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Tunes heard in BBC1's Emma

Tunes heard in BBC1's Emma

I'm trying to identify three tunes heard in the third episode of the BBC1 drama, Emma, that was on a few weeks ago. I'm hoping someone might be able to assist me in identifying them. The tunes can be heard in the following clip on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQi2ZtuOQXk

The first tune is the background music played prior to the dancing. It begins at 1:40 on the linked clip.

The second tune is the first dance, which is announced as 'The Town Square'. It begins at 3:01 on the linked clip. I think this might be an original composition for the programme, but I'm not certain.

The third tune is the second dance, which is announced as 'Ship's Cook'. It begins at 4:49 on the linked clip. This one might also be an original composition for the programme, but again, I'm not certain. I'm wondering if anyone recognizes it?

I look forward to your responses. Thank you!

# Posted on November 5th 2009 by Molly-Mo

Re: Tunes heard in BBC1's Emma

Hi Molly Mo,
Try this site, Early American Secular Music and its European Sources, at (I don't know how to make a blue clicky here)

http://www.colonialdancing.org/Easmes/Index.htm

It's the most comprehensive index of English tunes you will find anywhere, though I haven't looked at the EFDSS website recently.

# Posted on November 5th 2009 by Chrisp

Re: Tunes heard in BBC1's Emma

Interesting to watch, but a very modern looking bodhran. It looked completely out of place and alien to the group. Was the bodhran around in those days????. The tunes sounds like they were especially written, but the second part of the first one had a touch of Father Kelly's jig to it. The jig tempo seem to be the whole go in those days, the only thing missing was a blast of Sir Roger de Coverley also in 9/8.

# Posted on November 5th 2009 by Free Reed

Re: Tunes heard in BBC1's Emma

It's not a bodhran, it's a riddle drum aka tambourine. There is nothing familiar about the music to me apart from the metre and I suspect it was written especially which would be a shame as there is so much good music from that perios that is readily available. The sound seems to be a much larger band with the flute replaced by a recorder.

# Posted on November 5th 2009 by Paul_draper

Re: Tunes heard in BBC1's Emma

Except that tambourines have jingles and you don't play them with beaters. However, the bows looked right and the method of holding the fiddles too.

# Posted on November 5th 2009 by Chrisp

Re: Tunes heard in BBC1's Emma

Who says? I've seen bodhrans with jingles and bodhrans being played without beaters. Anyway this was set in the early 19th century and Sean O Riada hadn't even been born.

# Posted on November 6th 2009 by Paul_draper

Re: Tunes heard in BBC1's Emma

Joe Cooley didn't seem to mind bodhrans with jingles on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGzJdoMeoQY

# Posted on November 6th 2009 by Rudall the time

Re: Tunes heard in BBC1's Emma

The point is not that it may have been a bodhran but without jingles and played without a beater.
Rather, that it had a beater and no jingles, and that defies any of the definitions of a tambourine that I can find, which all refer to jingles and being played with the hand or fingers.
And it's you, Paul, who called it a tambourine, not me, remember? ;-)
I personally don't care which it was, it's only a TV program and Jane Austen didn't cast the band, but I say it was a bodhran..

# Posted on November 6th 2009 by Chrisp

Re: Tunes heard in BBC1's Emma

Well I paused the picture of the suspect 'Bodhran' in the Link and had a good old look. Not only does it look like a Bodhran,,,,it looks like the Bodhran that was hanging in the window of my local music shop last week, and just as new....The beater is also identical to those that are made by a friend of mine. However, I have to admit that it's the first time I've ever seen a Bodhran Player wearing a wig...!

# Posted on November 6th 2009 by Free Reed

Re: Tunes heard in BBC1's Emma

I'm sure there's a vain goat-whacking slaphead somewhere that wears a rug, not that I know of any personally.
However, yes, this is not the first instance of an inappropriate bodrhan being presented; I believe the last episode of the first series of Lark Rise had one for the barn dance, as well as one sort of free-reed instrument being mimed to the actual playing of a completely different model. ( It was the wife of a Morris-side squire who pointed the latter outrage out to me ! )
Also, wether or not it will actually be in shot, I was working, wearing my other hat as a film-extra, on the new Sherlock Holmes, and was deputated to be one of the musicians lounging ( not playing ) in the East End bar, and they gave us a bodrhan as one of the instruments. I managed to get a bit of a wheeze out of a very odd melodeon, they ( some Assistant Director or other ) took away the fiddle from me, saying it would have been bought by Holmes ( you will remember he had a Strad ) which was unplayable anyway, owing to very funny strings, no rosin, and the neck held on by 2 screws in the heel, but that's film props for you.....
....but, a bodrhan in 1895 Docklands....unlikely I reckon.
But Guy Ritchie plays a guitar on set in between takes - not a lot of people know that.

# Posted on November 9th 2009 by Guernsey Pete

Re: Tunes heard in BBC1's Emma

Of course there have been previous discussions here regarding the history of goat-whacking, and most available illustrations showing some sort of frame drum do seem to be a tambourine. A few texts and definitions have been aired to suggest that there has been a word in the gaelic describing goat-whacking for some considerable time. Personally I feel that these people are grasping at straws, and Sean O Riada has a lot to answer for.
IMNSHO

# Posted on November 9th 2009 by Guernsey Pete

Re: Tunes heard in BBC1's Emma

Thanks to all who responded. I do appreciate your taking the time to view the clip and post your thoughts.

Sláinte

# Posted on November 15th 2009 by Molly-Mo

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