Music for Book 30 and 3 Foss dances

Music for Book 30 and 3 Foss dances

This CD was released by the RSCDS in 2007 and was recorded by David Cunningham and his band. The band has kept the same line up since their 1995 recording for Highlander Music and consists of David Cunningham on accordion, Neil Galloway on 2nd accordion, Graham Berry on keyboard and Ian Adamson on drums. The CD replaces the 1981 LP of Book 30 released by Bobby Crowe and his Scottish Dance Band. In addition to the music for Book 30 the CD also includes music for the 3 Hugh Foss Dances (Fugal Fergus, John McAlpin and Polharrow Burn) published with issue 4 of Scottish Country Dancer. The new recording has kept faithful to the original tunes for the first 32/40 bars of each dance but then the subsequent tunes are a good mix of both traditional and modern compositions. I particularly liked the set of Irish tunes provided for the jig Collichur which included the well known Belfast Ham and Burnt Potato. The strong strathspey tune The Duke of Edinburgh will ensure a good strong lilt in the setting and travelling steps of the dance Hame Came Our Gudeman. Many of the tunes, as well as showing the dexterity of David Cunningham’s fingering, are also bright and will give the dancers a good lift. This is especially true of The Highland Lass and The Bawk. Well known tunes such as Smith’s the Gallant Fireman (usually played for MacDonald of the Isles) J. Scott Skinner’s Blin’ Jamie (which builds to a crescendo) and Jim Johnstone’s Bessie Bell’s Reel and Fergie’s Jig are some of the great tunes on this CD. What I like about the CD is the strict tempo which makes the phrasing of the first 16 bars of The Guidman of Balangigh easier and allows the movement to flow without being too hurried. The set chosen for this dance also had a “seaside” feel rather like the tunes for Pelorus Jack which make the transitions in this dance easier. To sum up there is a warm, harmonious feel about this CD which I hope will make the less well known dances in Book 30 become more popular and because the tempo is spot on those teachers, like myself, who teach without the luxury of live music will have no need for a variable speed player! Anne Thorn, Helensburgh