Edinburgh Tunes - Karen Marshalsay

Harp Type: Lever     Standard: Intermediate

Edinburgh is a great city, full of history and stories of its people and events. The architecture is fascinating and varied, as expected from a city over 900 years old. And of course there are tunes, many of them printed during the 18th century when Edinburgh was at the centre of music publishing in Scotland, and the Scottish Enlightenment. It is a joy to go through the old books and manuscripts, often online nowadays, and discover the treasures inside.

I have chosen some of my favourites to play on harp and presented them in this book. The dance tunes do not need to be played all that fast, and indeed benefit from a more courtly approach, as long as the rhythms are strongly played. Enjoy the tunes of the great city of Edinburgh, my home until very recently when I did the reverse of the great musician and compiler James Oswald and moved from Edinburgh to Crail.

For an entertaining and enlightening overview of Edinburgh and its music I recommend Jack Campin’s website Embro Embro, the hidden history of Edinburgh and its music, which was my initial source for some of these pieces.

Karen Marshalsay