Key signature: Gmajor
Submitted on January 28th 2007 by Colin E..
This tune has been added to 12 tunebooks.
Also known as The Ball Of Kirriemuir, Bonny Jane, Bonny Jean, Bonny Jean Of Aberdeen, Castles In The Air, Wee Willie Winkie, Wee Willie Winkle.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Castles In The Air
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: hornpipe
K: Gmaj
(3DEF|G2GB D2(3DEF|GFGA B4|cBce dBAG|ABAG E2(3DEF|
G2GB D2(3DEF|GFGA B4|cBce dBGA|BcBA G2:|
d2|e2eg d3B|cBcd B4|cBce dBAG|ABAG E2(3DEF|
G2GB D2(3DEF|GFGA B4|cBce dBGA|BcBA G2:|
From the Neil Mulligan CD An Cobair Gle. He credits learning the tune from Seamus Ennis who got the tune from his granfather when (the grandfather) was in Scotland.
In the liner notes he credits the tune to James Ballantine and says that it is now a well known Scottish childrens song called, 'Wee Willie Winkie'.
# Posted on January 28th 2007 by Colin E.
Castles In The Air
Apart from the "Wee Willie Winkie" song, there's a song called "Castles In the Air" which is all about a young boy by the hearthside and seeing images in the smoke: it's said he was building castles in the air. It was contributed to a quite important Scottish song collection called Whistlebinkie began in 1832.
The tune is said to have been a slightly altered version of an old tune called "Bonny Jean".
# Posted on January 28th 2007 by nigelg
Ennis played this tune, as well as another tune from the Hebrides Neil M also recorded, in Eamonn de Butleir's wonderful documentary film 'Miles and Miles of Music' about Ennis' days as a collector. The video of which I recall watching with Neillidh a number of times during the 80s.
# Posted on January 28th 2007 by kilfarboy
Ennis also sang a verse of 'Castles in the Air' in the same fillum by the way
# Posted on January 28th 2007 by kilfarboy
fillum ~ I love the vernacular creeping in kilfarboy...it makes me long for that 'home'...
# Posted on January 28th 2007 by ceolachan
Less salubriously . . .
Other words to this melody concerned the fate of 'The four and twenty vigins, came down from Inverness'
Sung with gusto by national servicemen in Malaya fifty years back . . . and probably by servicemen and rugby clubs for a long time before that.
# Posted on February 7th 2007 by Alancorsini
Castles in the Air
Oh yes, Alancorsini - "The Ball of Kirriemuir". I'd forgotten about that infamous song sung to this tune.
# Posted on February 7th 2007 by nigelg
"Castles in the Air" ~ Andrew Kuntz's 'The Fiddler's Companion'
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/index.html
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/FCfiles.html
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/CAR_CASU.htm#CASTLES_IN_THE_AIR
"CASTLES IN THE AIR. AKA and see "Wee Willie Winkie/Winkle." English, Scottish, Irish; Reel, Schottische or Slow Strathspey. A Major (Roche): G Major (Raven): E Flat Major (Hardie). Standard. AB (Hardie, Kennedy): ABB (Roche): AABB (Cole). The tune is associated with the children's rhyme "Wee Willie Winkie/Winkle." ~ "
# Posted on May 9th 2007 by ceolachan
Watch your winkies and winkles Dow and don't forget to dot your ayes!
# Posted on May 9th 2007 by ceolachan