Simon Thoumire Make Good Art

I got together with fab cellist Su-a Lee to record this version of Nathaniel Gow's Largo's Fairy Dance that was written in 1802 for the Fife Hunt. The 2nd tune - The Fairy Dance - has turned into a classic of Scottish traditional music and is played across the world. The first section is not so well known and we wanted to play it for you as it is beautiful! If you like this content please consider supporting my Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire

This track is the music part of my latest vlog with Mhairi Hall. If you would like to watch the whole thing where Mhairi talks about accompaniment you can watch it here https://youtu.be/TnMggTOddPE If you like this content please consider supporting my Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire. Every little bit helps!

Here is the hornpipe The Poppy Leaf from my YouTube vlog Easy Concertina Repair - Fix that note! I've played the Poppy Leaf for years now and I still love it! If you live my content please consider supporting my Patreon http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire

I wrote this set of music based on Jim Sutherland's classic reel The Easy Club for the participants of Meitheal Summer School. The brief was to write a piece of music that could be memorised and be fun to play. Needless to say the young people were fabulous and did an amazing job. Check out Meitheal Summer School at https://tradweek.com. If you like this content please consider supporting my Patreon http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire

Here's a great reel I learn from the playing of virtuoso fiddle Liz Caroll! If you like this content please consider supporting my Patreon http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire This tune was played on my video about New Years Resolutions watch it here https://youtu.be/6G2R6UzD094

This tune was written in October 2018 in Braemar at a Live Music Now Scotland and St Margaret's Braemar teaching week. I worked with the young people to come up with ideas and we put this tune together. It's great! The musicians performing this recording are myself, Ellie McLaren (fiddle) and Brian McAlpine (piano). We used the tune as the theme tune for the 2018 FRADS Awards. If you like my content and would like to help me create more please consider supporting my Patreon account http://www.patreon.com/simonthumire

I was revisiting some old tunes the other day and I happened across Margaret's Waltz by Pat Shuldham-Shaw. It's never been one of my favourites (stupid I know) however I read up on the tune and its amazing journey to reach Scotland and it is now one of my favourite tunes! I visited fab pianist Mhairi Hall in Dunblane and we played it with the Pat's companion tune Farewell to Devon. If you enjoy my videos and music please consider supporting my Patreon on http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire This set is a video where I talk about the tunes. You can watch it here https://youtu.be/-W4xynBWkWA If you want to try the two tunes - you can find them here https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rYiCGq26KCrs5DIE2CzWBbTjI6AGQagC You can get more information about me http://www.simonthoumire.com http://www.youtube.com/simonthoumire1 http://www.twitter.com/simonthoumire http://www.facebook.com/simonthoumiremusic http://www.soundcloud.com/simonthoumire http://www.instagram.com/simonthoumire

Hands Up for Trad have a new TV programme on Facebook and YouTube and it needed an intro theme! I wrote this wee tune and recorded it with my son Charlie on bodhran and asked the fabulous Ryan Corbett to contribute a piano part. Here is 11s of music!

Three reels by the late great fiddler Hector MacAndrew. Burnside of Forglen is a small farm near Turiff, Aberdeenshire and belonged to Mr and Mrs George Morrison. Sandy Edmonstone who performed with Hector's dad lived in this cottage in Carradale and Bob Munro was fiddle enthusiast from Thurso.

This is my fiddle concerto based on Alexander Troup's tune Cluny Castle. I wrote it for our Strathspey and Surreal Society project and it was performed by Patsy Reid at Celtic Connections 2017. Patsy Reid is an amazing fiddler and demonstrate's her virtuosity and skill in this piece.

My version of The Bluebell Polka (written by Frank Stanley) and J. F. Dickies Reel (written by J. Murdoch Henderson) and performed by the Strathspey and Surreal Society on Saturday 4th February 2017 at Celtic Connections.

Here's a special track recorded in memory of musician Alasdair Slessor who sadly passed away last week at the young age of 29. These tunes were written in Tollcross Primary School for our Wednesday Feis Class. This was part of our tune writing phase probably on the way to pizza Hut. In the class room was a Blue Radiator that we admired and also a Peters Projection map with really loooong countries that we used to chat about. I'm sure Alasdair came up with the first phrase of Peters Projection! Oh these were the days :-)

Three reels from the pen of Robert Macintosh. What an amazing composer. His tunes are very varied, challenging and beautiful! Lady's Baird's New Reel / Honbl. Mr Fraiser (of Lovat's) Reel / Miss Farquharson (of Invercauld's)Reel

A couple of delights and a fancie! Here are 3 jigs from the same book as last weeks tunes - The Malcolm McDonald Collection (performed with my son Charlie). Mrs Muir's tune was written by Mr Sharp of Hoddom. I think this might be Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe of Hoddom Castle (Dumfries and Galloway) born May 1781. He wrote songs that were featured in Sir Walter Scott's 'Minstrelsy of the Scottish Borders' A relative of his, Miss Sharpe was 'a patron and friend of Niel Gow and contributed a few pieces to one or more of his collections'. (From Baptie). Miss Graham's Delight / Mrs Muir McKenzies Fancie / Mrs Muir Mackenzie's Delight

Two strathspeys from the Malcolm McDonald Collection (first published in 1788) and one from Twitter! The Twitter tune (The Falls of Divach) was actually written by J. Scott Skinner's daughter - Jeanie (aged 12) so always worth a play! Miss Drummond Megginsh's Strathspey was written by John Bowie who was originally from Perth and 'a famous teacher of the violin, and a composer of dance tunes'. He published a set of reels, etc in 1786 which this one might have featured in. I must find the book! This info about Bowie came from David Baptie's late 19th century opus.

I found this little tune at the back of J. Scott Skinner's The Logie Collection. It's a pretty wee tune but on playing it I recognised Paul McCartney's interest in the Scots fiddle tradition. There is no other way that The Beatles would recorded a similar type tune on their White Album without hearing this first. Well done Paul! I've also tried to emulate McCartney's singing on this track as well.

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Here are two reels from the pen of 18th century fiddler and composer Robert Mackintosh (c 1745-1807). Known as "Red Rob", he was born in Tulliemet, Perthshire and has long been recognised as one of our foremost composers of Scottish dance music. There are 4 collections of his music containing 350 tunes. You can play them all in the amazing Highland Music Trust book 'The Mackintosh Collections' http://www.heallan.com/mackintosh.html When I was learning these tunes I was amazed at the dexterity needed to play them especially Miss Jessy Dalrymple's Reel. I think I might be playing them at a more modern reel speed (!) but all the same they're difficult! Concerto Caledonia made a lovely album of Macintosh music in 2013 entitled Robert Mackintosh - Airs, Minuets, Gavotts and Reels which is well worth a listen. http://www.concal.org/albums/9-albums/7-robert-mackintosh-airs-minuets-gavotts-reels

This I have learnt two William Marshall minuets from volumes 1 and 2 of his collections. The first minuet is called Mr Hoy - Gordon Castle and the second is Chapel Keithack. Mr Hoy (born 1747) is mentioned in Dr Currie's memoir of poet Robert Burns where he says that "Mr James Hoy was librarian to his Grace The Duke of Gordon at Gordon Castle. He was in many respects a singular and original character... with goodness in heart, and simplicity of manners."

My project for this week was to make a set of music written by female composers in the 18/19th century. As you can imagine society and fiddle playing was quite male dominated and there is not too much music written by lady composers around. I did manage to find out about Lucy Johnston of Hilton who was included in Niel Gow's and the Scottish Musical Museum collections. Also Miss Magdelina Stirling has a collection c1812. The strathspey Lady Lucy Ramsay in the set was written by 'A Female Amateur'! Miss L. Johnston's Complements to Niel Gow (Lucy Johnston of Hilton), Lady Lucy Ramsay (A Female Amateur), Lord Torphican's Strathspey, Perthshire Hunt (both Miss Magdelina Stirling)