Origin: Herr Roloff's Farewell (fiddle tune)

Subject: Herr Roloff's Farewell?? Real name pleas
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Nov 03 - 11:06 AM

My ear just can't quite make out the correct name for this ravishing fiddle tune, heard on Real Player by clicking on Rory's (McCleod) Reel, May 15, 2000 program on Scottish internet radio. (See Highland radio thread.)

It's the second to last tune on the program, at about 24 minutes in. It sounds like Herr Roloff's Farewell. The fiddler is Belle(?) Bryan of Elgin.

This is definitely one worth learning. It's just beautiful! Sorry for any mangling I've made of Scots/English.:-)

Thanks,

kat

Subject: RE: Herr Roloff's Farewell?? Real name please
From: Willie-O
Date: 09 Nov 03 - 08:00 AM

kat, I'm still waiting for Realplayer to come up with that segment of the program ($%^&* dialup!). However I can tell you that, assuming it's the right tune, you are exactly correct about the name. Herr Roloff's Farewell, by J. Scott Skinner, 4/4, key of F, appears in Aly Bain's great book 50 Fiddle Solos (comes with a tape).

Best
Bill

Subject: RE: Herr Roloff's Farewell?? Real name please
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Nov 03 - 07:20 PM

Wow, Bill, thanks! Marion says she borrowed that book from you, a long time ago. Glad my ears didn't fail me. BTW, I heard a distinctive "WillieO" chord progressions version of Wayfarin' Stranger from her, today. Nicely done. Reminded me of your CD!

kat

Subject: RE: Herr Roloff's Farewell?? Real name please
From: John Routledge
Date: 09 Nov 03 - 08:15 PM

It also makes a fine Northumbrian Small Pipes tune. Assumed wrongly it was Northumbrian. Illusion shattered :0(

Subject: RE: Herr Roloff's Farewell?? Real name please
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 09 Nov 03 - 11:39 PM

Herr Roloff's is a great tune. NPR played Aly Bain's version as the exit music to a segment about the man who shot those Scottish school children. The violin and piano playing out the segment brought tears to my eyes.

Subject: RE: Herr Roloff's Farewell?? Real name please
From: katlaughing
Date: 10 Nov 03 - 10:34 AM

Do any of you have the ABC of the tune, which you might post? I think this is one which should definitely be in the tune database. It is so beautiful.

Thanks for your comments. (John, I'd love to hear it on the pipes!)

kat

Subject: RE: Herr Roloff's Farewell?? Real name please
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 10 Nov 03 - 11:52 AM

Staff notation can be seen in Adolph L. Roloff's own hand at the University of Aberdeen's The Music of James Scott Skinner:

Herr Roloff's Farewell

Subject: RE: Herr Roloff's Farewell?? Real name please
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 10 Nov 03 - 12:05 PM

Additionally, there is a midi and (rather small) staff, the latter apparently lifted from Bain's book, at Lorrie's Treasure Trove of Tunes

You can hear the tune played on the Northumbrian pipes on Pauline Cato and Tom McConville's By Land and Sea (Tomcat Music, TCCD 01, 1996): details at http://www.tomcatmusic.com/

Subject: RE: Herr Roloff's Farewell?? Real name please
From: katlaughing
Date: 10 Nov 03 - 12:53 PM

Thank you, Malcolm. Those are great sites, esp. the treasure trove of tunes. I can use the sheet music to put it in Noteworthy Composer more easily, in order to make it more readable. I love seeing it in Roloff's own handwriting, though, and it is very readable.

kat