The most beautiful modern slow air

Subject: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 11:34 AM

Now I know this is very subjective, BUT can we have some suggestions for the most beautiful modern slow air. I'll start with "Leaving Stoer".

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 11:42 AM

I must check the archives before I start a new thread. Threads similar to this already exist.

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: Micca
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 11:59 AM

You could do a LOT worse than Oakleys, " Abbeyfeale" on Caras "behind the settee" CD!!!!

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: Kim C
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 12:07 PM

Slockit Light.

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: GUEST,Auldtimer
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 12:31 PM

Yes, Da slockit Licht must be in contention. Written by Dr.Tom Anderson for his wife and was played at his own funeral. My nomination would be, An Feochan, written by Tommy Peoples. Best version of this air is on Altan's, "Horse With A Heart", played by Frankie Kennedy.

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: CraigS
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 12:34 PM

My vote goes to Heaven Would Be Near Thee, the tune that Gordon Tyrrall wrote to set the poem by John Clare - it works beautifully as a song, too.

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From:
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 12:41 PM

If Ever You Were Mine

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From:
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 12:43 PM

Ashokan Farewell

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: smallpiper
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 12:54 PM

Oakleys; 2nd of May and Abbeyfeale

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: treewind
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 01:09 PM

Lindisfarne (Matt Seattle)

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: GUEST,weerover
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 01:53 PM

The Dying Year as played by Aly Bain

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 01:58 PM

what do you define as an "air" - and how does that differ from a "slow air"?

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: zanderfish3 (inactive)
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 02:43 PM

Tom Anderson's other well known air ' Da old Restin Chair '

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 02:48 PM

Echo George Seto on "Ashokan Farewell."

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: John Routledge
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 03:06 PM

"Lament for Ian Dickson" played on Northumbrian Smallpipes.

Written by Anthony Robb for a friend who died tragically young.

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: Sorcha
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 04:56 PM

Add Teelin Bay Waltz to George's list.

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 05:16 PM

Red Kites by John Spiers. (Through & Through)

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 05:20 PM

Leaving Friday Harbour by John McCusker

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: Ebbie
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 05:23 PM

'Lament For The Death Of the Reverend Archie Beaton.' One of my very favorites.

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 05:31 PM

Since Ashoken's already gotten two votes, here's one for another Jay Unger tune, "Lovers' Waltz".

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: Bassic
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 06:00 PM

A Phill Cunningham tune I love to play on the Cello, "Ross Memorial Hospital".

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: GUEST,anais
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 09:12 PM

oliver schroer's "far away by the sea" as played by himself

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: fogie
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 08:49 AM

I like Ciel d'Automne by Bottine Souriante, and Winter's end ?by Sean Davy played by Liam O'Flynn.

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: GUEST,M
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 05:09 PM

Definitely Red Kites, written and played by John Spiers.

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: TheBigPinkLad
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 05:13 PM

Someone asked ... the Oxford defines 'air' as

N.(Mus) Melody, tune, esp., in harmonized composition, prominant (usu. soprano) part.

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: PoppaGator
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 05:57 PM

I need more info than the OED provides to understand what *this group* means by an "air," as opposed to a song or ballad or isntrumental piece or whatever else -- and I suspect the MMario (a pretty knowledgable fellow) does as well.

I know that an "air" means a tune or melody, but it seems that a more limited and more precise meaning is being used here.

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: TheBigPinkLad
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 06:05 PM

PoppaGator ... you're right of course. Common understanding often drifts from the definition. I was once asked to dance to a slow song (Lady in Red)at the end of the night and my partner told me she 'just loved waltzes.'

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: Sorcha
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 06:50 PM

To me, 'air' means slow as opposed to a jig, reel, etc. Often in 3 but sometimes in 4. Also, usually something sad about it like the C natural in Ashoken but not always.

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 09:00 PM

Why put on airs and make it complicated? An air is simply a tune or melody.
Webster's Collegiate- 3a: TUNE, MELODY. Then it goes on to b. definition with regard to Elizabethan and Jacobean music, and c. the chief voice part or melody in choral music.

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: smallpiper
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 09:41 PM

Its a slow tune! end of story

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: Brían
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 10:13 PM

Inisheer is pretty nice for a contemporary tune. La Bottine Souriante does some real nice slow tunes-HOMMAGE Á PHILIPPE BRUNEAU I think is one and another is Le rêve du quêteux Tremblay.

Brían

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: Barry T
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 12:28 AM

I'll second Ebbie's suggestion of 'Lament For The Death Of the Reverend Archie Beaton'

...but to keep the list growing I'll also propose Eileen Ivers' 'Bygone Days'.

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: GUEST,forty two
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 04:50 AM

Was in Orkney for the folk festival this year and heard Douglas Montgomery of a band called Saltfishforty from the Orkney Islands play an air in a session called Watersound Shore. It was written by someone called F Gray and is on their new CD Goosemusic.

Someone mentioned Inis Oirr (Innisheer) above - a lovely tune. What I liked about Watersound Shore is that it is unpredictable and suddenly shoots off in a direction you don't expect; it keeps your interest while still being a beautiful tune.

I am not getting paid for promoting Saltfishforty but their CD is good!!!

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 18 Jul 03 - 08:06 AM

It occures to me, that if somebody was looking for material for an album of modern slow airs, this thread would be a great place to start.

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: GUEST,Guest - Queen of Caber
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 01:49 PM

ALTAN   - An Feochan ( the gentle wind )


Modern well, they put it on albums in the 90's, whether they wrote it or not, I do not know.

Moving and stirring!

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: Sorcha
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 02:02 PM

Air For the Island/Kent Fiddy
Prairie Spring/Jay Ungar

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: mooman
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 06:37 PM

For me...

Phil Cunninghams's "Farewell to Govan"

Peace

moo

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: Compton
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 07:04 PM

It's been around a bit....but Dark Island ??
......Christmas Day in the Morning..or is that not slow enough?

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: Sorcha
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 09:36 PM

I like Dark Island/Isle. And, it's not been 'around' as much as Ashoken Farewell. Pretty tired of that one, but it is pretty.

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: Matt_R
Date: 31 Jan 04 - 01:02 AM

The Dark Isle DEFINITELY. I was just blasting it last night. I want it played at my funeral.

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 31 Jan 04 - 03:08 AM

Hmm. Went to saltfishforty.co.uk to have a listen, but while Goose Music is there, that track isn't sampled. Pity.

Is The Bonnie Lass of Headlake modern? It feels kind of modern, but I only know it from hearing it on the CD of Cape Breton music recorded in Cork a few years ago. Fabulous heartscald of a tune.

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: Little Robyn
Date: 31 Jan 04 - 03:58 AM

I was going to add my vote for Ashokan Farewell and there in a Random Link at the top of the page right now is www.jayandmolly.com/
Very timely. Ashokan Farewell with all the details and a midi version on piano as well. Interesting chord progression too. It's still playing as I write this.
Robyn

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 31 Jan 04 - 04:27 AM

Just played Ashoken's Farewell from the link above. It's quite a schmaltzy tune in 3/4 time that sounds like lots of others. Can a dance tune be a slow air?

I still prefer Red Kites by John Spiers. It's supposed to be inspired by the birds which have been reintroduced to the Chiltern Hills to give drivers something to watch from M40 traffic jams.

Actually, though, I think it comes from the beer of that name...

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: GUEST,Oryx
Date: 31 Jan 04 - 06:06 AM

Neil Gow's Lament for the Death of his Second Wife

Floating Across from Skerry

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 31 Jan 04 - 07:20 AM

Oh, very modern. It's only about 200 years since she died....

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: Compton
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 07:24 PM

........Flowers of the Forest!!
.....or "A Cider Drinkers farewell to his liver"!

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 08:07 PM

More from Ivan Drever and Duncan Chisholm: seeing the thread started with "The Leaving of Stoer": also try the "Rose of St Magnus" and "El Caballo Blanco", in fact most of the slow tracks on Duncan's 2 CDs, "Redpoint" and "Doors of the Saints".

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: harpgirl
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 08:12 PM

Where is "Dark Isle"?

Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: Barry T
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 08:52 PM

It's Benbecula, Harpgirl. Here's a great url for some background on the composer and the tune...

http://www.springthyme.co.uk/album22/22iainmcl.html

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Subject: RE: The most beautiful modern slow air
From: Robin2
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 11:10 PM

How about "Jim and Judy's wedding", by Jay Unger's brother, Larry?

Also, "The Crested Hen"

Robin2