Tunes of the Month

Barry's Reel

Bob McQuillen 14 Sept 78

“On this nice September day, Barry Nielsen went away. This tune will tell you where.”

Charles Fisher, of Delmar, New York suggested that the Play ALL the Tunes! project mark Veteran’s Day 2023 in honor of Bob, who served in the Marines in WWII and in Korea. We choose to highlight his “Barry’s Reel,” from Book 4 in honor of his service. The musical hint to where Barry went is in the B part.

Mike's Polka

Bob McQuillen 21 July 93

"Mike Iselin lives over in Nelson with his lovely wife, Alouette, and four nice children (are you being nice today, Owen?!)
They're a grand bunch, and I always enjoy it when any one of them shows up at the dances.
Hope that happens again real soon, Mike!"

Nominated by Justin Godin, played as part of the drive to finish Book 10.
Justin wrote, "What a great tune! I’m gonna go ahead and nominate this for tune of the month."
And Alouette added, "We lost Mike a few years ago, nice to see this memory of him."
If only Bob could see the impact these tunes have on the people he loved!

Multnomah March

Bob McQuillen, 8 April 89

"What a wonderful weekend we all had at Jim Howe's very first Spring Festival, held a the Multnomah Art Center in Portland, OR.
It was a great success, Jim, Congratulations!"

Hear Owen Marshall and Baron Collins-Hill's wonderful interpretation of this tune.

Hear the Portland Collection Recording with Apple Quickstep and Belknap’s March.

Hear La Grande Country Dance Orchestra at the Grande Victorian Ball in Walla Walla, WA, with Pete's March

Hear a funky old-time version from Tea & Honey at the Footfall Dance Weekend in Cascade, MD.

Clayborn's Jig

Bob McQuillen, 4 June 89

Brynne Marie

Bob McQuillen, 5 Mar 92

This tune is for Brynne Marie Hagy, In Memoriam, and with much love.
Her mom, Chris Brennan Hagy, is a great favorite of mine.

Chris writes: “Bob wrote this in memoriam for our 4th child, a  daughter. Brynn Marie. She was stillborn at 37 weeks, July 29, 1990.
Playing this tune gave such deep feeling and beauty. A healing piece for me.

Over time it morphed into an air, and was the impetus for my making a CD - Live at the Mermaid, Chris Brennan Hagy & Friends.
With gratitude always, Kwack!”

Apple Pie

Bob McQuillen, 25 Aug. '11

"This one's for my much-loved father-in-law, Glen Scribner, of Dublin, NH.
He's gone now but he was a great man in my life. I'll tell you about the apple pie if you ask me. It was really hilarious!!"

Bob's Own

Bob McQuillen, 26 May 81

Played in Warren’s Roadhouse by Les Fabulous Girls du Ouest Coast - 20 strong on May 29, 2023, recorded by Doug Plummer on this Facebook video.

Recorded in 1988 by New England Tradtion

On Plummer's video, Bob's Own is followed by The Walk Home by Dan Compton. Valerie Cohen offers this remembrance: "Bob often visited Seattle during the Folklife Festival. Many love his tunes here, and there are at least a couple of members of our band who have had tunes written for them. David Kaynor called for us many times, especially at Folklife, and started the tradition of callers dressing to match the band. Our caller this year, Jesse Partridge from Olympia, embraced the spirit of David by dressing up, and added a dance that David composed (With Thanks to Barb & Sue) to honor his dears friends Barb Berry and Sue Songer."

"Both Barb and Sue have Mac tunes too." - Sue in Books 12 & 15, Barb in Book 14.

My Mother's Waltz

Nominated by Justin Godin and perfect for this month.

Jig on the Mountain

May 15, 1977
On this date, yours truly, April Limber, "Applejack," and an assorted group of other idiots, 29 in all, climbed Mt. Monadnock and held a contra dance on the very top of the mountain, much to the astonishment of the many other climbers gathered there on this beautiful day.

Black Friday

A Dark Day.

April's March

Nominated by Admin

One of the first tunes that I played at the start of this project was “April’s March”.
I knew Pete Colby and April Limber and played quite a few dances with them during the 1980s.

We’ve played “Pete’s March” with great enthusiasm over the years, and you’ll see it consistently on the Leaderboard. Not so April’s. It is a fine tune, and medleys beautifully with Pete's March. You can hear April play it herself with Pete and Bob on the New England Tradition recording. She doesn’t play it as written (measures 3 and 11). Why? Did she think it went better her way, or did Bob transcribe something he didn't mean?
I like it as he published it, though it feels odd at first.

Update from Jane Orzechowski - we have the answer.
“I remembered that Mac said there was a misprint in his book which he didn't notice till after it was published. It's the 3rd full measure (the B should be an A) and the 11th measure where the phrase repeats. Of course, that makes sense when you play the tune anyway.
Since he wrote everything out by hand, it's astonishing that there are hardly any mistakes like that in all of his books!”

Whichever way you play it, April’s March is a great tune.

Jay and Molly's Waltz

Nominated by Mary Cay Brass
Jay writes: "Mary Cay Brass sent us this waltz Bob wrote for us.
We were excited to share it in our weekly Quiet Room broadcast on Facebook Live.
Bob was a frequent and beloved staff member at Northern Week at Ashokan where he taught,
played for dancing and led a very popular Chestnut Jam each day.
We had the honor and pleasure of playing a medley of Amelia and Ashokan Farewell at the Peterborough NH dance many years ago."

Good Bye, Old Man

In Honor of "The NEW Old Man of the Mountain"
A Poster by Hilliare Wilder. Click the link to see it!

This slightly nutty waltz is dated November 2007
The dedication reads:

“Good Bye, Old Man - Bob McQuillen Nov '07
At the Lake City Dance in Seattle in May, 2003, Dave Kaynor was the caller that night and he told the crowd of a tragic event.
He said, "New Hampshire has lost face." Well, it did - the Great Stone Face (AKA The Old Man of the Mountain)
that Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote about so many years ago finally fell down on May 3, just before Dave came out.
And it really was a tragedy. We sure miss him."

The message in the deleted measure reads, "don't ask; just play the damn tune" with an arrow pointing to the next measure.
It's tough to read from Bob's score, but we played this tune on March 19, 2023 at Pierce's Hall, East Putney, Vermont.

Amelia

Nominated by Bill Tomczak
"Everyone knows it, everyone plays it and it's damn beautiful.
I believe I've played it more than once every year since I first learned it. A classic!"
Hear Bob play it with New England Tradition (April Limber, Pete Colby & Bob) in a medley after Alouette's Waltz • Alouette's/Amelia

Bonus Tune - Alouette's Waltz, Book 4

The Boys of Antrim

Nominated by Tod Whittemore
"Unusual and fits Washington Hey to a T,
I think The Boys of Antrim is one of the best and most unique tunes that Bob wrote."

Woodland Dream

Nominated by Mary Cay Brass, Athens, VT
"Slow, haunting, mystical."

Peter Yarensky, Newmarket NH says, "One of my favorites ever since I first heard it.
In the dedication he makes the comment 'I saw a Bear this trip!'
Each recording in the links is different, and I really enjoy all of them."
Hear it on YouTube • Old New England • Dick Nevell • Sarah Bauhan • Elmwood Station • Applejack

Olde Tyme Quadrille

Nominated by Justin Godin, Merrimack NH
"It’s a classic, feels almost like he was channeling the ancients, but still feels like Bob.
I am also partial to the chromatic run in Bar 23."
Hear it on YouTube • Hand it Down

Ralph Page

One of Bob's most joyful tunes. Nominated by Deborah Maynard.
Hear it on YouTube • Old New England • Applejack