August | 2017 | Squeezed Out

Three jigs, written at various times over the last 40 years.

I wrote the ‘Cuckoldscoomb Jig’ in around 1977, having spotted the name Cuckoldscoomb on a local Ordnance Survey map and being rather taken with it (it’s a combe, or dry valley, set in the North Downs, near Wye). When first written, the tune was strongly influenced by ‘Rosie Finn’s Favourite’, as played on the Bothy Band’s LP Old hag you have killed me. At the time I would have played it on tin whistle or mandolin. I’ve tried it occasionally on concertina in the intervening years, but was never inspired to play it very often. But recently it came into my head while messing around on the one-row, and it seemed like finally I’d found the right instrument for it. This recording was made immediately after that discovery.

Cuckoldscoomb Jig

Played on one-row melodeon in C

‘The Limnel Tree’ is based loosely – very loosely – on the melody of the song ‘O Once I was a Shepherd Boy’. When we were recording the song for the Magpie Lane CD Six for Gold, Mat Green and I were in one room, Sophie Thurman and Benji Kirkpatrick in another. The song rattles along at quite a pace, and I must have been having trouble spitting the words out. As we finished one take, through the cans I heard Benji say “What are the lyrics? Something about a Chinaman shaking with cold?” (it’s supposed to be “shining and shaking with cold”); “and anyway, what is a limnel tree?” (er – it’s “neither a limb nor tree”). These mondegreens have stayed with the band, and on more than one occasion it was suggested that I ought to write a tune called ‘The Limnel Tree’. It appears that I finally got round to doing so in September 2009 – a mere seven years after the suggestion had originally been made!

The Limnel Tree

Played on G/D anglo-concertina

I have absolutely no recollection of writing ‘The Downpour’, but I’d guess it was made up around a dozen years ago, whilst walking back to Reading railway station after work. In the rain, presumably.

The Downpour

Played on one-row melodeon in C

For anyone who likes this sort of thing, I’ve put the dots for all three tunes in abc format below.

X:40
T:The Limnel Tree
M:6/8
C: © Andy Turner, 29/09/09
K:D
def|g3 gfe|f3 fed|e3ede|faf def|g2g gfe|f2f fed|efe ede|1 fdd:|2 fdd d3||
|:BdB G2A|Bcd dcB|cec A2B|cde edc| BdB G2A|Bcd dcd|1 edc BcB|BA^G ABc:|2 e2cd2B|BA^G A3|]

Monthly Archives: August 2017

Cuckoldscoomb Jig / The Limnel Tree / The Downpour