Origins: 'The Methlick Style' Slow Fiddle Air

Subject: Origins: 'The Methlick Style' Slow Air
From: Cruiser
Date: 02 Aug 03 - 09:35 PM

I first learned this beautiful, lilting 6/8 slow air from 'The Caledonian Companion', a book by Alastair J. Hardie. Though difficult to play on the fiddle in Eb Major, for me at least, if you have not played or heard this song you are missing a real treat.

I would like to know the origins of 'The Methlick Style'. There is a brief paragraph in The Companion, but nothing on the history or chronology.

Also, were there ever lyrics wedded to the melody or is it a pure instrumental.

Thanks.

Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Methlick Style' Slow Air
From: masato sakurai
Date: 02 Aug 03 - 10:01 PM

No further info is found at The Fiddler's Companion:

METHLICK STYLE, THE. Scottish, Slow Air (6/8 time). E Flat Major. Standard. AAB. Source for notated version: communicated to Bill Hardie by his grandfather, William Hardie, Jr., of Methlick (c. 1856-1944). Hardie (Caledonian Companion), 1992; pg. 64.

Here is a sound clip from Saffron and Blue, CD album by Manus McGuire. ABC file is at Nigel Gatherer's ABC Collection: Scottish Tunes.

Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Methlick Style' Slow Air
From: Cruiser
Date: 02 Aug 03 - 10:20 PM

Thanks for the research masato.

Are you a violinist or fiddler? If so, have you played this tune?

Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Methlick Style' Slow Air
From: masato sakurai
Date: 02 Aug 03 - 10:34 PM

Music enthusiast, but instrumentally speaking a dropout.

Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Methlick Style' Slow Air
From: Cruiser
Date: 02 Aug 03 - 10:47 PM

Keep that enthusiasm! You are very helpful.

I suggest the fiddle or mandolin, if you decide to re-enter instumentally.

Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Methlick Style' Slow Air
From: GUEST,still cookieless paddymac
Date: 03 Aug 03 - 01:18 AM

I would suggest that masato is a mudcat treasure.

Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Methlick Style' Slow Air
From: Cruiser
Date: 01 Jan 07 - 11:59 PM

Here is a 2 minute sound clip of 'The Methlick Style'. This is my absolute favorite fiddle tune. Scottish fiddler Alastair Hardie plays this air on the companion cassette titled "The Fiddler's Companion" of the book . It is also fairly recently available on CD, which I plan to purchase since my 10-year old tape is about worn out.

I would sell my soul to the devil to be able to play that tune the way Alastair does.

The WhipperSnappers do a good rendition of the song:

MP3 Methlick Style Track 12

Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Methlick Style' Slow Air
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 12:16 AM

The link to the ABC site didn't work for me, so I found the ABC myself and copied it. Here it is:

X:516
T:Methlick Style, The
B:The Caledonian Companion, Hardie
Z:Nigel Gatherer
N:Simplified - grace notes removed
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:Eb
B, | E2e G2e | E2c    BGE    | BGc BGE | GFE      C2D      |
    E2c C2A | B2G    A,2c   | B>cB AGF | G z | g3   f3   | edc    c2d    | eBc BGE | GFF      F3       |
    g3   f3   | fg=a   b2g    | fdg fdc | B3-      B3       |
    g3   f3   | edc    c2d    | eBc BGE | GFE      C2D      |
    EcB AGF | G
Not being an ABC user, I went to the concertina.net tune-o-tron and converted the ABC to sticks and dots. I look forward to seeing how this tune sounds.


re: "I would sell my soul to the devil to be able to play that tune the way Alastair does."

Don't say that, Cruiser! The devil always manages to keep his promises and break them at the same time. For example, you might be enabled to play the tune the way Alistair does, but then everyone you know would start saying things like, "Your style is so derivative. You sound like a sedulous imitator of Alistair Hardie." You'd be utterly chagrined, but you would lose your soul anyway.

There would be no hoping for a referee's call to save you at the last inning, as in Damn Yankees.
------
What do you suppose "Methlick Style" refers to? I have never seen the word style in a tune name before.

Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Methlick Style' Slow Air
From: Cruiser
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 12:41 AM

"Methlick (Gaelic: Maothulach) is a village in Gordon District, Aberdeenshire, Scotland"

In one of my many books on fiddles, I remember reading a section where one of the older Hardie's (William Hardie Jnr.) returned from the village of Methlick and this was a reflection of their "Style" of fiddle music he conveyed to Bill Hardie. The whole line of Hardies for 200 years are called the "Fiddling Hardies"

I bet there are some Mudcatters that are Scots who know the village and know Alastair Hardie since he is a renowned Scottish fiddler.

Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Methlick Style' Slow Fiddle Air
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 04:37 PM

Okay, thanks for explaining that.