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“Scottish Folk Song Suite for Violin and Cello Duo”



BRIEF DESCRIPTION:  A seven-minute suite containing four Scottish folk songs, for violin and cello duo. (See the "PROGRAM NOTES" tab below for more details about the piece.)

SOUND CLIP & SCORE SAMPLE: (sound clip coming soon)
♦  SOUND CLIP  /  SCORE SAMPLE

TOTAL DURATION:  6:50

DIFFICULTY LEVEL:  This piece was written for professional players.

PDF PRICE:  $30

COMMISSION INFO:  This piece was commissioned by Red Cedar Chamber Music.



PROGRAM NOTES

This suite is a celebration of Scottish folk songs, showcasing the variety and charm of Scotland’s many folk melodies. These melodies are known for their simplicity of expression and depth of beauty, and were a delight to arrange.

After a brief introduction, the suite begins with “Loch Lomond,” a well known and beloved tune. There's something very touching about the story of the two lovers who “will never meet again,” so I gave my arrangement a corresponding sense of yearning and heartache.

Next, we have a lively reel, “Are Ye Sleeping, Maggie?” The melody is attributed to Scottish poet and composer Robert Tannahill (1744-1810), but it has entered into the realm of Scottish folk music. After the violin and cello have each had their turn with the melody, they play it as an angular and rhythmic canon.

For contrast, a slower folk song follows. “My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose” has an expressive melody with an unusually large range for a folk song — the span of an octave plus a fifth. The eloquent nature of stringed instruments makes the violin and cello perfectly suited to express the passionate emotion in this tune.

Next, we’re immediately swept into a rousing jig, “The Atholl Highlanders.” This traditional Scottish march was originally played on the bagpipes, but works very well on stringed instruments. The Atholl Highlanders are a Scottish infantry regiment based in the village of Blair Atholl, and this song is their jig.

For a grand climax, I combined “Loch Lomond” (played by the violin) and “The Atholl Highlanders” (played by the cello, with modifications). But after this rousing high point, I’ve ended the piece quietly, with the same passage that was used to introduce “My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose.” It’s as if the bagpipers had played themselves into a frenzy and then ran out of steam, and are now taking a rest.