We usually start the session with some of these fairly easy tunes to warm up… like Bear Dance, Hunt the Squirrel, Kafouzalem, Lucy Farr’s, Rusty Gully, Spirit of the Dance, Salmon Tails and Clare Reel – and indeed we are happy to play whichever tunes on this website that you have been practising. The tune of the month is just a way to have at least one tune that we’ve all been working on.
3.30pm at The Jericho Tavern upstairs room, Walton St, Oxford, OX2 6AE
Buy a drink (or food) from the bar and bring it upstairs.
| Slow session date | Tune of the month |
| 2nd September 2018 | Claire Connor’s Lament |
| 5th August 2018 | The Hut on Staffin Island |
| 1st July 2018 | Flatworld |
| 3rd June 2018 | The Hills of Kaitoke |
| 6th May 2018 | Tommy Peoples’s reel |
| 22nd April 2018 (in the Chequer’s Pub as part of Oxford Folk Weekend free events) | Soldier’s Joy |
| 1st April 2018 (Easter day) | La Sansonette |
| 4th March 2018 | Poules Huppées and Kerr’s Jig |
| 4th February 2018 | Tongadale Reel |
| 7th January 2018 | The Night Poor Larry was Stretched |
| 26th November 2017 (December session a week early! back in Jericho Tavern) | Ille Bhig |
| 5th November 2017 (venue for November – Chequers Pub) | You’ve been a long time away Willy Gray |
| 1st October 2017 | The Frost is All Over |
| 3rd September 2017 | Cavers of Kirkcudbright |
| 12th August 2017 (NB SATURDAY 2.30pm for August only) |
Harvest Home |
| 2nd July 2017 | Bert MacKenzie’s Birthday Waltz |
| 4th June 2017 | Seven Stars |
| 7th May 2017 | Keel Row |
| 2nd April 2017 | Four-Up Hornpipe |
| 5th March 2017 | The Kesh Jig |
| 5th February 2017 | Rights of Man |
| 1st January 2017 | Scottish theme (see below) |
| 4th December 2016 | Brenda Stubbert’s |
| 6th November 2016 | Salmon Tails |
| 2nd October 2016 | Drowsy Maggie |
| 11th September 2016 | Jump at the Sun |
| 7th August 2016 | Calliope House |
| 3rd July 2016 | Rose in the Heather |
| 5th June 2016 | John Ryan’s Polka |
| 1st May 2016 | May Mazurka |
| 3rd April 2016 | Pearl Wedding in D |
| 6th March 2016 | Hut on Staffin Island |
| 7th February 2016 | Rights of Man |
| 3rd January 2016 | Girl with a Blue Dress on |
| 6th December 2015 | Bitter Withy, God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman and I Saw Three Ships |
| 1st November 2015 | Calliope House |
| 4th October 2015 | Rights of Man |
| 6th September 2015 | Lucy Farr’s |
| 2nd August 2015 | Tongadale |
| 5th July 2015 | Trip to Pakistan |
| 7th June 2015 | Galtee Hunt |
| 3rd May 2015 | Pearl Wedding in G |
| 5th April 2015 (Easter Day) | NO SLOW SESSION |
| 1st March 2015 | Keel Row |
| 1st February 2015 | Kerfunken Jig |
| 4th January 2015 | Dr Letcher’s Favourite (aka Mounthills) |
| 7th December 2014 | Hole in the Hedge and Hunt the Squirrel |
| 2nd November 2014 | Clare Connor’s Lament |
| 5th October 2014 | Booley House |
| 7th September 2014 | Planxty Irwin |
| 3rd August 2014 | May Mazurka |
| 6th July 2014 | Butterfly |
| 1st June 2014 | Poules Huppées (Crested Hens) |
| 4th May 2014 | The Night Poor Larry was Stretched |
| 6th April 2014 | The Lily |
| 2nd March 2014 | The Clare Reel |
| 2nd February 2014 | Rusty Gully |
| 5th January 2014 | Bear Dance |
As the first Sunday of the month falls on the 1st January in 2017, we thought we might celebrate with the Scots (who are still celebrating on New Year’s Day) and focus on our Scottish tunes:
Bert Mackenzie’s 70th Birthday Waltz
Brenda Stubbert’s reel (not really Scottish but almost)
Calliope House
Hut on Staffin Island
Jenny Dang the Weaver
Tongadale
Trip to Pakistan
I’d like very much to come to the slow session on 4th January, is it possible to provide Dr Letcher’s Favourite (and any others) in alto clef for viola, as I’m not great at reading treble clef?? I don’t know how easy or difficult this is to do, but thought I’d ask! – Alison (viola)
Dear Alison,
I’ve transposed Dr Letcher’s favourite and posted it up on that page. There three other tunes I’ve already done for the alto clef, so I’ve created a file with these four tunes together and put it on the ‘All tunes for printing’ page.
I hope this helps!
I can transpose tunes but it just takes a little while. I do have one book of folk tunes in the alto clef, but mostly I’ve found tunes in the treble so I usually follow those (very slowly) until I can hear the tune and then learn it off by heart. It is lovely once you’ve got it in your head, but it does take some patience (well, for me). Anyway, have fun with these tunes (I think Paddy Fahey is a bit impossible on the viola) and let me know if there are others you’d like to learn.
Best wishes,
suke