Margaret's Waltz
C J Brady
heard it during a pub session on the Isle of Skye a few years ago. It was
ideal for dancing an English clog waltz to!! It is supposed to be of Cape
Breton origin. Does anyone know where it comes from, and who was Maraget?
I'm trying to find a copy of the music. Many thanks. Chris.
Allan Meltzer
BY coincedence the origin's of Margaret's waltz was the topic of a between
set discussion at our weekly sessiun a few weeks ago. I once read an
undergraduate thesis on the music of the Ontario side of the Ottawa
Valley and the author makes the claim that a version of Margarets waltz was
played by Ottawa Valley Fiddlers. My father-in-law a fiddler from the
Quebec side of the Ottawa River tells me that a version of this tune was
played in the Lower Valey. I heard Margarets waltz played in Ingonish,
Cape Breton and, guess what! It was a Cape Breton tune, of course.
I played the tune at a sessiun in Ireland about two years ago and I was
told, in no uncertain terms that it was of Irish origin.
I am now convinced that it was simultantiously composed by everyone of
every tradition.
Allan
--
Allan Meltzer
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K1N 7N8
613-565-3635
Ed Pearlman
collected many tunes after World War II in Scotland and Shetland,
and England and probably other places (somebody on internet must
know), and who wrote a number of beautiful tunes. One of my
favorites of his was performed on Aly Bain's "Lonely Bird" album;
it's called Rosemary Brown. When you find a tune in Cape Breton,
chances are it's either native written or came from Scotland,
though there are increasing numbers of Irish tunes being played
there too.
iorw...@hursley.ibm.com
This tune has the feel of a traditional tune, but it isn't. It was
composed some years ago by the late Pat Shaw. The music can be found
in the Community Dance Manuals published by the EFDSS (which volume I
can't say). Pat Shaw was a major figure in the English Country dance
movement, and composed many tunes and dances, as well as collecting
tunes, especially in Shetland. I have no idea who Margaret is/was.
Alyn Iorwerth
Bob Walton
his two CDs - can't remeber which one but someone else will, no doubt.
Great tune.
Bob Walton
r...@cix.compulink.co.uk
Naka J Ishii
: This is a very lovely waltz tune which is doing the rounds right now. I
I believe the chords and melody for Margaret's Waltz are included in
Bill Matthiesen's Waltz Book, a spiral-bound collection of lovely
waltzes. If you need information on how to obtain this, let me know.
Bill is a contradance pianist and all-round nice guy who lives in
Western Massachusetts (USA). The Waltz Book is self-published, but
obtainable (I would imagine) by mail order.
Suzette Watkins
Walton") wrote:
> Aly Bain wrote a tune called Margaret's Waltz. Can be found on one of
> his two CDs - can't remeber which one but someone else will, no doubt.
> Great tune.
Bob, as someone who writes regularly for Folk Roots, you should do your
homework! Aly didn't write it, Pat Shuldham Shaw did.
--
Suzette Watkins, Alexander Theatre, Monash University, Clayton 3168
Phone: +61 3 905 3880 Fax: +61 3 905 1112
Internet: Suzette...@general.monash.edu.au
Russell kay
>obtainable (I would imagine) by mail order.
>
mail orders:
The Button Box
9 East Pleasant Street
Amherst, MA 01002
413-549-0171
=========================================================
Russell Kay, Technical Editor, BYTE Magazine
russ...@bix.com 603-924-2591
C J Brady
Hey go easy on Bob!! "Folk Roots" has always been so anti-dance that
their contributors probably don't even know that such a thing as a
'waltz' ever existed never mind who wrote modern tunes for it. Chris.