In My Hands ... Natalie MacMaster

tune information, links and notation

 

Track 2

Welcome to the Trossacks
march, strathspeys and reels

Welcome to the Trossacks march (Wilfred Gillis)
Memories Of Winston 
strathspey (Jerry Holland)
Highlanders Farewell To Ireland 
strathspey (Traditional)
Gravel Walks Reel  (Traditional)
Colonel Thornton  (Traditional)
The Hurricane  (J.Scott Skinner)

  • This medley starts out with a four part march by Wilfred Gillis. A fine composer Wilfred is well known as one of the original members of The Cape Breton Symphony. He first recorded Welcome to the Trossacks on an early John Allan Cameron lp.
  • Memories of Winston is found in Jerry Holland's Collection. It was written by Jerry in memory of Winston Fitzgerald and it is most definately reminiscent of Winston's style.
  • The tempo come up a bit for next tune ... a stepdancing style strathspey. Natalie's multi part version (6 parts plus octave variations) of The Highlander's Farewell to Ireland appeared in the late 1770s in both Robert Ross and Alexander McGlashan's Collections. A similar setting was recorded on 78 disc by Cape Breton fiddler Bill Lamey. The basic two part setting is also popular and is found in the Skye Collection. The four part setting in the Athole Collection was the inspiration for the popular Irish reel Farewell To Ireland.
  • Gravel Walks is an Irish reel associated with the fiddle tradtions of Donegal.
  • Colonel Thornton is a 19th century Scottish reel. There are 4 turns in the Skye Collection. Natalie plays the tradtional Cape Breton setting which is notated in The Dungreen Collection
  • The Hurricane is a 4 part Skinner tune with some tricky F# minor bits. It is in The Scottish Violinist

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11/5/2000