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Category: Castagnari Giasco I

Nina

My effort for melodeon.net’s theme of the month for August 2024, this is Cyrille Brotto’s lovely mazurka, Nina. I’ve transposed it to Em and played it on a D/G Castagnari Giasco I.

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Miss Denise Dryburgh

Here’s a local tune for melodeon.net’s theme of the month for May 2024, tunes from your country. This was written by a chap who lives about 10 mins walk from me, Phil Underwood, for his wife-to-be, Denise Dryburgh. Lovely tune, isn’t it?

Played on a Castagnari Giasco I in D/G.

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The Hills of Kaitoke

A lovely tune written by Catherine Fraser, a scots-style, but Australian, fiddler. The hills are the Rimutaka Ranges that surround YMCA Camp Kaitoke in New Zealand. Learned from the playing of Talisk, who normally play it in E, but I’m playing it in the more session friendly key of D here.

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Down in Yon Forest

It’s December, and with that it’s time to play a Christmas tune for melodeon.net’s theme of the month. This is the Corpus Christi carol, otherwise known as ‘Down in Yon Forest’. I believe there are other Corpus Christi carols 🙂

Played on a Castagnari Giasco I in D/G.

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Polperro Bay

Ollie King’s tune, which is tune of the month for July 2023 over at melodeon.net. Quite hard to figure out a way to play this without having the full range of low notes, so I’ve gone for playing it (mostly) in the upper octave.

Played on a D/G Castagnari Giasco I in D; I believe the original is written in G.

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Snow on the Tracks

Lovely slow march written by Rachel Darling; I learned it from the playing of Leveret. Played in D on a D/G Castagnari Giasco I.

2nd of a trio of tunes following February 2023’s theme of the month at melodeon.net

Re-uploaded with improved sound.

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Fisher’s Hornpipe

A fine traditional hornpipe, here played a bit slower than usual, and with a little more swing. Also known as the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ tune, after being featured in the soundtrack.

Played for melodeon.net’s theme of the month for August 2021, ‘Alphabet Soup – F’, on a Castagnari Giasco in D/G.

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Sunshine

A quick run through Gregory Jolivet’s splendid schottische, ‘Sunshine’ – melodeon.net’s tune of the month for June 2021. A no frills straight down the line version in D on a D/G Castagnari Giasco I.

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Eleanor Rigby (Father McKenzie’s Jig)

A version of Eleanor Rigby (the Beatles song, of course), but learned from De Dannan’s fantastic interpretation on their 2000 album, ‘Welcome to the Hotel Connemara’ – so it’s rather different. I’m playing it rather slower than the breakneck speed De Dannan play it at; it’s quite nice slower I think… but go listen to their version, because it’s great. It took me a little while to figure out why they also call it ‘Fr McKenzie’s’… until I remembered the Beatles lyrics. Doh!

Played on a Castagnari Giasco I in D/G for melodeon.net’s theme of the month for July 2021; ‘Alphabet Soup – E’

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Rain on the Woodpile

Here’s another tune! Half-learned up for a melodeon.net theme, still working on the other half of the set, Terminus. This tune (and Terminus, when I eventually learn it) are both Rob Harbron compositions.

Played on a Castagnari Giasco I in D/G.

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