The International Schottische barndance

I’m not sure if this will work, but I’ve given the initial notation here first as a barndance/schottische and then as a polka, since there is little difference from the two melodies. While I’ve kown several takes on this melody, including several from North America, this particular third part given for the barndance is from Cumbria and the Lake District, the first two parts being pretty much the same as a version of this collected there and given by ‘The Village Music Project’, where they have it notated in 2/4, as is the second version given here from Wales. Here is ‘The Village Music Project’ notation for comparison:

http://www.village-music-project.org.uk/

X: 39
T: Schottische,The. HS.39
M: 2/4
Q: 50
S: Henry Stables MS,Cumbria,late19thC
R: Schottische
O: Walthwaite,nr.Ambleside.
A: England
Z: vmp.Chris Partington
K: G Major
|: B/c/ |
db ca | Bg g/d/B/G/ | Fe e/c/A/F/ | G/B/A/c/ B/d/c/e/ |
db ca | Bg g/d/B/G/ | Fe e/c/A/F/ | GB G :|
|: A/G/ |
F/G/A/B/ c/d/e/f/ | gB d2 | eA c2 | dG B2 |
F/G/A/B/ c/d/e/f/ | gB d2 | eA/B/ cF/G/ | AG G :|
|: B |
dB/d/ gf | fA/c/ e2 | dF/A/ ed | dG/A/ B2 |
dB/d/ gf | fA/c/ e2 | dF/A/ e/d/c/A/ | GB G :|

Schottisches, despite being played more usually with swing, were sometimes notated as 2/4 and without that swing showing, though more often they are notated as 4/4. In Wales and in a few other instances where I’ve experienced one take or the other of this ‘international’ melody, it can also be played straight and in the manner of a polka.

Another relative, check the B-part of the tune:

"The Glenbeigh"
Key signature: G Major
Submitted on May 4th 2002 by spoon.
https://thesession.org/tunes/670

"Military Schottische"
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/MID_MILK.htm

~ For more relatives, names and information, including another transcription from America, with a different third (trio) part in C Major…

For another transcription…
Edited & arranged by Robin Huw Bowen
Gwasg Teires, Aberystwyth, 1990
~ a collection of 32 tunes…

#13: "Polca Llewelyn Alaw" / Llewelyn Alaw’s Polka

Apologies, as I seem to have cut off the intended links for the first entry. For those interested, here are some direct links to Henry Stables’ manuscript and related information:

http://www.village-music-project.org.uk/
http://www.village-music-project.org.uk/manuscripts.htm
Henry Stables
http://www.village-music-project.org.uk/s.htm
William Irwin, 1822-89
http://www.village-music-project.org.uk/info_files/irwin_info.htm
http://www.village-music-project.org.uk/i.htm

The Life and Times of William Irwin, 1822-89
(fiddler and tutor to Henry Stables)
http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/irwin.htm

" ~ Irwin had another activity: music teaching. Among his fiddle pupils was Henry Stables, who was a cobbler and boot maker in Walthwaite (by Chapel Stile and Elterwater). ~

Fortunately, Irwin not only taught Henry Stables fiddle tunes, but also instilled in him the habit of writing his tunes down in a notebook. So we have the very valuable historical record of two fiddlers’ collections from the same village at the same time, and we can compare similarities and differences. ~ "

~ an article by Greg Stephens, from the Boat Band’s "A Trip to the Lakes" CD liner notes…

https://thesession.org/recordings/2263

I recently came across Liz Doherty’s playing of this tune while listening to old minidisc recordings of radio programmes. It’s also on Paul McGrattan’s second solo album, which I happen to have. The version here is a composite of the two recorded on the fiddle and the flute.

It’s supposedly a distinct version of Curlew Hills, or the Glenbeigh: https://thesession.org/tunes/670 I believe they are different enough for separate entries.

i learned this version from playing of paul o’shaughnessy, martin and christine dowling.
they called it con cassidy’s version of glenbegh, and they played it as set together with real glenbeigh and peach bloosom barndance.
hammy hamilton glenbegh from his moneymusk album is mixture of this and ‘real’ glenbeigh.
marin

X: 3
T: Gan Ainm
T: International Schottische, The
S: Con Cassidy
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: barndance / schottische
K: Gmaj
|: A>G |\
F>GA>B c>de>f | g2 B2 B>dg>f | (3efe A2 A>gf>e | d2 G2 G>BA>G |
F>GA>B c>de>f | g2 B2 B2 g>f | e2 A2 d2 F2 |[1 A2 G2 G2 :|[2 A2 G2 G>AB>c ||
|: d2 b2 c>a (3aba | B>gf>a g>dB>G | c2 e2 e>cA>F | G2 g2 g>dB>c |
d2 b2 c>a (3aba | B>gf>a g>dB>G | c2 e2 e>gf>e |[1 d>cB>A G2 (3ABc :|[2 d>cB>A G2 |]

Submitted on November 21st 2006 by ceolachan.
https://thesession.org/tunes/6398

& from the comments ~

X: 3
T: Gan Ainm
T: International Schottische, The
S: Con Cassidy
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: barndance / schottische
K: Gmaj
|: A>G |\
F>GA>B c>de>f | g2 B2 B>dg>f | (3efe A2 A>gf>e | d2 G2 G>BA>G |
F>GA>B c>de>f | g2 B2 B2 g>f | e2 A2 d2 F2 |[1 A2 G2 G2 :|[2 A2 G2 G>AB>c ||
|: d2 b2 c>a (3aba | B>gf>a g>dB>G | c2 e2 e>cA>F | G2 g2 g>dB>c |
d2 b2 c>a (3aba | B>gf>a g>dB>G | c2 e2 e>gf>e |[1 d>cB>A G2 (3ABc :|[2 d>cB>A G2 |]

Submitted on December 24th 2008 by slainte.
https://thesession.org/tunes/9205

X: 4
T: Con Cassidy’s
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: barndance
K: Gmaj
|: A>G |\
F>GA>B c>de>f | g2 B2 B2 g>f | e2 A2 A2 f>e | d2 G>F G>BA>G |
F>GA>B c>de>f | g2 B2 B2 g>f | e2 A2 d2 F>G | A>GG>F G2 :|
|:B>c|\
d>bb>d c>aa>c | B>gg>f g>dB>G | c2 e2 e>cA>F | G2 g>f g2 B>c |
d>bb>d c>aa>c | B>gg>f g>dB>G | c2 e2 e>fg>e | d>Bc>A G2 :|

Wrote up a description of the setting I just added, but it doesn’t seem to be here. Perhaps I hit preview instead of post.

Anyway, my setting comes from my great-great-grandfather Anthony Francis, a fiddler of German descent who played for dances in Marine City, Michigan circa 1880. It’s transcribed from his handwritten tune book, where it is labeled "National Schottische or medel butch dich Sehen". The somewhat confusing sign and DC notion is as he had it; I’m guessing he meant for the tune to be played ABACA.

My notes indicate parts A & C are "McDermott’s Barndance" recorded by Paddy Killoran & Paddy Sweeny in 1931. I can’t double-check that at the moment, but I’m sure I meant the tune in general and not this exact setting.

Thanks Sol, interesting. After I’ve given it some time I think I’ll write it out in 4/4 time, and with the usual repeats. Does your transcription, the original, you great-great-grandfather’s, does he not give repeats for the parts? AABBAACCAA is the usual way of playing a ‘trio’, but ABACA works too…

I tried to be as faithful as possible ABCing his notation, so that’s probably as he wrote it. Certainly he did clearly specify repeats in many tunes. Unfortunately I can’t double-check this particular tune at the moment because I’m not sure where the paper copies (original and photocopy) of the tunebook are! I really need to clean my office…

In other words as a ‘trio’… ABA’C’

A nice sprightly tune which seems to go well with the Bluebell Polka (which seems to be a Schottische also). I’ll work them into shape and play them as a set on mandolin, with intervention no doubt from a fiddle and guitar at the Musketeer Singaround, The Musketeer Pub, Lymington, England, when we get back there in 2021….!!!