Tune Add: Maid of Selma

Subject: Tune Add: Maid of Selma
From: leeneia
Date: 19 Feb 07 - 11:46 PM

If Joe Offer is about, a new tune will appear in this thread. It is from O'Neill's Music of Ireland (#250 in my edition), and it's called "Maid of Selma."

Remember, there are only 25 picking days left till March 17th.

The tune is marked "gaily," so don't make it sound scary, even though it starts out in Em. The staccato bits are in the original.

The second measure has a jump of an octave, and that high G can get pretty brash. Our church choir had a visiting expert (we get a visiting expert for every concert) who talked to us about singing a high note softly. I had never done that before, but I could see places where it is just the right thing to do. I believe that it's the right thing to do on this high G, so I tried to program it that way.

I have worked out some chords, and I play this song on the piano. "Maid of Selma" takes six chords, Em, G, C,D,Am and Bm. There are three ways you can play the second chord, and they all sound pretty good. The song has 24 measures, but some measures take 2 chords, so there are 27 changes in it.

These are things that make it challenging, but they also make it lovely and interesting.

I've written a little bass part to help people work out chords if they want.

---

Click to play

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Maid of Selma
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 01:57 AM

Tune posted. I like it, Leeneia.
Sorry for the delay. Now there are only 24 picking days until March 17.
-Joe-

---

Click to play

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Maid of Selma
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 12:47 PM

The tune also is in "Ryan's Mammoth Collection of Fiddle Tunes," edited Patrick Sky, facsimile reprint of 1883 American fiddle tune collection. 175pp. Available from Elderly Instruments for $19.95.
http://www.elderly.com/books/items/02-95359.htm

Tune also known as An Maigdean Ua Selma. Description and tune in The Fiddler's Companion:
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/MAID.htm
Maid of Selma

Appears in:
Neil Stewart, 1772, A Collection of Scots Songs adapted for voice and harpsichord.
Corri, 1783. A New and Complete collection of the most favorite Scots songs... 2 vol. issued
1726, Musick for Allan Ramsay's Collection of Scots Songs.
Above from Olson' list.
http://www.csufresno.edu/folklore/Olson/SCOTTUNS.HTM

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Maid of Selma
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 12:55 PM

Complete index to 1850 edition, O'Neill's Music of Ireland, here:
http://www.oldmusicproject.com/songlist.xls

(Uses Front Page to install)

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Maid of Selma
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 01:35 PM

Sheet music on line, from 1853, "Scots Musical Museum," James Johnson and Robert Burns, as "Song of Selma." National Burns Collection, vol. 2, song 119, pp123-124 : burns.scran.ac.uk.

Song of Selma

If that doesn't work, go through Google.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Maid of Selma
From: Stewart
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 03:45 PM

It's also on TheSession.org here

A nice tune.

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Maid of Selma
From: Stewart
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 04:38 PM

Actually I prefer the version here given by leeneia over that in TheSession.org

Here's the abc file

X:1
T:Maid Of Selma
R:jig
C:O'Neill's #250
M:6/8
L:1/8
Q:3/8=130
K:G
G2E EDE|G3g2e|d2B BAG|ABA A2B|G2E EDE|G3g2e|d2B BAG|A3G3||
d3gfg|e3edB|d2e g2a|b2e e3|d3gfg|e3edB|d2e g2a|a3g3||
b2e efg|f2d d3|e2B BAG|A2E E3|G2E EDE|G3g3|edB BAG|A3G3|]

Copy and paste this into Concertina.org and hit "submit" and you will get the score and a midi file.

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Maid of Selma
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 05:34 PM

The tune at Session is taken from The Fiddler's Companion.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Maid of Selma
From: leeneia
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 06:43 PM

Thanks for all the info, and thanks, Stewart, for posting the ABC.

To whomever said that they liked my version better: Thanks. That's what I like to hear.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Maid of Selma
From: leeneia
Date: 21 Feb 07 - 10:07 AM

Of course, it would be so nice if someone posted and said, "I'm going to try playing this on my [name of instrument].

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Maid of Selma
From: Stewart
Date: 21 Feb 07 - 12:50 PM

Leeneia - I've already played this on my fiddle. It's a nice tune and fun to play. But I guess you already knew that.

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Maid of Selma
From: leeneia
Date: 21 Feb 07 - 11:04 PM

Hey, that's nice. I'm glad to hear it. I'll be playing it with my friends on March 17th.