tune information, links and notation
Track 1
The Drunken Landlady / In My Hands (Traditional, Stewart MacNeil)
On this track Natalie recites a poem (In My Hands) interspersed with a musical refrain which is based on a traditional Irish reel commonly known as The Drunken Landlady. Natalie's arrangement of this tune comes from Stewart MacNeil of the Barra MacNeils. Sometime after the Barra's LP recording Stewarts's setting was arranged for Highland pipes by Barry Shears and in 1991 was published in his book The Gathering of the Clan's Collection. It is now played with variations by many highland pipers. The setting below is a transcription based on Natalie's recording ... she plays the variations first ... CCDDAABB
For the lyrics visit Natalie's site ... or check the CD liner notes
A popular session tune during the 1980s The Drunken Landlady started out as a variation of the E minor setting of Pigeon on the Gate ... a tune first recorded by Irish Fiddler Michael Coleman during the 1920s.
