Front cover font is Chapbook by Feòrag NicBhrìde: http://www.feorag.com/freestuff
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A Most Particular Vintage
WildGoose WGS439CD A Most Particular Vintage is Bosun Higgs' new CD out on the WildGoose label and is a good representation of the great dance tunes we love to play at barn dances and ceilidhs and see people enjoying dancing to. It is a mixture of traditional tunes and recently written tunes, including some written by band members. See track list, samples, notes and reviews below. “What a melodic feast. People need to buy their new CD it's reet good!” – Martyn Harvey, Caller "It gave me the same feeling as when I first heard Cock and Bull and Flowers and Frolics with a bit of The Rakes" – Mike Wild, CD Reviewer
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1. Fred Pidgeon's No. 1/Babes in the Wood (Trad/Trad) - 5:36
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2. Out to Lunch/Old Man Quinn (Taz Tarry/Trad) - 5:55
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3. Horse and Jockey/Wigan Peer/You may if you please (Taz Tarry/Keith Holloway/Trad.) - 4:22
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4. Haughton House/Quigley's Reel (James Mitchell/Trad) - 5:03
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5. Snowday Waltz/Dream Waltz (David Margolin/Taz Tarry) - 3:43
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6. Taylor's Ale/The Alston Fiddle (Taz Tarry/Taz Tarry) - 4:34
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7. The Swiss Girl/Prince Albert's Jig (Trad/P J Headford) - 4:28
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8. Clee Hill/A Trip to Bavaria (Trad/Franz Winkler) - 4:24
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9. Wakes Barn Polka/What a Beau My Granny Was (Keith Holloway/Trad) - 4:25
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10. Bang-up Hornpipe/Wiggington Windmill (Trad/Trad) - 5:13
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11. Deed Polka/Double Figure 8 (Taz Tarry/Trad) - 4:21
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Total play time: 52:04
1. Fred Pidgeon's No. 1/Babes in the Wood (Trad/Trad)
Two standard English traditional tunes. Fred Pidgeon (1880-1970) was a fiddler from Stockland in Devon. Babes in the Wood is also known as Captain Maguire's.
2. Out to Lunch/Old Man Quinn (Taz Tarry/Trad)
Taz wrote Out to Lunch over one lunchtime at work. Old Man Quinn is a traditional Irish hornpipe which we first
heard played by the excellent English ceilidh band Gas Mark 5.
3. Horse and Jockey/Wigan Peer/You may if you please (Taz Tarry/Keith Holloway/Trad)
Horse and Jockey is the first tune Taz ever wrote, in 1988, and it is named after a pub of the same name in Hitchin which used to hold music sessions. Sadly, the pub has now been demolished. Keith wrote Wigan Peer for a clog step dance some years ago, when Keith was playing for a dance side. The dance had been taught by Geoff Hughes, from Wigan, so the title was fairly obvious. You may if you please is a traditional jig which we felt would round the set off well, especially for those three couple dances which often go nine times through.
4. Haughton House/Quigley's Reel (James Mitchell/Trad)
Taz got Haughton House from Tim Brooks at Bromyard Folk Festival one year. It has also been recorded as Auchdon House - possibly a mis-hearing of the Scottish pronunciation. Taz learnt Quigley's Reel from Howard (Mitch)Mitchell. It is a traditional tune from New England, with the alternative 19thcentury title of Atlanta Hornpipe predating the name of Quigley's Reel by which it is now often known. Al Quigley was a New England fiddle player who used to play it. With acknowledgement to the Traditional Tune Archive for this information.
5. Snowday Waltz/Dream Waltz (David Margolin/Taz Tarry)
Snowday Waltz was written by David Margolin, and was recorded on the Sweet Nell CD. Dream Waltz came to Taz in a dream and fortunately the memory of it was largely still there when he woke up, so, after grabbing his fiddle and a little bit of work, here it is
6. Taylor's Ale/The Alston Fiddle (TazTarry/Taz Tarry)
Two reels written by Taz. Taylor's Ale is so named after his favourite brewery, Timothy Taylor's of Keighley. Great beers. The Alston Fiddle was written for a fiddle Taz found in a second-hand shop in Alston, Cumbria. It said 'buy me' and after having it restored, it turned out to be quite a good instrument.
7. The Swiss Girl/Prince Albert's Jig (Trad/P J Headford)
The Swiss Girl is from the manuscript music book of Thomas Hardy the novelist's father, who was also called Thomas Hardy. Prince Albert's Jig was written by the wonderful fiddler and our great friend Flos Headford. It is named after the Prince Albert Inn in Stroud, which used to be home to an excellent weekly English music session, and still welcomes live music of many different types.
8. Clee Hill/A Trip to Bavaria (melody from the song Die Fischerin vom Bodensee) (Trad/Franz Winkler)
Clee Hill is a well-known traditional tune, originally collected from Dennis Crowther from the village of Cleehill. Clee Hills are a range of hills in South Shropshire, near Ludlow. The second tune is the melody from the Bavarian song Die Fischerin vom Bodensee (The Fisherwoman from Bodensee), written in 1947. Bodensee is the locals' name for Lake Constance. The tune has also been used for a Scottish Country Dance called A Trip to Bavaria written by James MacGregor-Brown, hence it's 'English' name. Neil got the tune from Roger Edwards.
9. Wakes Barn Polka/What a Beau My Granny Was (Keith Holloway/Trad)
Keith wrote Wakes Barn Polka when playing for a wedding reception at Gilbert White's House, in Selborne, Hants. Wakes Barn has been turned into avenue, and on that day the G & T's were flowing, the sun was shining, and the result was this tune. What a Beau My Granny Was, originally learnt by Taz with the more mundane name of Sussex Polka, is from the William Aylemore's manuscript (1796-1818). It can also be found in one of the Lewes' sessions 'Lewes Favourites' tune books. There is also a Scottish dance and corresponding (different) tune with the same name.
10. Bang-up Hornpipe/Wiggington Windmill (Trad/Trad)
Bang-up Hornpipe was learnt from Cath Watkins of Jigfoot, whilst Taz learnt Wiggington Windmill from the collection of traditional Northern dance music, 'A Northern Lass', edited by Jamie Knowle. There used to be a pub called the Windmill Inn in Wigginton near York. It has been a private residence since 1939. Note the variant spelling for the place in the tune title, which occasionally turns up elsewhere
11. Deed Polka/Double Figure 8 (Taz Tarry/Trad)
Taz wrote Deed Polka after his fiancé, Jan, changed her surname to his by Deed Poll (see what I did there?) when they had to postpone their planned wedding. Double Figure Eight was made famous by The Old Swan Band and is now a standard in English music sessions, usually, as here, with the 'round three' ending from the Old Swan Band's version.
Two standard English traditional tunes. Fred Pidgeon (1880-1970) was a fiddler from Stockland in Devon. Babes in the Wood is also known as Captain Maguire's.
2. Out to Lunch/Old Man Quinn (Taz Tarry/Trad)
Taz wrote Out to Lunch over one lunchtime at work. Old Man Quinn is a traditional Irish hornpipe which we first
heard played by the excellent English ceilidh band Gas Mark 5.
3. Horse and Jockey/Wigan Peer/You may if you please (Taz Tarry/Keith Holloway/Trad)
Horse and Jockey is the first tune Taz ever wrote, in 1988, and it is named after a pub of the same name in Hitchin which used to hold music sessions. Sadly, the pub has now been demolished. Keith wrote Wigan Peer for a clog step dance some years ago, when Keith was playing for a dance side. The dance had been taught by Geoff Hughes, from Wigan, so the title was fairly obvious. You may if you please is a traditional jig which we felt would round the set off well, especially for those three couple dances which often go nine times through.
4. Haughton House/Quigley's Reel (James Mitchell/Trad)
Taz got Haughton House from Tim Brooks at Bromyard Folk Festival one year. It has also been recorded as Auchdon House - possibly a mis-hearing of the Scottish pronunciation. Taz learnt Quigley's Reel from Howard (Mitch)Mitchell. It is a traditional tune from New England, with the alternative 19thcentury title of Atlanta Hornpipe predating the name of Quigley's Reel by which it is now often known. Al Quigley was a New England fiddle player who used to play it. With acknowledgement to the Traditional Tune Archive for this information.
5. Snowday Waltz/Dream Waltz (David Margolin/Taz Tarry)
Snowday Waltz was written by David Margolin, and was recorded on the Sweet Nell CD. Dream Waltz came to Taz in a dream and fortunately the memory of it was largely still there when he woke up, so, after grabbing his fiddle and a little bit of work, here it is
6. Taylor's Ale/The Alston Fiddle (TazTarry/Taz Tarry)
Two reels written by Taz. Taylor's Ale is so named after his favourite brewery, Timothy Taylor's of Keighley. Great beers. The Alston Fiddle was written for a fiddle Taz found in a second-hand shop in Alston, Cumbria. It said 'buy me' and after having it restored, it turned out to be quite a good instrument.
7. The Swiss Girl/Prince Albert's Jig (Trad/P J Headford)
The Swiss Girl is from the manuscript music book of Thomas Hardy the novelist's father, who was also called Thomas Hardy. Prince Albert's Jig was written by the wonderful fiddler and our great friend Flos Headford. It is named after the Prince Albert Inn in Stroud, which used to be home to an excellent weekly English music session, and still welcomes live music of many different types.
8. Clee Hill/A Trip to Bavaria (melody from the song Die Fischerin vom Bodensee) (Trad/Franz Winkler)
Clee Hill is a well-known traditional tune, originally collected from Dennis Crowther from the village of Cleehill. Clee Hills are a range of hills in South Shropshire, near Ludlow. The second tune is the melody from the Bavarian song Die Fischerin vom Bodensee (The Fisherwoman from Bodensee), written in 1947. Bodensee is the locals' name for Lake Constance. The tune has also been used for a Scottish Country Dance called A Trip to Bavaria written by James MacGregor-Brown, hence it's 'English' name. Neil got the tune from Roger Edwards.
9. Wakes Barn Polka/What a Beau My Granny Was (Keith Holloway/Trad)
Keith wrote Wakes Barn Polka when playing for a wedding reception at Gilbert White's House, in Selborne, Hants. Wakes Barn has been turned into avenue, and on that day the G & T's were flowing, the sun was shining, and the result was this tune. What a Beau My Granny Was, originally learnt by Taz with the more mundane name of Sussex Polka, is from the William Aylemore's manuscript (1796-1818). It can also be found in one of the Lewes' sessions 'Lewes Favourites' tune books. There is also a Scottish dance and corresponding (different) tune with the same name.
10. Bang-up Hornpipe/Wiggington Windmill (Trad/Trad)
Bang-up Hornpipe was learnt from Cath Watkins of Jigfoot, whilst Taz learnt Wiggington Windmill from the collection of traditional Northern dance music, 'A Northern Lass', edited by Jamie Knowle. There used to be a pub called the Windmill Inn in Wigginton near York. It has been a private residence since 1939. Note the variant spelling for the place in the tune title, which occasionally turns up elsewhere
11. Deed Polka/Double Figure 8 (Taz Tarry/Trad)
Taz wrote Deed Polka after his fiancé, Jan, changed her surname to his by Deed Poll (see what I did there?) when they had to postpone their planned wedding. Double Figure Eight was made famous by The Old Swan Band and is now a standard in English music sessions, usually, as here, with the 'round three' ending from the Old Swan Band's version.
For full reviews where available, see our CD Review page. Excerpts are show below.
"It gave me the same feeling as when I first heard Cock and Bull and Flowers and Frolics with a bit of The Rakes" – Mike Wild, CD Reviewer
“What a melodic feast. People need to buy their new CD it's reet good!” – Martyn Harvey, Caller
"The playing throughout is of a very high quality and that the instruments blend very well together and also the recording is of the usual high quality from Doug Bailey at the Wild Goose studios. A delightfully cheerful album for listening to." – Derek 'Giff' Gifford, Folk NorthWest
"I’ve already said that A Most Particular Vintage is excellent for dancing but what about listening? Well, I’ve enjoyed it but I was concentrating on the music – I’m not sure that I could play it and read a book at the same time."
An excerpt from a review by Dai Jeffries on Folking.com. For the full review see https://folking.com/bosun-higgs-a-most-particular-vintage-wildgoose-wgs439cd/
"This is straight ahead, no nonsense English dance music played in an exhilarating manner at danceable speed; music that pleases the ear as well as the dancing feet." An excerpt from a review by Vic Smith in Issue 145 of The Living Tradition, Issue 145, August/September 2022. For the full review see https://www.livingtradition.co.uk/webrevs/wgs439cd.htm
"Whilst listening to the CD is a pleasure (and you can always enjoy a little dance at the same time!) I am sure that you will find it even more enjoyable to see and hear them in the flesh and better still from the dance floor." An excerpt from a review by Carl Filby on Unicorn Folk. For the full review see https://unicornfolk.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Bosun-Higgs-A-Most-Particular-Vintage.pdf
This jaunty outing is much as you would expect from the outfit's name: traditional and modern dance tunes to set your feet tapping. If you like country dance music, at a ceilidh or on your hi-fi, here are 11 tracks, and twice as many tunes, to lift the spirits." An excerpt from a review by Spencer Taylor in the Autumn 2022 edition of EFDSS's EDS Magazine.