Hi. Can you give me some ideas on what you play this tune with in a set? I have tried any number of tunes that go just ok with it. It is a great tune, in my humble opinion, and needs an equally strong tune to go with it, but I have not found one yet. Any help would be appreciated.
Lowhistle
In the early 80s I met a Scottish melodeon player called Tammy Blackhall who followed The Flowers Of Edinburgh with another Scottish reel called The Old Grey Cat. It wasn't *quite* like the versions given of The Old Grey Cat in the Tunes section, though. It may have been the version in one of the "Kerr's Merry Melodies" tunebooks.
Looking at my ipod, tHere is a set off Hullion's CD "Orkney 2000 - Music in Time":
Floo'ers of Edinburgh - Trip to Windsor - St.Annes Reel while the Occasionals' "Reel of Four" has Flowers of Edinburgh:
Flowers of Edinburgh - The Old Grey Cat - The Cairdin' O't - Miss Herries Forbes Farewell to Banff
Also Dave Swarbrick's Ceilidh Album has a very different version of the tune which you might find interesting
It is such a common tune for ceilidh bands that you will find many sets if you search online. I'm struggling to think of any as it is so well known that it's seldom written down but I think I can remember playing "East Neuk of Fife" and/or "Soldier's Joy" after FoE - not the most exciting for you I guess but it works in some contexts, the sort of tunes that any ceilidh band can quickly cobble into a set from common repertoire
Whiskey Before Breakfast, Fisher's, Flowers..., Spootiskerry, Swinging on a Gate, Old Grey Cat, Big John McNeil - some or all and order of which depends on whom we're playing with and how long the dance lasts.
It's an absolutely terrible suggestion but here it is anyway. We open our session with the same warm-up set every time. It's Flowers of Edinburgh/Soldiers' Joy. Thank you for giving me the opportunity of getting this off my chest.
We often do Flowers as the middle tune in a set consisting of Sheehan's Reel –>The Flowers Of Edinburgh –> Miss MacLeod's Reel. We got it from a live recording of Jerry Holland on the compilation CD, The Fiddlesticks Collection.
alot of great ideas here. We usually do the Far From home (G)/Flowers/Miss McCleods(A). The first two tunes flow into eachother nicely and going up a whole step for Miss McCleod's creates a lift. Works for us...
In Ireland, The Flowers of Edinburgh tends to be regarded as a hornpipe rather than a reel, owing to the way the tune is structured. You'll find it in the middle of a set of three hornpipes on this album http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display/168 (track 7) by Micheál Ó Raghallaigh.
It's Edinburgh over here low whistler.It's pronounced "edinburra" The burgh in British place names is always pronounced "burra". "Ham" is pronounced "um" so "Nottingum" not "Notting-Ham"
In Scotland too, in stepdancing terms at least, The Flowers of Edinburgh is certainly a hornpipe. A few years ago I spent a whole weekend learning it with Mats Melin ... there were about 8 figures, plus choruses.
Also ... Flowers of Edinburgh is ITSELF an album well worth having! You'll get it on the Footstompin' label (www.footstompin.com) and features the wealth of talented musicians who made their homes in Edinburgh. The album was recorded live as part of the Roots & Shoots Festival in 1998 and it was a great experience - certainly one of the best gigs I've been to!
Actually, Dafydd, those of us from Snot's homestead actually pronounce the city's name 'Notnum' and would regard anyone calling the place 'Nottingum' as a lardy-arse, though I cast no such aspersions on your good self.
Flowers of Edinborough
Flowers of Edinborough
Hi. Can you give me some ideas on what you play this tune with in a set? I have tried any number of tunes that go just ok with it. It is a great tune, in my humble opinion, and needs an equally strong tune to go with it, but I have not found one yet. Any help would be appreciated.
Lowhistle
# Posted on April 6th 2008 by LoWhistle
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
We often play Staten Island (in D) before it. The key change to G sounds good, provided everyone is paying attention!
Keith
# Posted on April 6th 2008 by ocarolan
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
In the early 80s I met a Scottish melodeon player called Tammy Blackhall who followed The Flowers Of Edinburgh with another Scottish reel called The Old Grey Cat. It wasn't *quite* like the versions given of The Old Grey Cat in the Tunes section, though. It may have been the version in one of the "Kerr's Merry Melodies" tunebooks.
# Posted on April 6th 2008 by nicholas
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
Looking at my ipod, tHere is a set off Hullion's CD "Orkney 2000 - Music in Time":
Floo'ers of Edinburgh - Trip to Windsor - St.Annes Reel while the Occasionals' "Reel of Four" has Flowers of Edinburgh:
Flowers of Edinburgh - The Old Grey Cat - The Cairdin' O't - Miss Herries Forbes Farewell to Banff
Also Dave Swarbrick's Ceilidh Album has a very different version of the tune which you might find interesting
It is such a common tune for ceilidh bands that you will find many sets if you search online. I'm struggling to think of any as it is so well known that it's seldom written down but I think I can remember playing "East Neuk of Fife" and/or "Soldier's Joy" after FoE - not the most exciting for you I guess but it works in some contexts, the sort of tunes that any ceilidh band can quickly cobble into a set from common repertoire
# Posted on April 6th 2008 by Bren
Re: Flowers of Edinburgh
Whiskey Before Breakfast, Fisher's, Flowers..., Spootiskerry, Swinging on a Gate, Old Grey Cat, Big John McNeil - some or all and order of which depends on whom we're playing with and how long the dance lasts.
# Posted on April 6th 2008 by vonnieestes
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
We often do Flowers of Edinburgh - Staten Island - Sleep Soond in da Morning
# Posted on April 6th 2008 by fliedermaus
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
It's an absolutely terrible suggestion but here it is anyway. We open our session with the same warm-up set every time. It's Flowers of Edinburgh/Soldiers' Joy. Thank you for giving me the opportunity of getting this off my chest.
# Posted on April 7th 2008 by Steve Shaw
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
Flowers of Edinburgh/Spootiskerry/another tune that I think is Shetland-born that I will have to post when I think of it
# Posted on April 7th 2008 by cathrynb
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
We often do Flowers as the middle tune in a set consisting of Sheehan's Reel –>The Flowers Of Edinburgh –> Miss MacLeod's Reel. We got it from a live recording of Jerry Holland on the compilation CD, The Fiddlesticks Collection.
Jeff
# Posted on April 7th 2008 by jeff_willner
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
alot of great ideas here. We usually do the Far From home (G)/Flowers/Miss McCleods(A). The first two tunes flow into eachother nicely and going up a whole step for Miss McCleod's creates a lift. Works for us...
# Posted on April 7th 2008 by jasbas
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
I used to play it in a set with The East Neuk O' Fife.
# Posted on April 7th 2008 by dafydd
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
Father Kelly's before, Sally Gardens after.
# Posted on April 7th 2008 by oldstrings
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
In Ireland, The Flowers of Edinburgh tends to be regarded as a hornpipe rather than a reel, owing to the way the tune is structured. You'll find it in the middle of a set of three hornpipes on this album http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display/168 (track 7) by Micheál Ó Raghallaigh.
# Posted on April 7th 2008 by granama
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
...An album well worth getting, by the way.
# Posted on April 7th 2008 by granama
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
It's Edinburgh over here low whistler.It's pronounced "edinburra" The burgh in British place names is always pronounced "burra". "Ham" is pronounced "um" so "Nottingum" not "Notting-Ham"
# Posted on April 7th 2008 by dafydd
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
Actually, it's pronounced "Embra"
# Posted on April 7th 2008 by llig leahcim
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
I automatically go from the Flowers to Johnny Cope. It works for me. Probably learnt it years ago in that selection.
# Posted on April 7th 2008 by Free Reed
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
In Scotland too, in stepdancing terms at least, The Flowers of Edinburgh is certainly a hornpipe. A few years ago I spent a whole weekend learning it with Mats Melin ... there were about 8 figures, plus choruses.
# Posted on April 7th 2008 by boxershort
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
Also ... Flowers of Edinburgh is ITSELF an album well worth having! You'll get it on the Footstompin' label (www.footstompin.com) and features the wealth of talented musicians who made their homes in Edinburgh. The album was recorded live as part of the Roots & Shoots Festival in 1998 and it was a great experience - certainly one of the best gigs I've been to!
# Posted on April 7th 2008 by boxershort
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
What, it doesn't rhyme with Pittsburgh?
# Posted on April 7th 2008 by oldstrings
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
No,and neither do Middlesbrough,Loughborough and Bamburgh.And Edinburgh is only pronounced "Emra" by the inhabitants.
# Posted on April 7th 2008 by dafydd
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
Actually, Dafydd, those of us from Snot's homestead actually pronounce the city's name 'Notnum' and would regard anyone calling the place 'Nottingum' as a lardy-arse, though I cast no such aspersions on your good self.
# Posted on April 7th 2008 by MacCruiskeen
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
That's like when someone comes to Boston and says "Wurr-chest-errr" for "Worcester" instead of the proper New England pronunciation of "WOOSTAH!"
Or, they say “Whoa-Burn” for “Woburn” when we all know it’s “WOOBURN”, or “Bill-air-ick-ah” for “Billerica” when we all know it’s “BILLRICKA!”
Anyway, in SW Florida they play “Wind That Shakes the Barley” with the “Flowers”, so when in Rome and all that…
# Posted on April 7th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
East Neuk O' Fife
# Posted on April 7th 2008 by PatrickJWK
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
My ex-mother-in-law (deceased) pronounced it "aaydnbruh".
(Lived there all her life).
# Posted on April 8th 2008 by oldstrings
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
Another point to Dafydd, Middlesbrough (known locally as 'Boro' and that includes a hard first 'o'), does not rhyme with Loughborough.
# Posted on April 9th 2008 by MacCruiskeen
Re: Flowers of Edinborough
the banshee and concertina reel or dunmore lassies
# Posted on April 13th 2008 by stevequincy