If it's played in the same manner as the song, you'd play
1st tune then
2nd tune then 1st, then
3rd then 2nd then 1st, then
4th then 3rd then 2nd then 1st, then........etc
so if you need 40/12 mins per tune as you say, you'd need
(40/12)*(12*13)/2 mins for the full version
i.e. 4 hrs 20 mins !
I'm particularly sensitive to this kind of 'counting' song, as there's a chap I know who trots out that 'here's to the Barley Mow' thing, which has NINETEEN such verses.
The agony is compounded when you realise that even when say the 9th verse of the 19 kicks off, you are not even a QUARTER of the way through the performance.
(by which time most have lost the will to live, or at least gone outside to take up smoking)
Mix - your list is too solid to improve upon. I'm impressed you didn't opt for the vulgar - 10 stools of repentance, or 8 hags at the churn, etc - you stayed on point and pun. I am afraid most of our lists would have rapidly descended into the sexually suggestive, or flat out potty humor, as evidenced by my exchange a few weeks ago with Miss Loneyhearts and our voluminous list of tinkle & doodie related tune names.
Mix, I can't help but feel that perhaps Eleventh of October hasn't made its way onto the tune database purely on its own merits. I could be wrong, of course, possibly it's a red hot fave at sessions down your way.
A cumulative set like this would start to get very tedious after about the 3rd day. But here goes, anyway:
12 Delaney's Drummers
11 Pipers Despairing
10 Lord McDonald's
9 Ladies' Pantalettes
8 Maids of Mitchelstown
7 Wild Swans at Coole
6 Geese in the Bog
5 Gold Rings
4 Blackbirds
3 Crested Hens
2 Tuttle's
and The Maid in the Cherry Tree
I'm not sure how you'd deal with the changes in rhythm - they're mostly reels, but there are a few jigs and one bourrée à trois temps (which is neither Irish nor traditional). And I'm not sure I could stand playing The Piper's Despair 11 times over, great tune though it is (I think I could probably handle 12 times through Delaney's Drummers, though.). There are at least 3 different tunes called The Gold Ring, and at least 4 called The Blackbird and 2 called The Geese in the Bog, so no problem there.
Just as an interesting fact, by 12th night, you would have played Wild Swans at Coole 42 times. The same would be true of The Geese in the Bog, if you were to play only one version.
In practical terms, if you're going to play an enormous cumulative set (e.g. for charity - there's no other sensible reason for doing it) then you're going to need a reliable someone with pencil and paper to keep track of what's going on. It's difficult enough as it is playing a tune more than 3 times and keeping an accurate count yourself at the same time - "now is this the 5th time, or have I just completed 5? ... oh bvgger, now I've forgotten the B-part ..."
The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
There have been many parodies of the "Twelve Days of Christmas" song - here's my contribution to the genre ....
On the first day of Christmas, a fiddler played to me
The Bantry Girl’s Lament (or Rowan Tree).
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1588
On the second day of Christmas, a fiddler played to me
Two Russian Two-Steps
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/10099
On the third day of Christmas, a fiddler played to me
Three Sea Captains
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/147
On the fourth day of Christmas, a fiddler played to me
Four Leaved Shamrocks
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/3687
On the fifth day of Christmas, a fiddler played to me
Five Mile Chases
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/458
On the sixth day of Christmas, a fiddler played to me
Six Geese in the Bog
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/43
On the seventh day of Christmas, a fiddler played to me
Seven Swansea Hornpipes
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/9394
On the eighth day of Christmas, a fiddler played to me
Eight Maids Behind the Bar
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/64
On the ninth day of Christmas, a fiddler played to me
Nine Points of Roguery
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/429
On the tenth day of Christmas, a fiddler played to me
Ten Penny Bits
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/109
On the eleventh day of Christmas, a fiddler played to me
Eleven Elevenths of October
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/10109
On the twelfth day of Christmas, a fiddler played to me
Twelve Pins
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1333
# Posted on December 16th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
That's one mighty tune set! About 40 minutes or so to play?
# Posted on December 16th 2009 by Trevor Jennings
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
Sorry, Trevor -
If it's played in the same manner as the song, you'd play
1st tune then
2nd tune then 1st, then
3rd then 2nd then 1st, then
4th then 3rd then 2nd then 1st, then........etc
so if you need 40/12 mins per tune as you say, you'd need
(40/12)*(12*13)/2 mins for the full version
i.e. 4 hrs 20 mins !
[runs for coat and flees towards door]
# Posted on December 16th 2009 by domhnall.
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
Not a tune *set* , lazyhound!
... you just have to play one tune for each of the Twelve Days of Christmas ...
.. or you might just like to regard it as being a song ....
... except that it doesn't scan very well ....
# Posted on December 16th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
"[runs for coat and flees towards door]"
XD
# Posted on December 16th 2009 by WobblingFiddle
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
I lol'd! Very nice!
# Posted on December 16th 2009 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
I'm particularly sensitive to this kind of 'counting' song, as there's a chap I know who trots out that 'here's to the Barley Mow' thing, which has NINETEEN such verses.
http://riventree.com/jeff/sca/lyrics/barleymow.html
The agony is compounded when you realise that even when say the 9th verse of the 19 kicks off, you are not even a QUARTER of the way through the performance.
(by which time most have lost the will to live, or at least gone outside to take up smoking)
# Posted on December 16th 2009 by domhnall.
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
The Barley Mow sung with NINETEEN verses is merely the cut-down version, domnull
... the full version has EIGHT-SIX verses ...
# Posted on December 16th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
Good responses thus far, sessioneers ....
... but I was rather hoping for some suggestions for improvements on my "verse" tune selections ....
# Posted on December 16th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
I think I'd have to kill anyone who tried to sing that barleymow song in my presence.
# Posted on December 16th 2009 by ramblingpitchfork
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
Mix - your list is too solid to improve upon. I'm impressed you didn't opt for the vulgar - 10 stools of repentance, or 8 hags at the churn, etc - you stayed on point and pun. I am afraid most of our lists would have rapidly descended into the sexually suggestive, or flat out potty humor, as evidenced by my exchange a few weeks ago with Miss Loneyhearts and our voluminous list of tinkle & doodie related tune names.
# Posted on December 16th 2009 by Jusa Nutter Eejit
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
@ramblingpitchfork
Now, here's good health to the pint pot ......
(Makes a cool sharp exit) ...
# Posted on December 16th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
<<I am afraid most of our lists would have rapidly descended into the sexually suggestive, or flat out potty humor...>>
JNE, I have high hopes for this thread.
Good job, Mix. I was wondering how to honor the season at our next session.
# Posted on December 16th 2009 by Michele Sims
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
Mix, I can't help but feel that perhaps Eleventh of October hasn't made its way onto the tune database purely on its own merits. I could be wrong, of course, possibly it's a red hot fave at sessions down your way.
# Posted on December 16th 2009 by johndsamuels
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
Spot on, johndsamuels ...
The tune "the Eleventh of October" has very little going for it ....
.. but it was the only tune that I could find with "eleven" in the title.
So my question is: can you suggest a better one that meets the criiteria? :-o
# Posted on December 16th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
No, there can't be many. Eleven Lord Gordons Leaping might be your only other hope.
# Posted on December 16th 2009 by johndsamuels
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
A cumulative set like this would start to get very tedious after about the 3rd day. But here goes, anyway:
12 Delaney's Drummers
11 Pipers Despairing
10 Lord McDonald's
9 Ladies' Pantalettes
8 Maids of Mitchelstown
7 Wild Swans at Coole
6 Geese in the Bog
5 Gold Rings
4 Blackbirds
3 Crested Hens
2 Tuttle's
and The Maid in the Cherry Tree
I'm not sure how you'd deal with the changes in rhythm - they're mostly reels, but there are a few jigs and one bourrée à trois temps (which is neither Irish nor traditional). And I'm not sure I could stand playing The Piper's Despair 11 times over, great tune though it is (I think I could probably handle 12 times through Delaney's Drummers, though.). There are at least 3 different tunes called The Gold Ring, and at least 4 called The Blackbird and 2 called The Geese in the Bog, so no problem there.
Just as an interesting fact, by 12th night, you would have played Wild Swans at Coole 42 times. The same would be true of The Geese in the Bog, if you were to play only one version.
# Posted on December 16th 2009 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
Five Cantonas?
# Posted on December 16th 2009 by HK
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
I would suggest the Eighth of January (which is better known as the tune to The Battle of New Orleans) but that might be too late for Christmas.
# Posted on December 16th 2009 by fauxcelt
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
In practical terms, if you're going to play an enormous cumulative set (e.g. for charity - there's no other sensible reason for doing it) then you're going to need a reliable someone with pencil and paper to keep track of what's going on. It's difficult enough as it is playing a tune more than 3 times and keeping an accurate count yourself at the same time - "now is this the 5th time, or have I just completed 5? ... oh bvgger, now I've forgotten the B-part ..."
# Posted on December 16th 2009 by Trevor Jennings
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
@johndsamuels
I like your idea of eleven Lord Gordons a-leaping ...
Would they be a-leaping off the Cliffs of Moher, I wonder ....
# Posted on December 17th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
@OrganicPeat
Well, I thought that there should be some good alternative suggestions, although I notice that you also have Six Geese in the Bog.
However, the Gold Ring is a five-parter, so Domnull will need to recalculate the total needed time to play all the sets cumulatively .....
# Posted on December 17th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
Yes, but there should only be ten of them of course. I got my pipers and my lords mixed up. Probably drunk as a piper at the time.
# Posted on December 17th 2009 by johndsamuels
Re: The Twelve Session Tunes of Christmas
... or drunk as a lord, maybe ...
... I think I prefer eleven lords, anyway. Some more alliterative ...
# Posted on December 17th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian