Ian Green of Greentrax

[ukrobbiej]

his tune is just so joyous, I knew I had to arrange it the minute I heard it. By the late Highland piper Gordon Duncan. I recently met a piper busking in Bath who says he is great friends with Gordon’s son. He said that the piping world is very traditional, and I think Gordon had huge problems getting his music accepted by the piping police. Shame, as he wrote a huge number of highly original tunes. This one twists and turns all over the place.

I’ve arranged this for mandolin (played on a Phil Davidson) two guitars in CGCGCD and of course my beloved acoustic bass.

[BluesPreacher]

Very pretty!

[foldedpath]

Nice!

I learned this a while ago, after hearing a piper play it in a local session. Very tough 3rd part, just need to burn in the 'ol muscle memory, and eventually it's automatic.

It's interesting to hear it harmonized like this. I normally hear it in session as unison melody with just some sparse guitar accompaniment, mostly buried by the pipes. The harmonies used here sometimes push and pull it in directions I don't hear internally when playing the melody, but it's still a great interpretation. Almost sounds like harp music, and I mean that in a good way.

[John Kelly]

Splendid work, Robbie. Gordon D was a real innovator on the pipes and as you say, not always popular with the traditional movement. I imagine he would have approved of your arranging of his tune. I am assuming that he wrote this in honour of Ian Green, the former police inspector who launched Greentrax Records in 1986 as a vehicle for promoting traditional music here in Scotland.

[ukrobbiej]

Thanks for the comments chaps.

Interesting about the harmony- I hope I haven’t been too cavalier with my interpretation!

[foldedpath]

Interesting about the harmony- I hope I haven’t been too cavalier with my interpretation!

Not at all, I think it works well. Just a different approach to the more straightforward accompaniment one usually hears (if you can hear it at all) with pipers playing the tune. It helped me think about the tune in a different way.