The Road to Lisdoonvarna

This Irish tune is a slide in Edorian. 

Lisdoonvarna is a small town in County Clare, in the west of Ireland. It is famous for its traditional matchmaking fair held there each summer.  

For much complicated explanation of what makes a slide as distinct from a jig or a double jig see this extended discussion from The Sessions. Look in the comments section. 

For guitarists or cellists, here is some notation with cords. 

An interesting version of the tune can be found here. Note that this version is played in a different key. 

Grand Etang

Grand Etang is a Cape Breton march in Em. It was written by the fiddler Howie McDonald and can be found on his album, A Few Tunes, 1989. The tune comes to our fiddle circle via Galen Fraser, who learned the tune at Skye Fiddle Camp, 2007. 

A midi version of the start of the tune can be found here: Grand Etang.

High Drive

High Drive is a pipe reel in D major composed by the late, great Scottish piper Gordan Duncan. 

It came to us via the July San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers meeting. Alasdair Fraser also taught it at the 2007 Sierra Fiddle Camp in June of that year.

You can hear Wendy MacIsaac, a Cape Breton fiddle, play it here.