What is this tune?

Whistle
1

I have had it in my head all day… I think I have remembered it right. Any guesses? Or any advice how to track it down?

http://vanleersum.co.uk/Whistling/what.ogg

Thanks in advance

2

Mairi Bhan Og…

But you’re missing some bits and need F naturals throughout for the true A Aeolian!

3

Ah, thank you (and so quick). Now I can look for the dots and get it right. My memory is not perfect, but at least good enough to render a recognisable version.

Wonder where I heard it then?

Off to practice.

4

Or start on F rather than E maybe? You know I get lost with the algebra…

The flaw in that plan being the third octave d…

5

Possibly a recording I’d posted here once (it’s a great favourite of mine!) but later took down.

Often spoiled with F#s, G#s and things, but this is how I have it:

X:1
T:Mairi Bhan Og
C:
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:A Aeolian
E|A>BA c2d|e2c dcB|e2A A>BA|G3-G2E|
A>BA c2d|e2c deg|e2c dcB|A3-A2:|e/g/|
a>ba g2f|e2c deg|e2A A>BA|G3-G2E|
A>BA c2d|e2c agf|e2c dcB|A3-A2e/g/|
a>ba g2f|e2c deg|e2A A>BA|G3-G2E|
c>Bc d>cd|e>de c’2b/a/|e2c dcB|A3-A2|]

F# start for B Aeolian? Nah… feels right in ‘A’ and plays beautifully with the half-holed Fs!

6

Thanks for the dots.

If you can do Fnats cleanly then yes. At my skill level? hmmmmm

7

It’s given in some books (eg Ceol na Fidhle Vol.1, where the setting’s copied from Simon Fraser’s 1816 collection) with G#s instead of the long, line-ending Gs, but to my ears this just sounds like an attempt to impose A minor ‘rules’ on a naturally modal tune.

Not sure I’ve actually heard F#s anywhere but your initial version, but Fraser’s (and hence Ceol na Fidhle’s) C# and D# in the lead up to the final high note (c>Bc d>^cd|e>^de c’2) are thankfully avoided by a harp arrangement retaining the G#s you’ll find in some YouTube videos.

You may also find another (different, but perhaps not wholly unrelated) Mairi Bhan Og… they’re both on The Session, but ours is 2817 and not 3878!

8

And probably best forgotten. I knew something was wrong, but knew not what. Still , my ‘version’ got me the information I needed, close enough to be recognised (which is miracle enough to me as it was ‘channeled’ from an ‘earworm’).