A session.org challenge - are you up to it?
Thanks to Jeremy’s little API over at https://thesession.org/api, I’ve compiled a list of all the orphaned tunes here on The Session. At the end of this post is a list of tunes with absolutely no comments, some dating back many years. In total there are 130, which is about 10% of the database here at The Session. It’s likely that some will be "dump-and-run" self-composed tunes, but that may not be true of all of them.
As many people will no doubt testify, often the comments of a tune can be more useful and interesting than the setting, and provide a wealth of information about a tune.
So here’s the challenge. Dig out your old tunebooks, scour your record collection, fire up Google and YouTube, and let’s see if we can fill in the gaps and help improve this fantastic resource for traditional music. There are many ways you can help:
- Are you an ABC ninja and the original tune setting is a mess? Tidy it up and add a better setting.
- Seen a good video on YouTube? Link to it in the comments. (Emphasis on "good").
- Do you have another setting? Then think of gian marco, slainte or Will Harmon, add it, and be sure to comment!
- Know any history about the tune? Put yourself in Nigel Gatherer’s shoes and provide a colourful background.
- Is it crying out to have a fling or barndance version? Get ceolachan on the case!
- Above all, ask yourself, what would Dow do?
Now, of course, I wouldn’t host a competition without a range of incredible prizes to those who contribute the most:
- 3rd place wins €50 in Session Shoppe vouchers http://joefago.com/thesessionshoppe/instruments.html.
- 2nd place wins a bodhrán signed by Llig.
- 1st place wins one of jim,,,,’s apostrophes, hand-engraved in silver by master craftsmen.
Good luck!
STW
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Foley’s Malarkey https://thesession.org/tunes/122
The Bashful Bachelor https://thesession.org/tunes/144
The Dancing Holstein https://thesession.org/tunes/245
PK’s https://thesession.org/tunes/984
Talisker On Ba Bridge https://thesession.org/tunes/1122
The Convelescent https://thesession.org/tunes/1282
Sergeant Cahill https://thesession.org/tunes/1614
The Merry Maiden https://thesession.org/tunes/1780
Painted Crows https://thesession.org/tunes/1884
The Connemara https://thesession.org/tunes/1897
The Galloping Stallion https://thesession.org/tunes/1910
The Centenary https://thesession.org/tunes/1912
The Catholic Boy https://thesession.org/tunes/1925
The Fish In The Dull https://thesession.org/tunes/1943
Mhari McLean’s https://thesession.org/tunes/1970
The Thimble https://thesession.org/tunes/1987
Andy’s https://thesession.org/tunes/2121
Baptism https://thesession.org/tunes/2326
Two Left Socks https://thesession.org/tunes/2351
The Stronsay https://thesession.org/tunes/2604
The Peterswell https://thesession.org/tunes/2616
The Jig Of Stops https://thesession.org/tunes/2713
Duke Of Gordon https://thesession.org/tunes/2814
Paddy Rainey’s https://thesession.org/tunes/2909
O’Broin’s Flightcase https://thesession.org/tunes/2955
The Rival https://thesession.org/tunes/3048
Dan O’Connell’s Favourite https://thesession.org/tunes/3104
The Mad https://thesession.org/tunes/3116
The Anascaul https://thesession.org/tunes/3134
Shake The Rafters https://thesession.org/tunes/3148
Santorini https://thesession.org/tunes/3177
The Raspberry Bush https://thesession.org/tunes/3219
The Sailor’s https://thesession.org/tunes/3241
The Ladies Of France https://thesession.org/tunes/3251
The Leitrim Fancy https://thesession.org/tunes/3252
The Clontarf Lass https://thesession.org/tunes/3337
Roscommon Hills https://thesession.org/tunes/3517
The Bogannach https://thesession.org/tunes/3524
Bill Burnette’s https://thesession.org/tunes/3621
Tee Tie Tum Tittle Tee https://thesession.org/tunes/3629
Down The Wild River https://thesession.org/tunes/3662
Zoe’s https://thesession.org/tunes/3731
The Banshee’s Cry https://thesession.org/tunes/3769
The Climbing Rose https://thesession.org/tunes/3815
Le Bon Chien https://thesession.org/tunes/3852
Lisa O’Leary’s https://thesession.org/tunes/3969
One Too Many https://thesession.org/tunes/4060
Father Dollard’s Favourite https://thesession.org/tunes/4264
Wastview https://thesession.org/tunes/4443
Saturday’s Child https://thesession.org/tunes/4561
Terry’s Frolics https://thesession.org/tunes/4668
Gan Ainm https://thesession.org/tunes/4777
Paddy Canny’s https://thesession.org/tunes/4839
La Petite Valse Francaise https://thesession.org/tunes/5025
Roaringwater https://thesession.org/tunes/5071
Bouffe Doigts https://thesession.org/tunes/5210
Jeanette’s https://thesession.org/tunes/5333
Beans https://thesession.org/tunes/5587
Dunderave https://thesession.org/tunes/5605
Rob Roy MacGregor https://thesession.org/tunes/5729
Johnny Sunshine https://thesession.org/tunes/6095
The Lifting Dew https://thesession.org/tunes/6257
John Grumlie https://thesession.org/tunes/6286
The Lassie With The Yellow Petticoat https://thesession.org/tunes/6452
The Ballroom https://thesession.org/tunes/6901
Ned Of The Water https://thesession.org/tunes/7049
The Sound Of The Sun https://thesession.org/tunes/7124
The Horizontal https://thesession.org/tunes/7391
Bo’s Tune https://thesession.org/tunes/7506
Delighted https://thesession.org/tunes/7677
Roberta’s https://thesession.org/tunes/7743
Susey Street https://thesession.org/tunes/7913
Lovely Occasion https://thesession.org/tunes/7956
Mr. Waller https://thesession.org/tunes/7966
Tarantella https://thesession.org/tunes/8538
David’s https://thesession.org/tunes/8591
Ciara And Dave’s Wedding https://thesession.org/tunes/8636
Trip To Spanish Point https://thesession.org/tunes/8702
Rainmaker https://thesession.org/tunes/8751
Bill Galvin’s https://thesession.org/tunes/9302
Long Morris https://thesession.org/tunes/9512
Willie’s https://thesession.org/tunes/9560
Newfoundland https://thesession.org/tunes/9649
The Monroe Gardener https://thesession.org/tunes/9662
Lakes Of Killarney https://thesession.org/tunes/9677
Husky’s https://thesession.org/tunes/9789
They Stole My Wife’s Plough https://thesession.org/tunes/9811
Didier’s https://thesession.org/tunes/9840
The Stig https://thesession.org/tunes/9851
Munster Bank https://thesession.org/tunes/9873
The Gaelic Tobacco Tune https://thesession.org/tunes/9953
Cait Ni Dhuibir https://thesession.org/tunes/10004
When Cloe https://thesession.org/tunes/10149
Ginley’s https://thesession.org/tunes/10171
The Fiddler https://thesession.org/tunes/10185
Sheldon MacNeil’s https://thesession.org/tunes/10195
Hip Hop Berceuse https://thesession.org/tunes/10221
Bridgett’s https://thesession.org/tunes/10353
Athols Father https://thesession.org/tunes/10356
The Auld Hoose https://thesession.org/tunes/10377
Mother’s https://thesession.org/tunes/10747
Dancing Fingers https://thesession.org/tunes/10799
Kielder Schottische https://thesession.org/tunes/10850
Sunday Afternoon https://thesession.org/tunes/10886
The Volunteers https://thesession.org/tunes/10940
Sneachta https://thesession.org/tunes/11014
Breith Chriosd https://thesession.org/tunes/11133
Mary’s Joys And Sorrows https://thesession.org/tunes/11138
The Immigrants’ https://thesession.org/tunes/11142
Grainne’s Grace https://thesession.org/tunes/11164
Sonja’s Kitchen https://thesession.org/tunes/11181
The Aghadoe Stars https://thesession.org/tunes/11201
Christy’s Carrots https://thesession.org/tunes/11390
Isle De Madeleine https://thesession.org/tunes/11428
Tourdion Des Vagues https://thesession.org/tunes/11435
Finny Bridge https://thesession.org/tunes/11444
Helen Scott Of Humbie https://thesession.org/tunes/11478
Barney O’Neill https://thesession.org/tunes/11513
Tarry Woo https://thesession.org/tunes/11515
Ozark Rag https://thesession.org/tunes/11516
Arie https://thesession.org/tunes/11576
Cool Black Gold https://thesession.org/tunes/11577
The Silver Tassie https://thesession.org/tunes/11587
The Full Of The Bag https://thesession.org/tunes/11594
Figaro https://thesession.org/tunes/11693
Robin Who Ate The Blue Bag https://thesession.org/tunes/11734
Claudine https://thesession.org/tunes/11745
The Boys Of The Mill https://thesession.org/tunes/11873
Pike’s Peak https://thesession.org/tunes/12123
Slipslide https://thesession.org/tunes/12312
Morning Sunday https://thesession.org/tunes/12352
Mr A G Wilken’s Favourite https://thesession.org/tunes/12411
Don’t Drink And Drum https://thesession.org/tunes/12609
A Barrel Of Knives https://thesession.org/tunes/12633
The Slopes Of Sliabh Luachra https://thesession.org/tunes/12634
A Cork https://thesession.org/tunes/12710
Planxty Geordie https://thesession.org/tunes/12711
Culliney’s Fancy https://thesession.org/tunes/12754
Rattlebones https://thesession.org/tunes/12757
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ADDENDUM
This challenge was originally going to include recordings as well as tunes. However, on running my program I found that there are 490 recordings without any comments here in the database. That’s about 11% of the total . Clearly, posting a list of them all here would make the discussion incredibly long, so instead you can find the list over in my profile at https://thesession.org/members/57801, where it will remain for the foreseeable future.