Key signature: Amajor
Submitted on June 12th 2004 by Bracha.
This tune has been added to 73 tunebooks.
Also known as Roddy MacDonald's Fancy.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Roddy McDonald's Fancy
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Amaj
af|:ecBe cA~AA|BccB ceaf|ecBe cAAB|cffe fgaf:|
|e3f a3f|ecBc ecaf|ecea afec |cffe fgaf|
ecef a3f|ecBc ecaf|ecBe cAAB|cffe f2z2|
|:B3c A3B|c2cB ceaf|ecBe cAAB|1 cffe f2ef:|2 cffe f2ef||
a2ef aefa|efae faef|a2ef aefB|cffe f2fg|
a2ba f3f|ef2e c2af|ecBe cAAB |cffe fgaf|
The Scotsman, or Johny McDonald
This is my ABC rendition of this wonderful fiddle tune, as played with me in a show here with Dezi Donnelly. I have not found it anywhere on the internet. If someone else knows this tune, I would be very interested in seeing their version, perhaps closer to the source, as Dezi's playing is full of variarious, and perhaps not the real melody. Dezi played it in a set that started off with Michael McGoldrick's slip jig "Farewell to Walley Range" followed by this reel.
# Posted on June 12th 2004 by Bracha
Roddy McDonald's Fancy
This is "Roddy McDonald's Fancy", a setting of the Irish "Blackberry Blossom" put into the piping scale with parts added. It is an arrangement/composition of Pipe Major Donald McLeod. It is not "Johnny McDonald's" which is another reel altogether. The confusion arises, I believe, because the "Battlefield Band " recorded the 2 of them "back-to-back", and someone, somewhere along the line has switched the titles round. I think the 2 reels are on the "Home Is Where The Van Is " LP, but I could be wrong.
# Posted on June 12th 2004 by Kenny
Not quite........
I've looked at your abcs, Bracha, and there are a few odd notes. I'll post the original abcs from Donald McLeod's pipe setting in the near future. If you want to play it as Dezi Donnelly's version as a fiddle tune, then fair enough, but there are no high b notes in pipe music, and no g sharps. Do me one favour, please Bracha - change the title to "Roddy McDonald's Fancy", because that's what the tune is.
# Posted on June 13th 2004 by Kenny
As promised.....
Sorry about the delay, but here's the version from the bagpipe collections: it's in "A", but as it's a pipe tune, the "G"s are natural.
ec B2 cAAB | c2 cB ceaf | ec B2 cAAB | cffe f2 fa :|
ecef a2 af | ecBc ecca | fef=g a2 ec | Bffe f2 fa |
ecef a2 af | ecBc ceaf | ecB2 cAAB | cffe faec |
B2 cB AAAB | c2 cB ceaf | ecBc AAAB |1 cffe f2 ec :|2 cffe f2 f=g|
a2 ea aefa | efae faec | aeea feac | Bffe f2 f=g |
a2 fa f2 fa | eAfe ceaf | ecBc AAAB | cffe f2fa |
# Posted on June 25th 2004 by Kenny
Roddy McDonald's Fancy
Thanks Kenny for the name and transcription.
I just learnt this from some friends after hearing it in a session at the National Folk Festival in Canberra. The version they gave me was a bit more Irish sounding than Kenny's transcription. Also I've noticed there were no Gs - # or nat, which kind of gave it less of a mixolydian bagpipey sound, and more of a straight major feel. They said this version came from the playing of Michael McGoldrick and friends:
X: 1
T: Roddy McDonald's Fancy
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Amaj
af|:ecBd cA~A2|BccB c2af|ecBd cAAB|cffe f2af:|
~e3f ~a3f|e2cA BAFA|ecef a2fe|Bffe f2ec|
~e3f ~a3f|e2cA BAaf|ecBd cAAB|cffe f2ec||
|:~B3c A3B|BccB c2af|ecBd cAAB|1 cffe f2ec:|2 cffe f2ef||
a2ef aefa|efae f2ef|a2ef aefe|cffe f2ef|
ac'ba fbaf|eafe Bcaf|ecBd cAAB|cffe f2af||
# Posted on April 10th 2007 by Dr. Dow
I've been messing about with the bits I like from different versions of this and came up with this:
X: 1
T: Roddy McDonald's Fancy
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Amaj
af|:ecBd cAAB|c2cB ceaf|ecBd cA~A2|cffe f2af:|
ecef ~a3f|e2cA Bcaf|ecef aAfe|Bffe f2af|
ecef ~a3f|e2cA Bcaf|ecBd cA~A2|cffe f2ec||
|:~B3c A3B|c2cB c2af|ecBd cA~A2|1 cffe f2ec:|2 cffe f2ef||
a2ef aefa|efae fAef|a2ef aAfe|Bffe f2ef|
a2ba fbaf|eAfe Bcaf|ecBd cA~A2|cffe f2af||
# Posted on April 11th 2007 by Dr. Dow
Roddy MacDonald's Fancy
Great tune this one. Here it is played by two Skye lads, Angus Nicolson on pipes and Coll MacDonald on Fiddle. Starts about 2.50
# Posted on January 23rd 2010 by bogman
Roddy MacDonald's Fancy
slightly belated, here's the link............ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGrVuAT60gU
and here's another clip, from 1.45....... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYy1JMTS_WQ
The first tune there is the Kylebrack Rambler http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/361
# Posted on September 23rd 2010 by bogman
Well spotted Kenny. I noticed the connection but I couldn't remember the name of that tune:
Here's the link to The Blackberry blossom;
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1365
# Posted on February 23rd 2012 by birlibirdie