Key signature: Dmajor
Submitted on October 21st 2005 by ceolachan.
This tune has been added to 46 tunebooks.
Also known as The Bridal March From Unst, Da Unst Bridal March, Unst Bridal March, The Unst Bridal March, Wedding March From Unst.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Bridal March From Unst
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: waltz
K: Dmaj
|: d2 |\
D2 D2 E2 | F4 A2 | Bc d2 F2 | ED E4 |
d>B A2 D2 | DE F2 A2 | EG F2 D2 |D2 D4 :|
d2 |\
B2 A2 d2 | B2 A2 d2 | B2 A2 d2 | B4 A2 |
B>>c d2 A2 | B>>c d2 A2 | B>>c d2 d2 | d4 F2 |
G3 G FE | F2 A3 A | Bc d2 F2 | ED E4 |
d>B A2 D2 | DE F2 A2 | EG F2 D2 |D2 D4 ||
K:Gmaj
|: g2 |\
G2 G2 A2 | B4 d2 | e>f g2 B2 | A>G A4 |
g/f/g/e/ d2 G2 | G>A B2 d2 | Ac B2 G2 |G2 G4 :|
(3gag |\
e2 d2 (3gag | e2 d2 g2 | e2 d2 g2 | e4 d2 |
e>>f g2 d2 | e>f g2 d2 | ef g2 g2 | g4 B2 |
c2 c2 BA | B2 d2 d2 | e>f g2 B2 | AG A4 |
g/f/g/e/ d2 G2 | G>A B2 d2 | Ac B2 G2 |G2 G4 ||
K:Amaj
|: a2 |\
A2 A2 B2 | c4 e2 | fg a2 c2 | BA B4 |
a/g/a/f/ e2 A2 | AB c2 e2 | Bd c2 A2 |A2 A4 :|
a2 |\
f2 e2 a2 | f2 e2 a2 | f2 e2 a2 | f4 e2 |
f>>g a2 e2 | f>g a2 e2 | fg a2 a2 | a4 c2 |
d2 d2 cB | c2 e2 e2 | fg a2 c2 | BA B4 |
a/g/a/f/ e2 A2 | AB c2 e2 | Bd c2 A2 |A2 A4 ||
K:Amaj
|: [C2a2] |\
[A,2A2] [A,2A2] [A,2B2] | [A,4c4] [C2e2] | [Cf][Cg] [C2a2] [A,2c2] | [A,B][A,A] [A,4B4] |
[Ca]>[Cf] [C2e2] [A,2A2] | [A,A][A,B] [A,2c2] [C2e2] | [A,B][A,d] [A,2c2] [A,2A2] |[A,2A2] [A,4A4] :|
[F2a2] |\
[F2f2] [F2e2] [F2a2] | [F2f2] [F2e2] [F2a2] | [F2f2] [F2e2] [F2a2] | [F4f4] [F2e2] |
[Ff]>>[Fg] [F2a2] [F2e2] | [Ff]>[Fg] [F2a2] [F2e2] | [Ff][Fg] [F2a2] [F2a2] | [F4a4] [A,2c2] |
[A,2d2] [A,2d2] [A,c][F,B] | [A,2c2] [C2e2] [C2e2] | [Cf][Cg] [C2a2] [A,2c2] | [A,B][A,A] [A,4B4] |
[C/a/][C/g/][C/a/][C/f/] [C2e2] [A,2A2] | [A,A][A,B] [A,2c2] [C2e2] | [A,B][A,d] [A,2c2] [A,2A2] |[A,2A2] [A,4A4] ||
"Haand me doon da fiddle" ~ Tom Anderson & Pam Swing
The University of Sterling, 1979
ISBN: 0 901636 25 8
tune #28 ~ "Unst Bridal March"
given here in the keys of G & A
# Posted on October 21st 2005 by ceolachan
Tom Anderson ~ in his own words
(~ from the above recommended collection of Shetland tunes.)
"Whenever a weddin wis held ida auld day dey always had a fiddler ta lead da procession. Dis tün wis ösed in Unst te lead da wedding company fae da kirk efter da couple wis married. Dere were very few roads danadays, so many a time da company hed to buks ower broos an hedder and sometimes it wis a job fir da fiddler ta keep on playin. Dey still dö dis in Norrowa bit dere in some places dey play upo da Hardanger fiddle.
We’re written baith wedin tüns two wyes because at wan time dey maybe were played wi da twa back strings raised. So du can try baith wyes an plaise diesel which wye du plays dem.”
Note: The udder tune mentioned above, of ‘baith’, is “Da Bride’s a Boannie Ting” (G & A)…
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/2775
# Posted on October 21st 2005 by ceolachan
"Ringing Strings"
"DRONES" & double stops ~ apologies if I got it wrong. My tinnitis is doing it's thing in A at the moment so I've gotten some confirmation from others before committing it to ABCs. It is likely to be imperfect, but ~ it's close... Make of it what you will. It is what the Shetlanders refer to as 'ringing strings'... For a really nice rendition of this tune I recomment track 8 on the following CD:
The Silver Bow
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display.php/1781
Where music is concerned, our ears are always the better instructor than our eyes... 'notes' in whatever form are only a loose guide, the bones, no more. There to be brought to live with muscle, fleshed out, heart beating and blood flowing... Don't rush this one please, it is a 'slow' march and a joy to play as well as listen to...
# Posted on October 21st 2005 by ceolachan
Oh yeah, should have said, I recommend the whole CD...
# Posted on October 21st 2005 by ceolachan
"Interpolation"
The 'leading note' before each part of this music, A & B, is known as an interpolated beat, an extra count. Some notations have chosen to deal with this onter ways. Some have created a 4/4 bar out of A-5, or:
K:D
| d>B A2 D2 DE |
Others have notated the fourth bar with a fermata on the second beat:
| ED E2 d>B |
This last one is a bit odd, because in all recordings I've heard of it they always have played it as E4...as given in the transcription I've made here. Unsure how to deal with it originally, I couldn't find an instance of it in any of the literature on ABC notation, I'd first tried making the last bar 4/4, but 'simple' is always the best, thanks to Jeremy for getting rid of the M:4/4 ~ M:3/4 that oringinally were peppered throughout. I works htis way, what more does one need. Go raibh mile ma' agat Jeremy...
# Posted on October 21st 2005 by ceolachan
Bridal march from Unst
That's odd, The sources I have, including the CD "Fully Rigged" by Ali Bain and Ale Möller, give this tune as "Da bride's a bonnie ting", and the tune listed under that name on The Session as "Unst bridal march". The sleeve notes to "Fully rigged" says of the OTHER tune that it led the wedding march -- and that THIS tune was played on arrival at the bride's new home.
Anyway they are both beautiful tunes.
# Posted on October 24th 2005 by sqeezebox
"The Unst Bridal March" ~ sometimes they get it wrong...
Maybe Ali and/or Ale had too much of sense altering influences, such as too little rest, or maybe the editors of the notes screwed up. Too often sets get mixed up and turned around... The tune "Da Bride's a Bonnie Ting" is not uncommon, or in other words 'well known'... Here's another grand and recommended source:
"Traditional Scottish Fiddling:
A Player's Guide to Regional Styles, Bowing Techniques, Repertoire and Dances ~
Music from the West Coast, East Coast, Shetland, Orkney and the Borders of Scotland"
compiled by Christine Martin
Taigh na Teud 2002
Isle of Skye, Scotland
http://www.scotlandsmusic.com/
Page 97, an excellent scordatura (alternate fiddle tuning commonly used for this tune = A,EAe) transcript of "The Unst Bridal March", and similar to that given.
K: A Major
|: a2 |
AD AD BD | c4D4 e2A2 | fA gB a2A2 c2D2 | BD AD B2D2 a/A/ g/A/ a/A/ f/A/ | e2A2 ~
Support a good thing & BUY THE BOOK!!!
As you'd expect, the drones, double stops or 'ringing strings' are mainly A & D with the rare E or B thrown in...lovely stuff, as is this book, well worth the purchase for raising one's understanding and appreciation...
# Posted on October 31st 2005 by ceolachan
OOPS! ~ & I've screwed up, forgot the [ ~ ]
K: A Major
|: a2 |
[A2D2] [A2D2] [B2D2] | [c4D4] [e2A2] |
[fA][gB] [a2A2] [c2D2] | [BD][AD] [B2D2] [a/A/][g/A/][a/A/][f/A/] |
[e2A2] [A2D2] [AD][BE] | [c2D2] [e2A2] [BD][dD] | [c2D2] [A2D2] [A2D2] | [A4D4] :|
| [a2A2] |
[f2A2] [e2A2] [a2A2] | ~ see the book for more...
"The following tune is sometimes still played in Norway as well as Shetland for traditional weddings."
~ see the book for more...
# Posted on October 31st 2005 by ceolachan
Here's how it was collected by Patrick Shuldham-Shaw in July 1946 from the playing of John Stickle of Baltasound, Unst. (Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society)
No interpolation.
Sorry if some ABC readers don't recognize H for fermata.
X: 1
T: Bridal March From Unst
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
K:Gmaj
|: g2 | G2 G2 A2 | B4 d2 | ef {gf}g2 {Bc}B2 | AG HA2 {f}{g/f/}g>e |
d2 G2 GA | B2 d2 Ac | {Bc}B2 G2 G2 | G4 :|
{gf}g2 | e2 d2 {gf}g2 | e2 d2 {gf}g2 | e2 d2 g2 | e4 d2 |
e>>f {gf}g2 d2 | e>>f {gf}g2 d2 | e>>f {gf}g2 g2 | g4 B2 |
{cd}c2 c2 BA | B2 d2 d2 | ef {gf}g2 {Bc}B2 | AG HA2 {f}{g/f/}g>e |
d2 G2 G>A | B2 d2 Ac | {Bc}B2 G2 G2 | G4 ||
# Posted on September 24th 2006 by Katedu
AAARRRGGGHHH
I don't understand how you'd play the double stops at the end on fiddle... of maybe you don't?
# Posted on December 6th 2011 by mandolinist
Either with a different tuning (AEAE perhaps?) or you can "cheat" and shift some of the more absurd ones closer together - [C,a] becomes [Ca] for example.
# Posted on December 6th 2011 by SmashTheWindows
Possibly ADAE.
# Posted on December 6th 2011 by Weejie
Is that what is meant by "at wan time dey maybe were played wi da twa back strings raised" ? Tom Anderson as quoted 'ceolachan' in the second post above. Someone recently found it here http://www.malcolmrutter.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/hmddf.pdf
# Posted on December 6th 2011 by David50
Twa back strings raised = two lower strings tuned up.
ADAE is common in Shetland too. I heard a hardingfele player play this tune with "oppstilt bas" (tuned up bass - equivalent of ADAE).
"So du can try baith wyes an plaise diesel which wye du plays dem"
[So you can try both ways and please yourself which way you play them]
# Posted on December 6th 2011 by Weejie
Despite an alternative tuning, the initial [C,A] isn't the easiest thing to achieve unless your hand span is a good 6 feet...
I wouldn't worry too much about it really, to quote Ceolachan above,
"Where music is concerned, our ears are always the better instructor than our eyes... 'notes' in whatever form are only a loose guide, the bones, no more. There to be brought to live with muscle, fleshed out, heart beating and blood flowing... Don't rush this one please, it is a 'slow' march and a joy to play as well as listen to..."
# Posted on December 6th 2011 by SmashTheWindows
Oops apologies for the stray comma...
# Posted on December 6th 2011 by SmashTheWindows