Low whistles in the Blue Lamp session, Aberdeen 2019 (c) Gordon Turnbull

FluteFling NE Tunebook Project: 06 John Keith Lang/ Barrowburn/ Walking on the Moon (Addie Harper Reel Set)

This sixth video in the series features three reels by Wick fiddler, composer and bandleader Addie Harper.

For background to the project of 10 sets of tunes being recorded over 10 weeks, and to see the first video, start here. Alternatively, go straight to the videos on my Youtube channel.

You can download the free PDF of the sheet music here:
FluteFling Aberdeen 2019 NE Scotland Tunes

From Wick to the Moon

These reel are all very popular in Scottish music sessions and have been widely recorded. All three fit flutes and whistles well.

I can find surprisingly little background about the individual tunes. However, Addie Harper’s obituary from 2002 tells us something about the man.

John Keith Lang is in A but with G naturals, so sits within the bagpipe scale. There are several versions on The Session with some discussion.

The opening phrases are unusual in that they seem to return upon themselves, so can be tricky under the fingers at first. This alone is a reason to keep the music steady — the pace of any tune is always dictated by the pace of the most difficult passage because the tune shouldn’t speed up and slow down. Some people advocate practising with a metronome and if you have never tried it, it is definitely worth experimenting with one.

The Barrowburn Reel is in D and as an arrangement of tunes makes a dramatic change, dropping to bottom D from John Keith Lang. A distinctive feature of the tune is the incorporation of several phases of rising melody, which helps to build tension and anticipation. In the B part there are opportunities to play rolls. More discussion on The Session.

Walking on the Moon lifts the set back up to A again. There’s just a single G# but it can be avoided by taking breath at the point where it occurs.

I came across an anecdote that suggested the tune was inspired by watching the moon landings on TV, in particular the way that the astronauts moved in the low gravity environment. The way that the C naturals in the B part rise into C#s seems to illustrate the slightly unexpected elevation. Fiddlers sometimes slide up to that C# and of course flutes and whistles can do the same.

Ten weeks of videos

Over a 10 week or so period, I am recording and uploading to YouTube a set of tunes from the PDF roughly once a week. The aim is to introduce the tunes, point out some techniques along the way and then play them as a set as I might play them in a session.

As I go along, I’ll take in suggestions to improve the sound and presentation and get back into the way of teaching again. There is an in-built slow down function in YouTube and the PDF is available to everyone, so why not join me on the journey?