The Legend of Ireland's Magic Harp

I've made this song, using a tradtional tune, putting the words of a poem to it.
The song tells the legend of Ireland's Harp.
This is a transcription with 3 voices in the chorus and second line played by bouzouoki, mandoline or violin.

Are Ye Sleepin', Maggy

The Tannahill Weavers are a popular band who perform traditional Scottish music. Releasing their first album in 1976 they're notable for being one of the first popular bands to incorporate the sound of the Great Highland Bagpipe (the Highland bagpipes are primarily a solo instrument) in an ensemble setting, and in doing so helped to change the sound of Scottish traditional music.

The band was formed in 1968, practising in a back room of the McKay family's rented Council house at 41 St. Ninian's Road, Hunterhill, Paisley and first performed at St. Peter's Folk Club, Glenburn, Paisley. The Club was run by Pat Doherty, father of Weavers' founding member Neil Doherty.

Maid behind the bar

Maguire and Patterson's

Sharon Shannon (born 12 November 1968 in Ruan, County Clare) is an Irish musician. She is best known for her work with the accordion and for her fiddle technique. She also plays the tin whistle and melodeon. Her 1991 album Sharon Shannon is the best selling album of traditional Irish music ever released there. Beginning with Irish folk music, her work demonstrates a wide-ranging number of musical influences, including reggae, cajun music, Portuguese music, and French Canadian music. Her single What You Make It (da, da, da, da) featured hip hop music artists. She won the life time achievement award at the 2009 Meteor Awards.


Here you can hear one of her songs:

The Irish Pipes Jig

I wrote this jig after playing in our favourite pub, The Irish Pipes, in Oudenaarde (Belgium), where Geert and Luc try to create a real Irish atmosphere.

My Sorrow is Greater than I can Tell

A beautifull song, I don't know anything about his origin.
The sheet music is made for bouzouki, flute and guitar.

The leaving of Liverpool

A traditional sea shanty

Locronan

On one of my trips to Brittany I've visited Locronan, a charming little village in Finistère.
When I was back home I wrote this song, using traditional tunes of Brittany.

Here are some pictures of Locronan

Lament for Owen Roe O'Neill

This is a song by Turlough O'Carolan I've transcribbed for solo bouzouki.

Vandergaag bouzouki Tauranga

This bouzouki is totally handmade from master grade materials.The soundboard is Spruce from the Pyrenees, Spain, which gives a clear but warm sound. Sides and Back are Bubinga. Bubinga is a red-brown hardwood from West-Africa.

Neck is solid Mahogany with a truss-rod for adjustments.
Bindings are a strip of Cocobolo and the Fingerboard is Snake Wood, which is chosen for hardness and a nice flame in the wood.
This Bouzouki gives a nice crisp sound

I bought this bouzouki last year in Holland, Bergen-op-Zoom, in the Celtic Shop.

The Strayaway Child

A traditional double jig, we play it with the folky towers in 2 voices:

Erin Gra mo Chroi

This song, beautifull brought by Dervish, is one of my all time favourites.


Sheet music

Le Corsaire

A Traditional sea shanty from Brittany


Sheet music:

The Ballad of Ronnie's Mare

This is a song I know from the Dubliners.

Dear Tobacco

Listen to this reel, played by tenorbanjo and accordeon


Sheet music:

Si Mort à Mors

This is a song about the funeral of Anne De Bretagne.
Anne, Duchess of Brittany (25 January 1477 – 9 January 1514),also known as Anna of Brittany (French: Anne de Bretagne; Breton: Anna Vreizh), was a Breton ruler, who was to become queen to two successive French kings. She was born in Nantes, Brittany, and was the daughter of Francis II, Duke of Brittany and Margaret of Foix. Her maternal grandparents were Queen Eleanor of Navarre and Gaston IV, Count of Foix. Upon her father's death, she became sovereign Duchess of Brittany, Countess of Nantes, Montfort and Richmont and Viscountess of Limoges. In her time, she was the richest European woman.

Anne failed to survive the winter of 1513-1514, dying of a kidney-stone attack at the Chateau of Blois. She was buried in the necropolis of Saint Denis. Her funeral was of exceptional length, lasting 40 days, and inspiring all future French royal funerals until the 18th century.
According to her will, her heart was placed in a raised enamel gold reliquary, then transported to Nantes to be deposited, on 19 March 1514, in the vault of the Carmelite friars, in the tomb made for her parents, later being transferred to the Saint-Pierre cathedral. The reliquary of the heart of the Anne, Duchess of Brittany is a box oval, bivalvular, made of a sheet of gold pushed back and guilloched, articulated by a hinge, broadside of a gold cordelière and topped by a crown of lily and clover.
You can listen to this song, brought by Tri Yann


Sheet music of the version we bring with Folky Towers

The Yew tree

This is a not so well-known song written by the Scottish songwriter Brian McNeill
In this video it's brought by Mark Harmer.


This is the sheet music of this song

Que ne suis-je la Fougère

This piece of music was written by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (4 January 1710 – 16 or 17 March 1736) who was an Italian composer, violinist and organist.
You can hear it played by lute:


I've made a transcription for flute and bouzouki:

A medley of tunes from Brittany

The bouzouki is delightfull to play songs and tunes of Brittany.
Try the next one:

Old Italian Medieval piece

This is an old medieval piece from Italy, written for lute, like you can hear


I've made transcription playable for mandoline or bouzouki.

The Jolly Beggarman

This is a beautifull song brought bij Andy Irvine and planxty.

Partita in a mineur

This piece is the ARIA from Partita in A-minuer from Johann Anton Logy (1645-1721).
He was a Bohemian Baroque lute player and composer from Prague. He propagated the so-called French style (stile brisee) of playing in combination with Italian cantabile style. Such fusion of French and Italian style was one of the crucial subjects of baroque music.

Espanoleto

This is a well known guitar piece of Gaspar Sanz I have transcribbed for bouzouki.
(Gaspar Sanz (1640–1710) was an Aragonese composer, guitarist, organist and priest born to a wealthy family in Calanda in the Spanish comarca of Bajo Aragón. He studied music, theology and philosophy at the University of Salamanca, where he was later appointed Professor of Music. He wrote three volumes of pedagogical works for the baroque guitar that form an important part of todays classical guitar repertory and have informed modern scholars in the techniques of baroque guitar playing.)