The Earl Of Jura (waltz) on The Session

Five comments

“An t-Iarla Diùrach” / “The Earl of Jura” ~ a mournful air

Alright, it is my first ‘air’, I think, so forgive me if it doesn’t quite work as a waltz, but it is in 3’s. I did consider doing it in 3/2 but when I’d finished it was far to complex, so I wadded that version up and tossed it, missing the waste basket as I’m no netball whiz, and I’m too short for basketball.

Someone had requested this, and then I recieved a nice email from that someone, so I decided to contribute this friendly version of the air here at TheSesh, as I confessed, my first ‘air’, and ‘airs’ are particularly ornery when it comes to trying to tie them to their skeletal forms, whether ABC’s or the dots. I hope this is a reasonable attempt, or at least near to fair.

This lovely air can be played in a number of keys, starting low and growly and below the staff ~ a minor, b minor & d minor. A version in d minor can be found at Andrew Kuntz’s "Fiddler’s Companion":

http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/index.html
"The Earl of Jura" ~ K: d minor
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/EA_EG.htm

I’m hoping Kenny or someone else will offer the tale of the lass and tha laird and the slight that gave this tune it’s tears… I have some accounts and lyrics in Gaelic and English, but it is always sweeter when someone else makes an effort to add their bit to this imperfect transcription. I also hope there will be other versions contributed in the future…

Earl of Jura

1,000,000 THANKS :)) Ceolachan - I am very grateful for this - fingers crossed it takes me back to the tune I fell in love with when when Angus Grant played it in Scotland. Will see if I can contact him direct about the tune.

Fiddler’s Companion states: Scottish, Canadian; Slow Air. Canada, Cape Breton. D Minor. Standard. One part. Angus Grant identifies the tune as the air to an old song said to have been composed by a lass who was in love with the Earl, a Campbell, although her love was unrequited. Atlantica Music 02 77657 50222 26, Lloyd MacDonald - “Atlantic Fiddles” (1994).