The Peat-Fire Flame polka

I learned this as a song several years ago, and only recently heard it as a reel. I am including the words below. (Note: if you are playing this as a reel, you probably want to leave out the A part). Enjoy:

Peat-Fire Flame

A Far away and o’er the moor
B Far away and o’er the moor
Morah waits for a boat that saileth
Far way down Lowland way
I dream a dream I learned, lad
C By the light o’ the peat-fire flame
Light for love, for lilt of graildeeds
By the light o’ the peat-fire flame
The light the hill-folk yearn for

Far away, down Lowland way
Far away, down Lowland way
Grim’s the toil without tune or dream, lad
All you need’s a creel and love
For the dream the heart can weave, lad,
By the light o’ the peat-fire flame,
Light for love, for lilt, for laughter,
By the light o’ the peat-fire flame,
The light the hill-folk yearn for

Far away and o’er the moor,
Far away the tramp and tread,
Tune and laughter of all the heroes
Pulls me onward o’er the trail
Of the dream my heart may weave, lad.
By the light o’ the peat-fire flame,
Light for love, for lilt o’ graildeeds,
By the light o’ the peat-fire flame,
The light the hill-folk yearn for.

I first learnt this song at summer camp in Cape Breton Island in 1974-76. It was very popular at local sessions in the Mabou area.

Isn’t this more like a polka than a reel?

The following is without any change to the notes transcribed here by cat ~

X: 2
T: Peat-Fire Flame, The
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Dmin
D>E FE | DC A2 | AG GF/G/ | AG GA |
D>E FE | DC AA/G/ | FD EC | D2 D2 :|
F>G Af/e/ | dc- cA | AG GF/G/ | AG GA |
F>G Af/e/ | dc A>G | FD EC | D2 D2 :|

I’ve added the alternate titles so the recordings can be linked…

X: 3
T: Peat Fire Flame, The
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Emin
|: ^E |\
E>F GF | ED BD | BA AG/A/ | BA G/A/G/F/ |
EE/F/ GF | ED B>A | GE FD | E2 E :|
|: F |\
G>A Bg/f/ | ed- dB | BA AG/A/ | B/c/B/A/ GF |
EG/A/ Bg/f/ | e/f/e/d/ BA | GE FG/F/ | E2- E :|

We first learned this from the second ceilidh collection, 1990, of Taigh na Teud in F#minor. Then we transposed it to Eminor because anyone else who knew it had it in that key. It seems that it’s also known as the Fireside Reel in Scottish country dance.

I’ve only heard this in Eminor without the A part.

The MIDI file make me laugh :D

Never actually heard the A part before.

When I learned this tune from a friend, I learned it starting on E, which was the lowest note. If I have time at some point I might sit down, play through it without as much ornamentation as I usually put in, and transcribe it.

reaching the c’ ling!

X: 1
T: Peat-Fire Flame
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Amin
ac’ ga/g/|ed e2|(e4|e4)||
A>B cB|AG e2|ed dc/d/|ed de|AA/B/ cB|AG e>d|cA BG|A2A2||
c>d ec’/b/|ag2e|ed dc/d/|ed de|c>d ec’/b/|ag e>d|cA BG|A2A2||

The Fiddler’s Companion has this tune listed as Fireside Reel. It plays like a polka to me and I play it in a polka set. YouTube has a video of people dancing to the tune but I cannot speak as to what type of dance they are doing.

From The Fiddler’s Companion

http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/FIN_FIR.htm

Scottish, Reel. The melody appears in both the Drummond Castle Manuscript (in the possession of the Earl of Ancaster at Drummond Castle), inscribed " A Collection of the best Highland Reels written by David Young, W.M. & Accomptant" (1734), and the Bodleian Manuscript (in the Bodleian Library, Oxford), inscribed " A Collection of the Newest Country Dances Performed in Scotland written at Edinburgh by D.A. Young, W.M. 1740."

From Traditional Tune Archive (wiki version of The Fiddler’s Companion)

www.tunearch.org

X: 1
T: Fireside Reel
B: SCD
Z: John Chambers <jc:trillian.mit.edu>
B: the Drummond Castle Manuscript (in the possession of the Earl of Ancaster at Drummond Castle),
B: inscribed " A Collection of the best Highland Reels written by David Young, W.M. & Accomptant" (1734)
B: the Bodleian Manuscript (in the Bodleian Library, Oxford), inscribed " A Collection of the
B: Newest Country Dances Performed in Scotland written at Edinburgh by D.A. Young, W.M. 1740."
R: march
M: C|
L: 1/4
K: EDor
"B7"B\
| "Em"E>F GF \
| ED B2 \
| "D"BA AG/A/ \
| BA "B7"AB \
| "Em"E>F GF \
| ED "B7"B>A \
| "Em"GE "D"FD \
| "Em"E3 :|
|: "D"F \
| "G"G>A Bg/f/ \
| ed B2 \
| "D"BA AG/A/ \
| BA AB \
| "G"G>A Bg/f/ \
| ed "B7"B>A \
| "Em"GE "D"FD \
| "Em"E3 :|

In Marjory Kennedy-Fraser’s ‘Songs of the Hebrides for Schools’ this is described as "a tramping song" and as a "companion to "The Road to the Isles". Words by Kenneth MacLeod to a tune played on the chanter by Malcolm Johnson". Cat’s top line is a vocal introduction, never played when it’s played as a session tune.

I have the David Young 1740 collection on my website:

http://www.campin.me.uk/Music/YoungBodleian.abc

That includes the dance instructions, exactly as Young gave them.

There is also a booklet by Jack McConachie, "Scottish Country Dances of the Eighteenth Century", which purports to be modern versions of Young’s dances, published by the "Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing Incorporated" (1960). It appears to be total crap largely made up with no serious attempt to understand what Young was getting at.

Setting as played at the Golden Guinea pub session, Bristol, UK.

There are Scottish Country Dances "The Fireside Reel" (8x32R) and "The Peat Fire Flame" (8x40R), the latter devised by John Drewry.

In Orkney, peat turf patches allotted to certain folk. Burns very well and cheers up yer fire for the winter months. Same in Ireland, probably?