I've always felt that the Irish old time waltz (as played at ceilis for a bit of light relief) is a different animal from a lot of the waltzes that are commonly played. Here in Ontario a lot of the Ceili Bands end up resorting to Carolan tunes or somesuch to provide music for this purpose. There are tons of great Canadian waltzes but again they have a different swing to them. The waltzes section here backs that up, loads of of Carolan and Margarets Waltz but very little of "The Stone Outside Dan Murphy's Door" etc. Never mind the rapid demise of the dance form itself, fewer and fewer people know how to dance to an old time waltz it seems.
Some brilliant waltzes around that would brighten up any session without trotting out the O'Carolan pieces (although I don't have anything against the composer). The Belltable and Tom Bhetty's are just two that immediately come to mind.
Not sure about the demise of the Waltz. Admittedly you wont find it in a Disco, but It still takes pride of place at many of the functions that I play at. Even when playing in the pubs I still find that the Cuckoo Waltz and the Jacqueline Waltz are still popular tunes and are thrown at many a box player as a sort of challenge to his playing skills.It is said that the Irish Rural Heart beats in 3/4 time, consequently we have always referred to 'old time waltzes' as an 'Auld Time Struggle' or a 'Farmer's Tango' I find waltzes very relaxing to play, and some of the Continental Waltzes are works of art as far as I concerned.
We always play at least two free (as opposed to incorporated into a specific dance form) waltzes at a dance, one just before the break and one to end the evening. A good ole' traditional Irish waltz I used to play -"Valley of Slievenamon".
At the dance, there is always a waltz at the break, and one at the end, often two. People love them. They are way to much fun. I do not see them dying out around here. One can hear anything from "Waltz across Texas " to "Flatbush Waltz an beyond.
the above mentioned Sour Grass and Granite is a lovely and very unusual tune indeed. I found it on a website of Old Time fiddle tunes (see the Links section). Where does the title come from ?
"Sourgrass is for longtime musical companion and incomparable friend, Julie Schryer. Her beautiful farm nestles against the Canadian Shield near Sault Ste. Marie, ON. It is a blend of meadows and forested granite outcroppings." -- Brian Pickell
And still another waltz: Midnight on the Water, a tune which for me at least has a definite magic. I heard it once in a club in Pensacola/West Florida played by a country band as a farewell piece to close the evening - fascinating on the, in this case, bluegrass fiddle. I myself play it on the concertina, which of course changes the character of the tune a little bit, and I like to combine it with the Lighthouse Keeper´s Waltz, a beautiful tune I learned recently from a Kevin Burke recording
Here are some more Old time waltzes the band
I was in played between fast Dances..
My abc not great but heres some titles--
T:Believe me if all Those Endearing Young Charms
T:Road to Dundee
T:Ye Banks and Braes
T:THE CASTLE OF DROMORE
T:Auld Hoose
T: TEDDY O'NEILL
T: MOONLIGHT IN MAYO
T: DEAR OLD NEWPORT TOWN
T: MY WILD IRISH ROSE
T: SOUND THE PIBROCH- Played as a walts
jim,,
Pat, seeing as how you've got loads of music, I imagine you already have it, but next time I see you I'll pass on my two recordings of Willie Clancy playing the old waltz to which Dan refers.
I don't know many myself, but I can see that you don't mean things like sourgrass and granite (which is neither old, nor uncommon) nor many of the other suggestions in the thread.
Old time waltzes
Old time waltzes
I've always felt that the Irish old time waltz (as played at ceilis for a bit of light relief) is a different animal from a lot of the waltzes that are commonly played. Here in Ontario a lot of the Ceili Bands end up resorting to Carolan tunes or somesuch to provide music for this purpose. There are tons of great Canadian waltzes but again they have a different swing to them. The waltzes section here backs that up, loads of of Carolan and Margarets Waltz but very little of "The Stone Outside Dan Murphy's Door" etc. Never mind the rapid demise of the dance form itself, fewer and fewer people know how to dance to an old time waltz it seems.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Patkiwi
Re: Old time waltzes
Bring back the waltz! It's the perfect antidote for that point when the tunes begin to all sound alike.
A great waltz I just learned is Marni Swanson of the Grey Coast. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser is Sour Grass and Granite.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by cathrynb
Re: Old time waltzes
Here is some old time waltzes I use to play
with this band -
http://www.hastetothewedding.com/
To give people a break from the fast
dancing- Sorry Abc are C**p but the Tiltes are still
there ,, jim,,,,
Ps never mind the bands waltz number after
T: etc,,
X:1
T:09-NOREEN BAWN
R:WALTZ
L:1/8
M:3/4
K:C
|z2B,2C2| D6- |D2 E4 |D2B,2D2|z4G2-|
| A2 B4 |c2 A4|G2 E4 |z2-A2B2| c6- |
| c2 B4 |A2 B4|D2z2G2| G2 E4 |c2B4-|A4-z2 |
|z2B,2C2| D6- |D2 E4 |D2B,2D2|z4G2-|
| A2 B4 |c2 A4|G2 E4 |z2-A2B2| c6- |
| c2 B4 |A2 B4| D6- |c2B2 A2| E6- |^F2 A4| G6||
X:3
T:10-Lovely Leitrim
R:Waltz
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:D
F|A2 B|F2 A|B2 e|d2 B|A F2|E2 F|D3-|D2 A|
|d2 c|d2 e|d2 c|B2 A|B2 e|dc B|A3-|A2 A|
|d2 c|d2 e|d2 c|B2 A|B2 e|dc B|A3-|AD F|
|A2 B|F2 A|B2 e|d2 B|A F2|E2 F|D3-|-D3-||
X:2
T:13-The castle of dromore
R:WALTZ
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:D
F/G/| A2A A2A | B2A (AB).c | d2G F2G | A3- A2(B/c/) |
| d2D D2D | E2D (DE).F | G2B A2G | F3- F2(B/c/) |
| (de).d (cd).c | (Bc).B A2G | F2A (GF).E |D3F2A|
| GAG E2G | FG-A D2-F | G2E D2C | D3- D2 ||
X:1
T:15-Sweet rosie O'grady
R:Waltz
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:G
|| B3-|ABA|G3-|D3- |G-.G.G|AGF-G3|-zzD |
|.G.G-G- |G-AB|B3- | E3- |-B.B.B| AGE-|A3|z3|
| B3-|ABA|G2-z|D3- |G- FG |AGA-B3|.A3- |
| GFG|AGE|D3--|B3- |A-^GA |E-F-D-|=G3- ||
X:1
T:31-NUT BROWN MAIDEN
R:WALTZ
L:1/8
M:3/4
K:A
||E2 A4-|G2 F4|E2A4-| E6 |
|E2 A4-|B2 c4|d2 c4| B6 |
|c2.d2c2|e4.c2|e3E3-| A6-|
|B2 c4-|.c2d2|B4 z2| A6 ||
|c2 d4-|e4 f2|e4 c2| e6 |
|c2 d4-|e4 f2|e4 c2| B6 |
|c2 d4-|e3 e3|c2 A4|E4F2|
|A2 B4-|c2 c4|d4 B2| A6-||
X:1
T:32-AWAY UP IN CALAHGAN
R:WALTZ
L:1/8
M:3/4
K:D
|D2 F2 A2|A2 F2 A2|B2 G2 B2|A2 F2 E2|
|D2 F2 A2|A2 F2 A2|B2 G2 F2|E4- A,2-|
|D2 F2 A2|A2 F2 A2|B2 G2 B2|A2 F2 E2|
|F3-E F2 |A2 G2 E2|E2 D2 C2| -D6- |
|Ac- d4- |d4- B2- |A4B1-A1-|F2 E2 D2|
| d4 dd- |B2-cd z2|B2 A2 F2| E4- z2-|
|Ac- d4- |d4- B2- |A4B1-A1-|F2 E2 D2|
|.F2.F2F2|A2 G2 E2|E2 D2 C2| - D4- ||
X:1
T:17-Eileen O'grady
R:WALTZ
M:3/4
L:1/8
K:G
||D2 D2 B,2 | D2 G2 ^F2 | E2 D2 B,2 | D2 G2 D2 | G2
G2 E2 | G2 A2 G2 | A2- B4- |
|z2 B2 B2 | E2 E2 E2 | ^F2 G2 B2 | E2 E2 E2 |^F2
G2 A2 | B2 A2 G2 |^F2 E2 D2 |
|z2 B,4- | z2 D4- | z2 G2 A2 | B2- A4- | G2
B2 A2 | G2- E4 | D2- G4- |
|z2 B,2 C2 |^C2 D4- | z2 D2 G2 | A2- B4- |z2
A2 A2 | A2 A2^G2 | A2 B2 A2 |
| G2- E4- | D2 B,2 C2 | ^C2- D4- | D2-G2-A2 |
B4- B1c1| d4.B2 | A4 G2 |
| c4-z-c1- | .B2.G2 B2-|.A2-^F2-A2-| G2^F2 E2 | D2
B,2 D2|.G2.G2.G2 |.A2 d2 c2 |
| B2 G2-A2-| -G6- ||
X:8
T:18-Bonnie Galloway
R:waltz
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:G
||B2F|A2G|E G2|D3-|D2E|G2B|
|A2B|A3-|B2-F|A2G|EG2|D3-|
|D2E|G2B|A2-G|G3-|d2d|B2G|
|e2G|d3-|d2-d|B2A|GFG|A3-|B2F|
|A2G|EG2| D3-|D2E|G2B|A3-|G3-||
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by FIDDLE4
Re: Old time waltzes
Some brilliant waltzes around that would brighten up any session without trotting out the O'Carolan pieces (although I don't have anything against the composer). The Belltable and Tom Bhetty's are just two that immediately come to mind.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Bannerman
Re: Old time waltzes
We cross posted there Fiddle4 but thanks for putting up the ABCs. Another two that come to mind are:
The "superior" Galway Bay posted by Ceolachan at http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/8046 and the first tune I ever learned to play on the piano accordion, the Rose of Aranmore at http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1129.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Bannerman
Re: Old time waltzes
Top notch Fiddle4, that's exactly what I'm talking about.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Patkiwi
Re: Old time waltzes
The Old Waltz posted only recently is an absolutely gorgeous tune from the playing of Willie Clancy.
--DtM
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Dan the Man
Re: Old time waltzes
Not sure about the demise of the Waltz. Admittedly you wont find it in a Disco, but It still takes pride of place at many of the functions that I play at. Even when playing in the pubs I still find that the Cuckoo Waltz and the Jacqueline Waltz are still popular tunes and are thrown at many a box player as a sort of challenge to his playing skills.It is said that the Irish Rural Heart beats in 3/4 time, consequently we have always referred to 'old time waltzes' as an 'Auld Time Struggle' or a 'Farmer's Tango' I find waltzes very relaxing to play, and some of the Continental Waltzes are works of art as far as I concerned.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Free Reed
Re: Old time waltzes
We always play at least two free (as opposed to incorporated into a specific dance form) waltzes at a dance, one just before the break and one to end the evening. A good ole' traditional Irish waltz I used to play -"Valley of Slievenamon".
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by vonnieestes
Re: Old time waltzes
At the dance, there is always a waltz at the break, and one at the end, often two. People love them. They are way to much fun. I do not see them dying out around here. One can hear anything from "Waltz across Texas " to "Flatbush Waltz an beyond.
# Posted on April 2nd 2008 by toumi
Re: Old time waltzes
the above mentioned Sour Grass and Granite is a lovely and very unusual tune indeed. I found it on a website of Old Time fiddle tunes (see the Links section). Where does the title come from ?
# Posted on April 2nd 2008 by alexweger
Re: Old time waltzes
"Sourgrass is for longtime musical companion and incomparable friend, Julie Schryer. Her beautiful farm nestles against the Canadian Shield near Sault Ste. Marie, ON. It is a blend of meadows and forested granite outcroppings." -- Brian Pickell
# Posted on April 2nd 2008 by Sol Foster
Re: Old time waltzes
And still another waltz: Midnight on the Water, a tune which for me at least has a definite magic. I heard it once in a club in Pensacola/West Florida played by a country band as a farewell piece to close the evening - fascinating on the, in this case, bluegrass fiddle. I myself play it on the concertina, which of course changes the character of the tune a little bit, and I like to combine it with the Lighthouse Keeper´s Waltz, a beautiful tune I learned recently from a Kevin Burke recording
# Posted on April 2nd 2008 by alexweger
Re: Old time waltzes
Sigh
# Posted on April 2nd 2008 by Patkiwi
Re: Old time waltzes
Here are some more Old time waltzes the band
I was in played between fast Dances..
My abc not great but heres some titles--
T:Believe me if all Those Endearing Young Charms
T:Road to Dundee
T:Ye Banks and Braes
T:THE CASTLE OF DROMORE
T:Auld Hoose
T: TEDDY O'NEILL
T: MOONLIGHT IN MAYO
T: DEAR OLD NEWPORT TOWN
T: MY WILD IRISH ROSE
T: SOUND THE PIBROCH- Played as a walts
jim,,
# Posted on April 2nd 2008 by FIDDLE4
Re: Old time waltzes
Pat, seeing as how you've got loads of music, I imagine you already have it, but next time I see you I'll pass on my two recordings of Willie Clancy playing the old waltz to which Dan refers.
I don't know many myself, but I can see that you don't mean things like sourgrass and granite (which is neither old, nor uncommon) nor many of the other suggestions in the thread.
Perhaps the waltz of Patrick Kelly's?
Play some tomorrow night, I'd love to hear them!
# Posted on April 2nd 2008 by Nico