GREAT MEADOW MUSIC
GREAT MEADOW MUSIC
Contra, the Tradition
Contra music and dance has been popular in New England since the early seventeen hundreds. The local dance was the big event in early communities and it still is in many places today. Traditional contra music comes from the British Isles, built around the eight beat phrase of the dance movement. The tunes consisted usually of four phrases totaling 32 beats. That defines contra music today. It is music for the dance. Today Contra music comes in many flavors, but traditional contra is still popular in New England and beyond. The CDs below are some of the best of traditional contra.
New England Chestnuts
Two CD Set -
$15
Hear Clip From Vol. 1, Track #8
Rodney Miller and Friends - Two CD Set
After 20 years of collective listening, the consensus has emerged that these recordings are the definitive musical statements of these "classic" traditional New England Contra tunes. The two CD's are recommended listening for musicians, callers, and listeners interested in hearing the music that has had America dancing since colonial times. The liner notes contain a wealth of information about New England Contra music and dance. Here is the sound of classic New England Contra music at its best.
Volume 1:
- 1. Lady Walpole's Reel, Batchelder's
- 2. Opera Reel
- 3. Rory O'More, Saddle the Pony
- 4. Chorus Jig
- 5. Nerissa, Larry's Waltzes
- 6. Lamplighter's Hornpipe, Kildare Fancy
- 7. Portland Fancy
- 8. Hull's Victory
- 9. Chickadees, Silver & Gold, Sarah Dell Polkas
- 10. Money Musk
- Total time 42:15
Rodney Miller, Randy Miller, Sandy Bradley, George Wilson, Steve Woodruff 1980
Volume 2:
- 1. Ross' Reel No. 4, Lady of the Lake, Forester's
- 2. Steamboat Quickstep, White Cockade, New Rigged Ship
- 3. Road to Boston, Jenny's Gone to Linton
- 4. Glise de Sherbrooke, Whalen's Breakdown
- 5. Petronella, Green Mountain Petronella
- 6. O'Donal Abhu, Rocks of Brae, Meeting of the Waters
- 7. Maggie Brown's Favorite, Shetland Boston
- 8. The Gay Gordons, Farewell to the Glen
- 9. Fisher's Hornpipe
- 10. Heather Island, Amelia Waltzes
- Total Time: 42:44
Rodney Miller, Randy Miller, Sandy Bradley, George Wilson, Laurie Andres 1981
Canterbury Dance Orchestra
CD - $15
Canterbury Country Dance Orchestra
The name Canterbury Country Dance Orchestra goes back to 1966. Their music and Dudley Laufman's calling led to the rekindling of the contra music and dance that thrives today. In 1972 they made the first-ever long playing album of New England contra and square dance music. Now, in 2001 we have Canterbury Orchestra on CD. Their sound tells us why the Canterbury Country Dance Orchestra became so enormously popular in the late 60's and early 70's. The music is up-beat, earthy, engaging, and above all - happy.
- 1. Earl of Mansfield
- 2. Chorus Jig
- 3. Coleraine
- 4. Mistwold
- 5. Starr Label Reel, Ned Kendall
- 6. Maguinnis's Delight
- 7. Prince William II
- 8. Scotch Hornpipe
- 9. Glenn Towle
- 10. Reel de Jeunne Marie
- 11. Madame Bonaparte
- 12. Farewell to Whiskey, Money Musk
- 13. Prince William
- 14. Brisk Young Lads, 2 & 6 Penny Girl
15. Petronella- 16. Irish American Reel
- 17. La Gondeuse
- 18. Poor Auld Woman
- 19. Huntsmen's Chorus
20. Petronella with calls- 21. Meeting of the Waters
Allan Block - Fred Breunig - Art Bryan - Pete Colby - Larry DeLorier - Charlene Fagelman Morse - Dave Fuller - Nicholas S. Howe - Dudley Laufman - Ted Levin - Bob McQuillen - Vince O'Donnell - Jack Perron - Jack Sloanaker - Dick VanKleeck - Jerry Weene - 2001
Total Time 74 minutes
Where'd You Get Them Great Chunes
Twin Fiddles & Sugar River String Band
Reels, hornpipes and a jig. This is marvelous, solid, New England Contra music with Two Fiddles and The Sugar River String Band. Good Dudley chatter in the liner notes. Dudley's rendition of Money Musk is a classic.
- 1. Gloucestershire Hornpipe
- 2. Honest John
- 3. Trumpet Hornpipe
- 4. Reel à Pitou
5. Reel Joliette- 6. Christmas Hornpipe
7. Waltz Quadrille- 8. Liberation
- 9. Money Musk
- 10. Princess Royal
- 11. Opera Reel
- 12. Larry's Waltz
David Dudley & Jacqueline Laufman (Two FIddles)
Jane, Francis, Russell, Sophie and Neil Orzechowski (Sugar River String Band) Larry Seigel 2006
Total Time: 44:33 minutes
Click Here to learn the Dudley story with David Millstone's two hour documentary film: The Other Way Back/Dancing with Dudley
Click Here for Dudley and Jacqueline's book and CD on traditional New England dances, White Mountain Reels
Old New England
CD - $15
Bob McQuillen and Old New England
Bob McQuillen, legendary piano player teams up with Jane Orzechowski on fiddle and Deanna Stiles on flute to produce great New England Contra music. Their combined history of playing Contra music exceeds a hundred and ten years! They've honed their skills, for sure, but it's their sensitivity, caring, intelligence and high spirits which make this music so wonderful.
- 1. Scotty O'Neil, Jan's March, The Isle of Mull
- 2. Bill's Reel, Ice Cream Hornpipe, Altan's Reel
- 3. Melissa's Waltz, April Lee's Waltz
- 4 Derek's Jig, Bertha's Jig, Black Friday
- 5. Happy Acres Two Step and Murphy's Polka, Jonny Rhino's Polka
- 6. Kanaly's Hornpipe, Trafalgar Hornpipe, Herrin' Brook
- 7. Ms. Hathawy's Jig, Guy Walks into A Bar, Amelia's Jig
- 8. Visit To Sandy, John Simon McDonald, Good For the Tongue
- 9. Jane's Hambo, Sohpie's Hambo, Tobuguggen
- 10. The Canote Men's Bramble, Brick Layers Hormpipe, Cincinnati Hornpipe
- 11. The Kitchen, The Chicago Reel
- 12. Eugene O'Donnell
- 13. President Clinton's Hornpipe, High C's, Kiss The Cook, President Garfield's Hornpipe
- 14. Jack and Connie's Jig, Cat In the Hopper, Planxty Dennis O'Conor
- 15. Vampire Reel, Yerow's Reel, Bob With the One Horn
- 16. Heavens to Besty, Tea with Debra, Mary Elder's Jig
- 17. Francis' Hornpipe, Russell's Reel, Sandy Silva's
- 18. The JB JB Waltz, Amelia, Nancy's Waltz, Linda's Waltz, A to Z Waltz
Bob McQuillen, Jane McBride Orzechowski, Deanna Stiles, 1996
Opera House
MedleyHere is a collection of fun music from Maine. We normally don’t sell CDs that have vocals, but this CD is a worthy exception. The Old Grey Goose is dedicated to collecting and preserving traditional dance music and songs from Maine and neighboring Canadian provinces.
- 1. Opera House Medley
2. Poor Poor Woodsman
3. Earl Mitton Medley
4. Banks of Newfoundland
5. Five Step Waltz
6. Marches des Merchands des Fruits
7. Bailey’s Breakdown/ The Oyster Girl
8. Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad Polka
9. When the Silvery Moon is shining
10. The Finnish Girl
11. Reel de la Concession
12. My Girl and Me
13. Ratico
14. Reel a Quatre./Leur Partie
15. She Said she Couldn’t DanceJeff McKeen, Doug Protsik, Carter Newell and special guest Everett “Andy” Anderson, 2007
Old Time New England Fiddler - Dick Richardson
Dick Richardson was a country dancing master, fiddler and prompter in Vermont and the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire from 1903 to 1970. Ralph Page's real rise started when he began calling with the Dick Richardson Orchestra. Dudley Laufman described Dick Richardson's style of fiddling as "close to the floor." He was not a violinist. He played for country dances and his music had a strong rhythmic drive. Over his sixty-five year career, he was a mentor to many; Ralph Page, Dudley Laufman, Bob McQuillen, Duke Miller, Gene Gowing, Jimmy Baldwin and others.
CD - $15
