Crabbit Shona jig

By whom? Where from? Details man, we need details! 🙂

By Angus Grant Jr about a woman called Shona who was utterly crabbit. 🙂

There are several errors in this transcription compared to the original, not the least of which is that the tune has 3 parts, not 2.

Given errors the first time round I have borrowed the four part Ho-Ro-Gheallaigh version (and their chords). Maybe when I have a bit longer I will go back to the Shogglenifty version and double check in detail how they originally did it.

Nice tune anyhow - it was played in several sessions at Girvan this year - I’m hoping I may master it in time for Newcastleton

X:1
T:Crabbit Shona (The Remix)
C:Angus R.Grant. 1995
S:The Nineties Collection. New Scottish Tunes in Traditional Style. Ian Hardie (Ed). Saltire Music. 2002. p.30
R:jig
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:D
A |: “D” AdA FAA | “A7” GA EA EA | “D” FdA FAA | “G” GBB “Bm” BAF |
“D” AdA FAA | “A7” GA EA EA | “D” FdA “G” BAG | “A” FAE D2 A :|
|: “D” dAA fAA | “D” AaA fed | “A”cAA eAe | AgA ecA |
“D” dAA fAA | “D” AaA fed | “A”cAA afe | “D” fdd d2 A :|
|: “D” AdA FAA | “A” EA EA EA | “D” FdA FAA | “A7” GA GA GA |
“D” AdA FAA | “A” EA EA EA | “D” FdA “G” BAG | “A” FdE “D”D2 A :|
|: “D” dAA fAA | “D” AaA fed | “A”cAA eAe | AgA ecA |
“D” dAA fAA | “D” AaA fed | “A”cAA afe | “D” fdd d3 :|

This is taken from the book The Nineties Collection which is a compilation of ‘new’ compositions from the 1990s. This version sets out the tune in four parts with identical B and D parts. The chords vary from the initially posted version but the most importnat aspect to pay attention to is the beaming reflecting bars of 2 2 2 rather than 3 3.

Listen to the excellent album A Whisky Kiss in which this tunes follows The Price of a Pig

Just found another version in Ceol nam Feis 2, (2000) p.109, which explains:

“Written in the early 1980s for Shona McAulay from Glenfinnan, barmaid at the Glenfinnan House Hotel, on closing the bar one night at the unreasonable hour of 3 a.m.!!”

As noted above, written by Angus R Grant (son of Angus Grant the left handed fiddler, and of the red tassles). From here (which was apparently the musical capital of Lochaber) to Shooglenifty and their recording of it on A Whisky Kiss which I first heard full volume on headphones shortly before my first seeing Shooglenifty play live at a music festival in Cumbria in 2004. Next heard being played in sessions at Girvan in 2012

Hope you ran this by Angus before posting the tune?

Also the tune is a 4-parter, and I understand it was written as a collaboration!

This song was written by the young Angus Grant, who is sadly no longer alive, about my mum Shona McCauley.

Thanks for sharing that Niamh, it’s great fun to play and I am really sorry that young Angus has passed on. I’ve got it in the Ceol nam Feís book as well. Having been lucky enough to have been in one or two late-night after-show sessions I can just picture the scene.
I am sure it was written with great affection! 🙂