Origins of 'Willafjord'

Subject: RE: Origins of 'Willafjord'
From: Charmion
Date: 25 Jul 18 - 11:21 AM

"In most of the sessions I've played in Spootskerry is played first in G followed by Willafjord in D"

... and topped off with "I have a can of beer but it hasn't got a pulltab" (it's a common tune and I can't remember the damnable name) in A.

Subject: RE: Origins of 'Willafjord'
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 25 Jul 18 - 12:34 PM

You'll have to give it an airing at Riddlesden, Dave!

Subject: RE: Origins of 'Willafjord'
From: Jack Campin
Date: 25 Jul 18 - 12:39 PM

"I have a can of beer but it hasn't got a pulltab" (it's a common tune and I can't remember the damnable name) in A

Hurlock's Reel?

Subject: RE: Origins of 'Willafjord'
From: GUEST,CupOfTea, no cookies
Date: 25 Jul 18 - 05:56 PM

and an itchy trigger finger,apparently,

I'm with Dave - I first heard it following Spootiskerry in an Irish ceili session, and seen it published paired that way a couple times. It's notated in Tom Anderson's book "Haand me doon da fiddle" (1971) with bowing marks that are entirely wasted on this concertina player. The notes on that tune alone are in such thick Shetland vernacular, I can't try to reproduce, but in the introduction, he mentions how "Shetland tunes" have long been influenced by tunes migrating from elsewhere, and that Scandanavia is as likely a source as any. That it shows up in Anderson's book makes me think that if it wasn't born there, Willafijord is a Shetland tune now! I've always thought it sounded like it ought to be played on steel drums. Hammer dulcimer comes close, and Cathy Barton does a bang-up job of it. If my memory is more coherent than my typing, it's on Dave & Cathy's "Carp fishing in Missouri" album.

Joanne in Cleveland

Subject: RE: Origins of 'Willafjord'
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Jul 18 - 03:53 PM

spootiskerry works quite well followed by far from hame, the bowing marks [if you play eng concertina could be tried to see if bellows reversing works at these points sometimes it does

Subject: RE: Origins of 'Willafjord'
From: gillymor
Date: 30 Jul 18 - 06:31 AM

Spootiskerry after The Banshee also works quite well.