Category Archives: classes

A new tune for the whistle: Kate Dalrymple

The SMG whistle class this week took a look at Kate Dalrymple, well-known reel that can often be heard in ceilidhs. As was pointed out in the class, this is used as the theme tune to BBC Scotland’s Take the … Continue reading

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Children’s Traditional Whistle Class in Edinburgh

Booking is now taking place for the Traditional Whistle classes at Portobello Music School in Edinburgh that will continue next term after the Summer holidays. Following on from a successful first year, there will be classes for beginners and those … Continue reading

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New flute and whistle tunes for May: a jig and a fling

Last night the SMG whistlers made good progress with what seemed to be a daunting task a couple of weeks ago, learning the Scottish jig A Fisherman’s Song for Attracting Seals. A very unusual tune in its use of repetitive … Continue reading

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New beginner jig: Ciamar a nì mi an Dannsa Dìreach?

This week the SMG Beginners whistle class consolidated The Iona Boat Song and began looking at a jig. This one is a piece of Gaelic mouth music called Ciamar a nì mi an Dannsa Dìreach? (How Can I do the … Continue reading

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FluteFling end of term, SMG students concert

We finished off this term with reels for both FluteFling classes. The Improvers group learned one of my favourite Irish reels, The Otter’s Holt, composed by County Clare fiddler Junior Crehan. This completed a set of three tunes: The Maids … Continue reading

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FluteFling Improvers: The Sailor on the Rock

The Sailor on the Rock is a solid single reel from Ireland. Punchy and in D major, it fits a number of different instruments well enough to have been recorded many times and have some variations in setting. The Fiddler’s … Continue reading

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New SMG whistles and FluteFling tunes: yowes, maids and more

After last week’s hard workout, some consolidation of repertoire was the focus of the SMG whistle class this week. However, by request we looked at the air of a song from the Scottish Borders that is associated with Robert Burns, … Continue reading

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Winter Flutes and Whistles at Dalmeny Kirk

At last I have been able to edit the music from FluteFling Ensemble’s trip to Dalmeny Kirk. This was a coming together of some of the Scots Music Group whistlers and FluteFling whistlers and fluters to play some tunes together … Continue reading

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Another Scots march for the whistle: Greenwoodside

This weeks tune for the Scots Music Group is the Highland pipes march Greenwoodside. Like many, the melody is closely derived from a song, in this case Bonny Greenwoodside, also known as The Cruel Mother. There are various lyrics, but … Continue reading

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SMG Whistle and FluteFling: The Chanter’s Song

This week’s tune is The Chanter’s Song, an Irish march to compare with the Scottish marches we learned last term and also Egan’s Polka, another Irish tune in 2/4 time. This is an interesting tune for a number of reasons. … Continue reading

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