Tonder… The Eternal Friendship (reel) on The Session

Three settings

X: 1
T: Tonder... The Eternal Friendship
R: reel

M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
|:EF G3 A3|EA B d3 c2|ae f2 dc B2|A2 c3 B3|
EF G3 A3|EA B d3 c2|a2 e f3 dc|1 B2 A2 B4:|2 B2 A2 A4||
ae f2 dc B2|G E2 d2 c3|ae f2 dc B2|A2 c4 B2|
ae f2 dc B2|G2 E2 d2 c2|AG F3 E FG|A c3 B4|
ae f2 dc B2|G2 E2 d2 c2|ae f2 dc B2|A2 c4 B2|
EF G3 A3|EA B2 d2 c2|a3 e f2 dc|B2 A2 A4||

X: 2
T: Tonder... The Eternal Friendship
R: reel

M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:DE F3 G3|DG A c3 B2|gd e2 cB A2|G2 B3 A3|
DE F3 G3|DG A c3 B2|g2 d e3 cB|1 A2 G2 A4:|2 A2 G2 G4||
gd e2 cB A2|F D2 c2 B3|gd e2 cB A2|G2 B4 A2|
gd e2 cB A2|F2 D2 c2 B2|GF E3 D EF|G B3 A4|
gd e2 cB A2|F2 D2 c2 B2|gd e2 cB A2|G2 B4 A2|
DE F3 G3|DG A2 c2 B2|g3 d e2 cB|A2 G2 G4||

X: 3
T: Tonder... The Eternal Friendship
R: reel

M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
|:E>F|G2A3 E A<B|d2c4 ae|f2d<c d3A|c2B4 E>F|
G2A3 E A<B|c2A2 a3e|f2d<c B3A|1 B6:|2 A6||
|:ae|f2d<c B3F|E2d2 c2ae|f2d<c d3A|c2B4||
[1ae|f2d<c B3F|E2d2 c>B AG|F3E FG A<B|B6:|
[2 E>F|G2A3 E A<B|c2A2 a3e|f2d<c B3A|A6||

Eight comments

Slow air not a reel. Phil Cunningham tune.

I’m not quite sure if I’ve got this quite right but it’s close. It’s very difficult to transcribe a slow air and it’s open to different interpretations. I suggest that you seek out Phil Cunningham’s own version on “Another Gem” with himself and Aly Bain. The tune has also been recorded by Give Way, an exciting and very young all girl group from Balerno near Edinburgh.

Phil composed this tune especially for the 25th (and silver jubilee )Tonder Festival. This is my favourite music event so this tune means a lot to me. As far as I know, the written music hasn’t been published yet or I might have cheated. 🙂

Small amendment

Sorry, I’ve just made a small alteration to the ABC in the last bar of part one. The first time around, the last note should be B4 instead of A4. A4 is correct for the second time around.

Another recording

This is also recorded by Natalie MacMaster on her Blueprint album.

Some more amendments

Great tune John, good to see it posted. Here it is with some amendments and the bar lines in the right place

X: 1
T: Tonder… The Eternal Friendship
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
Q: 165
K: Amaj
EF|: G2 A3 EAB | d2 c4 ae | f2 dc d3 A | c2 B4 EF | G2 A3 EAB | c2 A2 a3e | f2 dc B3A |1 B6 EF:|2 A6 ae |: f2 dc B3G | E2 d2 cAae | f2 dc B3A | c2 B4 ae | f2 dc B3G | E2 d2 c>BAG | F>EFG A3B |B6 ae | f2 dc B3G | E2 d2 cAae | f2 dc B3A | c2 B4 EF | G2 A3 EAB | c2 A2 a3e | f2 dc B3A | A6 ||

Re amended tune

Hi Alistair,

This was one of my early submissions and I transcribed this from how (I thought) I’d picked it up “by ear” from Phil and Aly’s CD. So, I’m quite sure there will be one or two errors.

As a matter of interest, is this your own transcription or from a written version to which you have access?
I’m not sure if it’s been officially published yet…..?

Tonder

Hi John, I don’t know if it has been published. It’s my own transcription from “Another Gem”.

I played it last night at the Blue Lamp in Aberdeen, having mentioned to the guitar player that any time he wasn’t sure what chord to head for,try a E7 !!

Tonder… The Eternal Friendship, X:3

I’ve put this setting up so we have one with the bar lines correctly placed. I haven’t heard the original so this is based on YouTube versions and my own interpretation.

Re: Tonder… The Eternal Friendship

Thanks Donald.

As I mentioned earlier, this was one of my early efforts at posting. I don’t think “the dots” have been published yet and I couldn’t even cheat. 🙂
We are long overdue a new tune book from Phil, methinks….

The tune can be heard on the “Another Gem” album but, surprisngly, there doesn’t seem to be any You Tube videos from the man himself.

Tonder… The Eternal Friendship reel