Sunset Over Foula waltz

“Sunset Over Foula”
http://www.shetlandscenes.co.uk/pages/DCP_5983_JPG.htm

Ronnie Cooper (1934-1982)
http://www.shetland-music.com/prominent_artists/artists_of_the_past/ronnie_cooper_(1934-1982)/

“Brought up in Lerwick firmly in the tradition of Scottish Dance Music as played by Jimmy Shand and his ilk, Ronald Cooper soon stamped his own indelible impression on the genre with his tunes, composed in the Scottish idiom, but with a unique Shetland flavour.~”

The Fiddler’s Companion ~ Andrew Kuntz
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/

“Sunset Over Foula”
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/SU_SV.htm

SUNSET OVER FOULA. Shetland, Waltz. D Major. Standard. One part. Composed in the 1950’s by Shetland accordion and piano player Ronnie Cooper, and recorded by him with the band “The Hamefarers” (which also included Scottish fiddle Willie Hunter). Matthiesen (Waltz Book II), 1995; pg. 55. Thule Records, “The Hamefarers” (c. 1950’s).

More ABCs ~

http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/music/ndx/SU.html

“Sunset Over Foula” / “Isles of Glentness” / “Starry Nights of Shetland” ~ medley
“Ali Bain & Phil Cunningham: The Ruby”

http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/music/abc/mirror/MosheBraner/SunsetOverFoula.abc

Submitted on December 14th 2006 by Iain Anderson.
https://thesession.org/recordings/2295

Have a listen here to one of ours, ‘TheSesh’ member and Shetland Fiddler Iain Anderson’s take on it, by-the-book, but with credentials and an enviable tone, from his debut recording “Silver Strings”, track 11:

http://www.scotloads.co.uk/album.php/1019/

X: 1134
T: Sunset over Foula ~ by-the-book 😉, but sweet
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: waltz
K: D Major
|: A2 |
d4 e2 | d4 F2 | A6 | F4 A2 | B4 c2 | d4 F2 | A6- | A4 A2 |
f4 g2 | f4 e2 | d6 | A4 d2 | B4 c2 | d4 (3FGF | E6- | E4 A2 |
d4 e2 | d4 F2 | A6 | F4 A2 | B4 c2 | d4 F2 | A6- | A4 A2 |
f4 g2 | f4 e2 | d6 | B4 d2 | A4 d2 | f4 e2 | d6- | d4 :|

# Posted on May 25th 2007 by Bren
https://thesession.org/discussions/13853

Foula is a small island way out to the West of the main Shetland archipelago - either Fair Isle or Foula has the distinction of being the remotest inhabited island of the UK, I don’t know which. On the horizon, its skyline showing five peaks of varying size, it commands attention and makes you wonder what it’s like to go there. The highest peak is some 1300 feet, high for Shetland, and it and the other peaks overlook very high cliffs that fall down to the sea on the West side of the island. To add to its mystique, the sun sometimes appears to be about to set *between* a viewer on (Shetland) Mainland and Foula. This gave rise to a book’s title, “Foula: Island West Of The Sun”.

Appreciated nicholas, I’d forgotten to add the geographic detail, aside from the picture. A very welcomed addition well put…

Key signature: G Major
Submitted on June 11th 2007 by ceolachan.
https://thesession.org/tunes/7336

These two are often found in the company of each other…

https://thesession.org/tunes/7329/comments

~ including links to more of his compositions…

“Foula” means “Bird Island”, from Norse or Norn. In the past when many Shetlanders lived at subsistence level various seabirds were part of the islanders’ diet, so places where they were abundant, like Foula, were noted.

Including Puffins, which up until recently were a delicacy…also in the Canadian Maritimes… Yum yum…

The real delicatesse on the ‘near by’ Faroe islands is puffin’s brain served still in the bird… at least not alive anymore… Yum yum.

And they just keep coming…

Oh yeah, and barbecued swifts too, finger lickin’ good… 😉

Key signature: C & D Major
Submitted on June 15th 2007 by you.
https://thesession.org/tunes/7357

With bass