The Sprig Of Ivy march

A super Canadian Barn Dance tune (or play as a hornpipe) by Bruce Seton

This is a 2/4 march originally written for Highland pipes. I don’t believe B. Seton who wrote the tune was Canadian either, but I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong in this respect.

Geoff, apologies, you were referring to the dance of course, not the country of origin! It’s just a bit too early in the morning for my grey matter to be working properly! But, it is, of course a march.

Hamish Moore recorded it as a schottishe.

The composer Bruce Seton (Sir Bruce Lovat Seton of Abercorn, 11th Baronet, 29 May 1909 – 28 September 1969) was commissioned into the Black Watch in 1929 as a 2nd Lieutenant, but resigned his commission in 1932 to take up acting. He began his acting career in the chorus line at Drury Lane Theatre and in 1935 he starred in Ralph Ince’s film Blue Smoke as character Don Chinko. Among the many roles he played is that of sergeant Odd in “Whisky Galore”.

Thanks for the info, marten: more on Wikipedia. I have often played that tune for dancing without knowing who wrote it or where it came from. Delighted to know it has a local connection: Abercorn is a small village in West Lothian (formerly Linlithgowshire), not far west of Edinburgh. The only Canadian connection is that we play it for a Canadian barn dance!

also recorded by Alasdair Downie with Jim McBay’s Welcome, a super set. Which would be a nice tune to have on here, I have a copy of the dots..