A few weeks ago I was listening to the Chieftans Long Black Veil and decided to learn Dunmore Lasses since it’s not played too fast and has an almost haunting quality. Then today, again while working on my mail route, I got out an older cd I hadn’t listened to in a while and low and behold there was a set, can’t remember who by, its in the car still or I’d look, but Dunmore Lasses was played in cut time, very fast, and it sounded wonderful. I couldn’t wait to get home to try it faster and shocked myself by being able to do it! So that got me to wondering…
Have ya’ll come across other tunes like this?
That are absoultely beautiful played slower with feeling and also GREAT if you just tear into them and let it fly?
I think that Road to Lisdoonvarna counts as one of those (which is probably why the same notes can be timed as either a reel or a jig… weird tune all around, that one…)
I can’t play it fast enough to be sure though, but I like it both slow and as fast as I can play it. 
–Chris
‘Banks of Locheil’ can be played as a jig, but is haunting when played as a slow air.
Love at the Endings is beautiful played slowly (in McCullough first book). Jay Unger style with fiddle, guitar and whistle. The Weekenders play it that way and everybody thinks its some new thing but ha, its a reel!
Good ol “Rosin the Bow” sounds like Scots or American oldtime played slow but like a jig fast.
“There’s more to life than whistling, but not much more.” -LB
[ This Message was edited by: The Weekenders on 2002-05-04 14:35 ]
Well, off my head I can think of:
Rolling in the Barrel
Strayaway Child
Paddy on the Binge
Gan Ainm (the one that Seamus Egan always plays)
The Butterfly
The Gravel walk is mostly played at break-neck tempo by hyper-active fiddle players but sounds really good played slow and relaxed on whistle. Mike
My “slow” set of reels [and some recordings you could hear them on] are:
The Maids of Mitchelstown [Bothy Band]
The Last Pint [Lunasa]
Cuz Teehan’s [McGoldrick or Lunasa??]
They all sound great slow
…and fast
Star of the County Down works well either way. In fact, I like to play it as a slow air, then cut into a fast bouncy version.
Tim Britton plays a slow, dreamy version of Banks of Lough Goughna which is terrific.
On a related note, the great pianist Arthur Rubenstein said " Most people play slow compositions too slow, and fast ones too fast". Something to think about.
Whatever your favorite killer-fast tune is, try playing it slowly. Even if you don’t especially like it that way, I’ll bet you get a better insight into the tune by doing this once in a while.
Haste to the Wedding (Deifir na Bainfheise) becomes a beautiful & stately march, when played at about one-third speed.
Cutting Bracken / I’m So Tired (Tha Mi Sgith) can be done as a 3/4 air and as a strathspey. I think Silly Wizard does it that way.
Check out Michael Miles’ slow version of The Wind that Shakes the Barley on 5-string banjo. It’s almost at the bottom of the page. There’s some other nice stuff too. A slowish version of Whiskey Before Breakfast.
http://www.magicbanjo.com/mbanjo_recordings.html#Magic%20Banjo
Steve
On 2002-05-04 07:55, brewerpaul wrote:
Star of the County Down works well either way. In fact, I like to play it as a slow air, then cut into a fast bouncy version.
I’ll second that… it’s surprising how good it sounds as a slow air.
On 2002-05-04 09:37, raindog1970 wrote:
On 2002-05-04 07:55, brewerpaul wrote:
Star of the County Down works well either way. In fact, I like to play it as a slow air, then cut into a fast bouncy version.I’ll second that… it’s surprising how good it sounds as a slow air.
Wait a minute.. wasn’t “Star of the County Down” a slow song/air originally?
On 2002-05-04 09:57, Eldarion wrote:
Wait a minute.. wasn’t “Star of the County Down” a slow song/air originally?
Most versions I’ve heard are pretty lively, but I don’t doubt that you’re right.
I’m glad everyone thinks this way…slow and fast too. I was thinking of making a c.d. of a lot of the tunes I like only played slow
or slower so the general public would see how nice the songs could be when a fiddler wasn’t just ripping them out fast as lightening.
Lolly
You know, I’d forgotten about Star of the County Down!, thanks for the reminder.
The first time I ever heard this tune, on the radio, it was played very slow, just fiddle and what sounded like a cello? and it was absolutely beautiful. I remember stopping beside the road to try to write down who did the recording, but reception was not good and I must have heard wrong. I thought they said it was by Jenny Allendar(spelling?), an irish fiddling champion. I’ve never been able to find anysuch recording so I assume I heard wrong. Do any of ya’ll know what recording this might be?
On 2002-05-04 09:57, Eldarion wrote:
On 2002-05-04 09:37, raindog1970 wrote:
On 2002-05-04 07:55, brewerpaul wrote:
Star of the County Down works well either way. In fact, I like to play it as a slow air, then cut into a fast bouncy version.I’ll second that… it’s surprising how good it sounds as a slow air.
Wait a minute.. wasn’t “Star of the County Down” a slow song/air originally?
It was written by Cathal Mac Garvey(1866-1927). The air is `My love Nell´. Mike
Just to refresh your memories there was a discussion of this tune previously where it was pointed out that it is similar to a very old tune for Gilderoy.
http://www.contemplator.com/scotland/gilderoy.html
Steve
I agree re Dunmoor Lasses (a favorite) and the Butterfly. How about Battle of Aughrim? Philo
I want to mention Cooley’s Reel. I heard it first (consciously) played as a slow reel on a solo fiddle at a session and was in love with it. It get’s played quite a bit around here, and is great played fast. It’s nice a set eg. Scollay’s/Cooley’s/Star of Munster.