Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Roslyn Castle

reel

Key signature: Dminor

Submitted on January 25th 2005 by treefrogman.

This tune has been added to 97 tunebooks.

Also known as House Of Glamis, House Of Glams, Roslin Castle, Rosslyn Castle.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

A Tune For Bill by Banchory Strathspey And Reel Society
Beauty In Tears by The O'Carolan Quartet
Collectors' Items by Duncan Dyker And Friends
Earlywood by Calum Stewart
Empty Pockets by Skip Healy
Farewell To Lough Neaghe by Bonnie Shaljean
Pipes, Rods 'n' Reels by Ray Sloan
Return To Kintail by Alasdair Fraser With Tony McManus
Souvenir Of Scotland by Hamish MacGregor And The Blue Bonnets
Stepping Stones by Juniper
The Celtic Ray by Marcille Wallis
The Clear Stream - Guitar Music From Scotland And Beyond by Lynn Saoirse
The World's Room by Old Blind Dogs

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Roslin Castle. Not a reel

This tune is *NOT* a reel. Please play it "slow and soft".
I know it as Roslin Castle and normally play it in E minor. Lovely tune.

# Posted on January 25th 2005 by Back for a while

Eighteenth century Scottish

I found this tune in a history of Scottish music as an example of the Italian influence on eighteenth century Scottish music. I wrote it out by hand with a note that it was probably by James Oswald. It translates into ABC something like:

Recently I heard it played in a session as a stately lead into a fast tune - which was exactly how I had meant to use it but had forgotten. It sounded excellent.

# Posted on June 7th 2005 by LowProfile

Which key do you play it in ?

We heard it at a session at Towersey, and downloaded it from here the minute we got back, but my SO promptly asked me to rewrite it in E minor, then complained about the D sharp on her open-hole flute.
I haven't yet made up my mind about the chords supplied either.

# Posted on September 10th 2006 by Guernsey Pete

Key for Roslin Castle

Although I have a lot of books which show this air in D modal, Alasdair Fraser plays it in Cm on "Return to Kintail" and OBD play it in Cm on "The World's Room". Bonnie Rideout recently authored a Mel Bay title called "Scottish Fiddle Enclyclopedia", which also has it in Cm. I learned it in D modal, but prefer it now in Cm, because it sounds more plaintive to me.

# Posted on January 11th 2007 by bsumner

Key Correction

Whoops...OBD play this tune in Gm, not Cm. It is easier to play in Gm on the fiddle, without as many 4th finger contortions as are found in the Cm version, but it sounds great either way.

# Posted on January 11th 2007 by bsumner

Is Am the best key yet for Roslin Castle?

I originally learned this tune in Em, but did the old trick of simply shifting down a string to play it in Am. It works very well, hovering in the lower registers only peeking out to the E string during a run in the B part (though that E can easily be played with the fourth finger on the A string).

The main advantage to this key is that most melody instrument players can manage an Am tune, whereas Gm & Cm are really tough, particularly for whistles or flutes.

# Posted on April 27th 2007 by bsumner

Chords for this tune in Em

These are the chords we're currently using for this tune in Em :

|: Em | C B | Em | B Em | C | Em B | Em | Em :|

|: Em | Em B | Em | Em B | C B | Em B | Em | Em :|

# Posted on May 25th 2007 by anniemcu

Uilleann pipes

I'm a whistler of 10 years, and have been quite perturbed by all the E-flats in this tune - though they be lovely, one does get weary of half-holing. I recently got a set of Uilleann pipes, and by golly! This tune flows perfectly on them! Not only do the pipes have an E-flat hole, but this tune avoids the bottom D (the note which requires lifting the chanter bell off the leg). They're made for each other. Anyway, here's the version I play:

X: 1
T: Roslyn Castle
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
Q:160
K:Emin
GF |: E2B>c B2AB | c>BAG F2GF |E2e>f g2fe | _e =ef_e B2AB |
c>BAG F2GA | BGFE _e2=ef |gef_e =eBAB |1 GE F>_E =E2 GF :|2 GE F>_E =E3B ||
| e2ef g2fe | b>aga f2e_e |=eBef g2fe | b>aga f2AB |
c>BAG F2GA | BGFE _e2=ef |gef_e =eBAB |1 GE F>_E =E3B :|2 GE F>_E =E4 ||

# Posted on September 17th 2007 by treefrogman

I play this on cello in Cminor

# Posted on May 10th 2008 by fynnjamin

The tune has been attributed to James Oswald, but some people say that he never claimed it himself. Richard Hewitt of Cumberland wrote some words to it in the 18th century.
Roslin Castle is a romantic ruin near Rosslyn Chapel, recently made famous by the Da Vinci Code.

# Posted on May 10th 2008 by fynnjamin

This tune sounds pretty good as a scottisch too, which is a bit weird but never mind! Becky Price and Dave Shepherd play it that way.

I've been playing the tune for years (I like it lots) and then by coincidence happened to move to/live in a little village called Roslin on the Isle of Wight.

# Posted on May 21st 2008 by DrRat

Can someone clarify the distinction in this discussion between modal and minor? Which mode? (There are several!). I was originally taught this tune in E minor, with all the Ds natural. Then I heard it with the longer Ds (in bars 6 and 14) played sharp. Now I see it with ALL the Ds sharp. Advice welcome!

# Posted on June 21st 2008 by chasb

Lovely tune!

I've been testing different tunes to go with my current new favorite, Kail Pot (which I cannot find in thesession.org). Both tunes are in Dm, and I plan to start with Roslyn Castle and go into Kail Pot. Both tunes have that delicious "dark and mysterious" sound to them, but Kail Pot, being a strathspey, picks up the tempo and gives the medley an exciting kick at the end. Love it!

# Posted on July 28th 2009 by Quarter Irish