Key signature: Dmajor
Submitted on February 23rd 2009 by Mix O'Lydian.
This tune has been added to 9 tunebooks.
Also known as The Eight Men Of Moidart.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Eight Men Of Moidart
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Dmaj
|:A/2d/|f/e/d/c/ dA|F2 DA|F/G/A DA|FE E A/2d/2|
f/e/d/c/ dA|F2 DA|F/G/A EA|FD D:|
|:A/G/|FD AD|BD AD|FD AD|B/A/G/F/ E A/G/|
FD AD|BD AD|F/G/A E>A|FD D:|
Eight Men of Moidart
A great "driving" dance tune; almost in the style of a Kerry polka - except that this particular tune is Scottish in origin.
(Moidart is a highland region of Scotland - the area north of Loch Shiel and East of the Road to the Isles).
But who were these "eight men" of Moidart? Legend has it that they were fishermen who danced an eightsome reel on the beach, after they observed the landing of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745. According to the story, there were only seven fishermen, so they used a spade placed in the sand to act as the eighth dancer.
Note that the last two bars of the "A" part are identical to the last two bars of the "B" part, except that the quaver pair in the penultimate bar of the "B" part is swung, to emphasise the ending of the tune.
# Posted on February 23rd 2009 by Mix O'Lydian
Eight Men of Moidart - Painting
Here is a link to an image of painting by Alistair Smyth, depicting the seven fishermen dancing on the beach with the spade.
http://www.alistairsmyth.com/large/historical/moidart.htm
# Posted on February 23rd 2009 by Mix O'Lydian
Eight Men of Moidart - Painting
That's all very well but you'd have to be a lunatic to dance in your pants in Moidart. The midges there are legendary. Mind you, sane folk in Moidart are few and far between.
# Posted on February 23rd 2009 by bogman
Bogman - if you look at the painting, you'll notice that none of the dancers is taking any notice of the ship, and in any case, it's too far away to be able to tell who is on board.
So maybe they're just dancing just to shake off those pesky midges ...
# Posted on February 23rd 2009 by Mix O'Lydian
Eight Men of Moidart - another explanation
It is also said that the "eight men" refers to Bonnie Prince Charlie and the seven companions who sailed with him:
1) William Murray, Marquis of Tullibardine, who had taken part in the first uprising in 1715.
2) Colonel Francis Strickland, of an old Westmorland Jacobite family.
3) Aeneas McDonald, who had been a banker in Paris.
4) Sir John McDonald (a relative of Aeneas McDonald)
5) Sir Thomas Sheridan, a veteran of the Battle of the Boyne.
6) Colonel John William O'Sullivan, an Irishman who had served in the French army.
7) George Kelly, an irish priest.
# Posted on February 23rd 2009 by Mix O'Lydian
Welcome to the Town Again
Hi mix! You just might like to contemplate the following. You might already have come across it.
T: Welcome to the Town Again
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: G
g2 dc | B2 Gc | B/c/d GB | cA Af | g2 dc | B2 Gc | B/c/d Ac | 1 BG Gf :|| 2 BG Gd/c/ ||
BG dG | eG dG | Bd e/d/c/B/ | cA Ad/c/ | BG dG | eG dG | B/c/d Ac | BG Gc |
BG dG | eG dG | Bd dc/B/ | cA Ac | Bd cB | cd ef | gd ec | BG G2 ||
Cannot remember my source but it was certainly north of England. possibly Northumbrian. I play it like a steady March (Gay Gordons tempo) and use it in conjunction with 'Dear Tobacco' and 'Holme's Fancy' (in that order) for the dance- "The English Gay Gordons"
Interesting similarities! don't you think?
# Posted on February 25th 2009 by hetty
What a great supply of notes. Excellent. Lets have more of this.
ME I'm torn between the spade (Ive seen it done) and the 8 in a boat.
Great stuff.
Peter
# Posted on March 2nd 2009 by Peter O'Connor