Annotation:Naanie an' Betty

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NAANIE AN' BETTY. Shetland, Shetland Reel. Shetland, Nesting/Whalsay. C Lydian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. "A traditional reel from Whalsay, learned from the late John Irvine who said it was a very old reel. Naanie and Betty were apparently two very good dancers " (Anderson). Shetland fisherman Irvine was known as Auld Glibie (or Glybie), and learned to play the fiddle at age nine, and was a popular fiddler at weddings -- hear him tell his story to Tom Anderson at Tobar an Dualchais [1] [2]


Source for notated version: John Irvine [Anderson]. There is a picture of Irvine with his fiddle and bow in the doorway of his home, 1954, on p. 88 of Anderson's Ringing Strings.

Printed sources: Anderson (Ringing Strings), 1983; p. 88.

Recorded sources: Topic 12TS379, Aly Bain & Tom Anderson - "Shetland Folk Fiddling, vol. 2" (1978). Hullion (Orkney) - "A Score and More" (2012).

See also listing at:
Hear a field recording of John Irvine playing the tune at Tobar an Dualchais [3] [4]




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