, Caitlín Tirial, or Kitty Tyrrell. An Irish air, sometimes attributed to O'Carolan, but probably not by him.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 39 PDF.

Coronavirus Week 40

• Concertina Reel. An Irish reel, probably for Anglo concertina rather than the English I play.
• Cheshire Waltz. A waltz from Cheshire! Peter Duthie will lead this next session, and provides it on low whistle as Cheshire Waltz 1, and a mixed version as Cheshire Mix.
• Coleford Jig. A hornpipe (not a jig) from Gloucestershire.
• Chestnut. An English march in Playford 1651. Bruce will lead this on Monday.
• Boar's Head Carol. An English carol from 1521.
• Angels from the Realms of Glory. Scottish words, set to a French carol tune.
• Coventry Carol. A 16th Century carol of the Pageant of the Shearmen & Tailors from Coventry.
• Ding Dong Merrily on High. A French march time carol from Arbeau 1589.
• Gaudete. A Swedish Latin carol from Piae Cantiones 1581.
• In the Bleak Midwinter. Music by Gustav Holst in 1906, to words by Christina Rosetti.
• Silent Night, or "Stille Nacht". A carol from Austria, with tune composed in 1818 by Franz Xavier Gruber.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 40 PDF.

Coronavirus Week 41

• Come Ashore Jolly Tar with your Trousers On. An English reel.
• Congress Reel. An Irish reel. Matthew Butler provides a synthesised version as Synthesised Congress Reel, which he will lead (on fiddle) in next session.
• Childgrove. An early Playford dance tune.
• Connaught Man's Rambles. An Irish jig. This has also been recorded by Bruce Kent, as Connaught Man on Flute, which he will lead in next session.

• Huron Carol. The first carol from Canada in 1643, after a French folk tune.
• It Came Upon the Midnight Clear. A march time carol from England. I also provide a synthesised 4part setting as It Came Upon the Midnight Clear 4part.
• Jingle Bells. A Xmas tune from the USA.
• My Dancing Day. A carol from Cornwall.
• O Come, O Come Emmanuel. An advent carol of French origin. I also provide a synthesised 4part setting as O Come O Come Emmanuel 4part.
• Past Three O'Clock. An English carol
• Patapan. A French drummer's carol.
• Sussex Carol. A Sussex jig carol. Clive will lead this.
• We Wish You A Merry Christmas. A well-known English carol.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 41 PDF.

Coronavirus Week 42 (January 2021)

• Cotillion, or Chain Cotillion. A rigaudon couples dance from France. To be led by Clive Quick.
• Cream Pot. An English jig. To be led by Bruce Kent. He has recorded it as Cream Pot on Flute.
• Cross-Hand Polka. An English polka (was used for the Comberton Broom Dance in my village).
• Cuckold Come Out of the Amrey. A pipe march from Northumberland. Amrey is from French 'armoire' meaning wardrobe or cupboard.
• Cushie Butterfield. A song tune from Tyneside, previously used for “Pretty Polly Perkins of Paddington Green”.
• Danny Boy or Londonderry Air. A song by an English lyricist in 1910 to an earlier Irish air.
• Dargason or Sedauny. A Welsh jig from Playford 1651.
• Dark Girl Dressed in Blue. An English polka.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 42 PDF. By chance, no reels there! However I've put some words for two of the tunes.

Coronavirus Week 43

• Davy Davy Knick Knack. An English polka.
• Denis Murphy's Slide. An Irish slide. Peter Duthie will lead this next session, and provides it on whistle as Denis Murphy's Slide slower, and as Denis Murphy's Slide faster.
• Dennington Bell. A march from England, Suffolk.
• Dever the Dancer. An Irish slipjig. Bruce will lead this.
• Dark Island. A Scottish air, repeated from Week 12 above - see there for recording, dots, and parts version.
• Doncaster Races. A Welsh jig.
• Donkey Riding. An English hornpipe.
• Donnybrook Fair. An Irish jig. Clive will lead this, and provides two versions on Mandolin - Plain version, and Deliberate version with more beat emphasis.
• Doon the Brae. A Scottish march.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 43 PDF.

Coronavirus Week 44

• Down with the French, or We Will Down with the French. An English jig. Supposedly 'the French' is French brandy!
• Dr Faustus' Tumblers, or Doctor Fauster's Tumblers. An English polka. In Playford’s Dancing Master Volume 3, 2nd Edition, 1726. Possibly originally was Dr Faustus' Tumbles, after Christopher Marlow play of 1592 about the man who sold his soul to the devil. The script has "Then wilt thou tumble in confusion".
• Drops of Brandy. A common Irish slipjig.
• Drowsy Maggie. An Irish reel. Clive Quick will lead this in the next live session.
• Drummond Castle. A Scottish jig. The castle is near Perth. Peter Duthie will lead this next session, and provides it on whistle as Drummond Castle slower, and as Drummond Castle faster.
• Drunken Sailor or What Shall We Do. A well-known English sea shanty in march time, used for steady 'pulling by walking' tasks
• Dunkirke. An English modal key hornpipe, from Playford 1657.
• Durham Rangers. A hornpipe (or reel, or rant) from Northumberland, England.
• Doncaster Races. A Welsh jig. Repeated from last week as the B part is a bit challenging.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 44 PDF.

Coronavirus Week 45

• Earl's Chair. An Irish reel. To be led by Bruce Kent. He has recorded it as Earl's Chair on Flute.
• East Neuk of Fife. A Scottish reel.
• Eddystone Light. An English reel, after humorous songs.
• Eighth of January. A reel from USA. Clive will lead this, and provides two versions on Mandolin - slower version, and faster version.
• Eleanor Plunkett. An Irish air.
• Elsey's Waltz. An English waltz from Northumbria.
• Endearing Young Charms. An Irish song as a waltz. Peter Duthie will lead this next session, and provides it on whistle as Endearing slower, and as Endearing faster.
• Enrico. An English march. Supposedly this was Thomas Hardy's favourite tune.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 45 PDF.

Coronavirus Week 46 (February 2021)

• Fakenham Fair. An English jig.
• Fiery Clock Face. An English jig from Newcastle. Written to commemorate the illumination by gas of the town hall clock. Clive is leading this.
• Eriskay Love Lilt. A Scottish air
• Flop-Eared Mule. An American reel.
• Flowers Of The Forest. A Scottish air. Peter Duthie will lead this next session, and provides it on low whistle as Flowers of the Forest on whistle
• Four Pound Cheque. An Irish polka. Bruce will lead this.
• Fred Pidgeon's 1, 2, and 3. A set of polkas from Devon. You get three tunes for the price of one.
• Four Up. An English Morris march, by Barry Goodman 2001.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 46 PDF.

As an extra for this week, I've recorded The Wellerman on concertina – get up to date with the current Shanty meme. Dots are at this one-page PDF, and now include a version of the descant harmony by Mia Asano. I've also generated Wellerman 2part synth 130 - a computer synthesised version to match the dots, with chords, the descant harmony and strict timing at 130BPM, and Wellerman 2part synth 100 - a slower version for learning the harmony. See also the original TikTok video, and a YouTube mix with Mia's harmony.

Coronavirus Week 47

• Friendly Visit. An Irish hornpipe.
• French-Canadian Waltz. A waltz from Canada, also known as the Louis Waltz. Peter will lead this, and provides it on fiddle as Louis Waltz slower, and as Louis Waltz faster.
• Galopede. An English reel, also known as the Yarmouth Reel. We have a two-part setting of this in my Parts Tunebook.
• Full Rigged Ship. A jig from Shetland. Matthew will lead this.
• Galway Hornpipe. An Irish hornpipe. Bruce will lead this.
• Garryowen. An Irish jig.
• Gentle Maiden. An Irish waltz. We have a two-part setting of this in my Parts Tunebook.
• Girl With the Blue Dress On. An English reel. Clive will lead this.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 47 PDF.

We'll also have another go at The Wellerman - see previous week.

Coronavirus Week 48

• Grandfather's Tune, also known as "Sheepshearing". An English reel.
• Glen Aln. A hornpipe from Northumberland, by Will Atkinson (1908-2003). By kind permission of Kathryn Tickell and Coquetdale Music Publishing. Clive will lead this on Monday.
• Glen Cottage. An Irish polka.
• Glorishears. A Morris jig from Oxfordshire.
• Gloucester Hornpipe. A hornpipe from Gloucestershire! Bruce will lead this.
• Goathland Square Eight. An English reel from North Yorkshire.
• Golden Slippers. An American reel by James Bland 1879. Peter will lead this, and provides it on low and high whistles as Golden Slippers slower, and as Golden Slippers faster.
• Grand Hornpipe. An English hornpipe.
• Goodbye Dolly Gray. An American march by Paul Barnes (1868-1922). The song originated during the Spanish-American War of 1898, but became popular in Britain during the Boer War. It was much used in both World Wars. Also included in the WW1 set we did on VE Day above.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 48 PDF.

Coronavirus Week 49

• Green Ship. A minor-key English reel.
• Gypsey's Hornpipe or Bewick's Hornpipe. From the tunebook of the Dorset author Thomas Hardy. Bruce will lead this.
• Greensleeves. An English 16C air. Two-part setting available.
• Gypsy Princess. An Irish reel.
• Halsway Schottische. An English schottische and carol, by Nigel Eaton 2011. Two-part setting available. Liz will lead this.
• Harlequin Air. An English march. Clive will lead this.
• Gypsy Hornpipe or Boys of Ballycastle. An English/Irish hornpipe.
• Harp That Once Through Tara's Halls. An Irish air with words by Thomas Moore 1779-1852, based on an old tune. Peter will lead this,and provides it on low whistle as Tara slower, and as Tara faster.
• Harper's Frolic. An English polka, often paired with Bonnie Kate – see page 8 of Sets Tunebook.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 49 PDF. Two-part settings of Greensleeves and the Halsway Schottische are in my Parts Tunebook.

Coronavirus Week 50

• Haste to the Wedding. A Scottish jig.
• Hava Nagila, or "Let us rejoice". An Israeli folk song traditionally sung at Jewish celebrations. John McK will lead this.
• Heel and Toe Polka. An English polka.
• Hesleyside Reel. A Northumbrian reel.
• High Germany. An English march/song. Also used for "The Flowers of Manchester" commemorating the 1958 Munich air crash.
• Highland Mary. An English Morris reel.
• Hole in the Wall, or Abdelazar Hornpipe. An English minuet from Playford 1698, after Purcell 1695.
• Home Ruler. An Irish hornpipe. Clive will lead this.
• Horse's Brawl, or "Branle des Chevaux". A French dance from Arbeau, Orchesographie, 1689. Often paired with La Mourisque – see page 2 of Sets Tunebook.

Just those tunes are in a PDF. See Virtual Greenshoots Week 50 PDF.

If you want to practise these tunes live, join the Live Virtual Greenshoots session on each Monday evening. Email me (greenshoots@paulhardy.net) if you want to know more.

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