Key signature: Amajor
Submitted on June 12th 2004 by Bracha.
This tune has been added to 24 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 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 Dow