Ruth Carlyle sings my songs

Perthshire Air

An arrangement for 4 cellos (Songwriter file).  Arranged for Cello Quartet by Karen E McAulay from ‘Songs of the Pyrenees’, by Mrs S G C Middlemore

Songs of the Pyrenees. No.2. Fandango

Arranged for Cello Quartet by Karen E McAulay from ‘Songs of the Pyrenees’, by Mrs S G C Middlemore

Songs Of The Pyrenees No.1 Bolero

Sylvia's Serenade

I tried to write a slip jig, but it turned into something quaintly old-fashioned.  Maybe it's how I feel after months of lockdown - a bit older, a bit out of date ...

2021 Sorrowful Air

Sketchy, followed by authentic - then a touch of the Busoni treatment.

Purcell's 'The Siege of Limerick' (piano skirmish)

This is a new carol with words and music by Karen McAulay. It is a joyous celebration of Christ’s birth with a human touch, considering likely responses of those involved in the first Christmas. It is performed by the composer at the piano and sung by Ruth Carlyle.

Singing “Glory” - Karen McAulay, 2021

2022 A Neilston Introit

Cherub in the Chocolate Box TUNE 2022

I sing the 2022 lyrics with the piano.  (I'm not a trained singer - this is an artist's impression!)

Cherub in the Chocolate Box Karen and piano 2022

I wanted something to follow a straight play-through of Bach's chorale, so I put the melody in the bass and improvised until I was satisfied with the results.  Then wrote it down!

2022 Ein Feste Burg Organ Prelude KMcA

Metrical psalm set to early 18th century tune, The Bonny Scot

Come Holy Ghost, Old Scots Tune

My choral piece about global warming and climate change, with just a hint of tango rhythm ....  Here performed at the Edinburgh Composers Choir Workshop organised by Chris Hutchings and Lindsey Cotter on Sunday 25 February 2024.

Not Like Noah (Edinburgh Composers Choir Workshop)

A moderately challenging secular setting for SATB, clarinet and piano.

Earth Worth (SATB with Clarinet In A)

Hymn by Arthur Seymour Sullivan.  Last verse arrangement by Karen E McAulay, 2024

2024 Bishopgarth Last Verse

Daniel Wright's solo flute collection dates from the early 1730s.  This is a set of variations for unaccompanied flute, on 'John Anderson, my Jo.'  A maggot, in musical terms, is an earworm or an obsessive returning to a theme.  I added the unadorned theme as the opening section, then set the whole lot for flute quartet - 3 flutes and a bass flute.  (Here's hoping there's a flute quartet out there willing to try it!)

John Anderson's Maggot

My 'Extinction Calypso' (words and music) orchestrated by John Cameron for Singing Allowed, conducted by Judith Sheridan.  

05. Extinction Calypso Final Mix.mp3

Challenged to write a song in an hour - this is my effort!

Extra Hour

Whispering scores

Playing around with last verse arrangement for organ

Puer Nobis Unto Us a Boy is Born (Last Verse)

My latest tune.  I don't play fiddle, so here it is on piano!

My love's in Germanie - again

I've written a new hymn for Pentecost 2025.  This is an audio track from my music notation software, so no lyrics audible until I re-record it live.

2025 Pentecost

Ballads published by Boosey

Written in memory of my late mother, Elizabeth.

Firs and Hollies Waltz

These words were “collected” by Alexander Campbell on one of his song-collecting tours of Scotland (1815 and 1817) and set to an “ancient Lowland melody”.  Karen E. McAulay https://soundcloud.com/karen-mcaulay arranged it for soprano and flute in 2018.  Recorded by Ruth Carlyle (voice) and David Barton (flute). Illustration by Nic Carlyle.

The lone wanderer - Campbell, arranged Karen E McAulay, 2018

A cello quartet arrangement of the essential Scottish New Year's tune, Auld Lang Syne.
Score available on Sheet Music Plus (late March 2019).

2019 Auld Lang Syne For Cello Quartet

This is the piece I wrote for two clarinets and sax yesterday - but today I've also made a harp version.  So far, you're just hearing a computer audio file but my friend the harp player is trying it out, so it's just possible a few notes might get tweaked in due course!!

2019 The Midge's Minuet And Trio For Harp

This is the first recording of the song 'The Spinners and the Habetrot', words and music by https://soundcloud.com/karen-mcaulay.  The habetrot is a spinning wheel fairy found in old Borders folklore.  The song is performed by Ruth Carlyle (voice) and David Barton (piano).
Illustration by Nic Carlyle

An open door, a painted chair,
The spinner sits, her silver hair
A-glinting in the late day sun,
She never stops until she’s done.
For no-one’s coming home to tea
Her time’s her own, her thoughts run free,
But help from one she hankers not:
The spinning wheel’s own habetrot.

The next-door cottage, just the same,
An ageing widow calls it hame,
She too her wheel drags to the door,
And there, from half-past one till four,
She sits and spins, and sometimes sings,
Or both might chat of bygone things,
The spinster’s long-lost soldier boy,
The widow’s son, her only joy.

The waning years would be less hard,
If each would bring into the yard,
A rocking chair instead of chores,
And leave their spinning wheels indoors.
But each was told, whilst young and fair,
That never should a maiden dare
To leave her work undone, for what
She’d have to pay the habetrot!

Their spinning wheel is said to own
A habetrot, who craves alone
A life of quiet industry,
But high the cost if you agree.
For whilst she’ll spin your yarn so fine,
She’ll eat your food and drink your wine,
She’ll lure away whate’er you’ve got,
So jealous is that habetrot!

And so the old dames sit and spin,
And as they do they chat and sing
The ballads of the olden days,
That bring to mind old country ways.
For neither friend has e’er forgot
The ever-present habetrot,
But whilst they spin to gentle song,
The spiteful fairies slumber on,

The spiteful fairies slumber on,
Slumber on, slumber, slumber on.

(c) Karen E McAulay, 2019

The spinners and the habetrot - Karen E McAulay, 2019

Do you believe in fairies? When going out blueberry picking, be wary if you hear the fairies dancing.

New song with words and lyrics by https://soundcloud.com/karen-mcaulay.

Performed by https://soundcloud.com/david-barton-music piano and Ruth Carlyle voice. Illustration by Nic Carlyle.

Blueberry Enchantment
By Karen E McAulay

“Child are you waking? It’s time to get baking,
It’s Saturday morning; there’s plenty to do!”
Weary, I turn for another few minutes,
But Mum’s on a mission, which means I am too!
Warm is the kitchen, the fragrance bewitching,
The bread gently proving, and fresh currant scones!
I reach for a spoon, for a taste of the mixture,
But I’m handed a basket and urged to be gone!

Blueberry stains cling to my fingers,
Distant the strains of a fairy dance linger,
Calling me, calling,
See, I am falling 
Under the spell of a parallel realm!

The Forest is cool as I tramp through the bracken,
Pursuing the blueberries I’m bidden to find,
That blueberry cake will be simply to die for,
It’s my mum’s speciality, bear that in mind.
There in a clearing, strange music I’s hearing,
And people are dancing in garments so fine,
Rainbow hued dresses and sunlight-drenched tresses,
I crouch, but they’ve seen that the shadow is mine.

Blueberry stains cling to my fingers,
Distant the strains of a fairy dance linger,
Calling me, calling,
See, I am falling 
Under the spell of a parallel realm!

I feel so tall, and these creatures are tiny,
But seeing me watching, they beckon me in,
How can I dance, when my mother is waiting,
Back home in the kitchen with a grease-proof lined tin!
Sensing them nearing, their blandishments fearing,
I hurriedly gathered some blueberries fine;
I should have got more, but I rushed for the door,
And if Mum guessed the reason, her face showed no sign.

Blueberry stains cling to my fingers,
Distant the strains of a fairy dance linger,
Calling me, calling,
See, I am falling 
Under the spell of a parallel realm!

I’m old now, my children are grown-up and working,
I only do baking when folk come to tea,
And that blueberry cake that my mum used to make,
Is my signature piece now, the family agree!

Blueberry stains cling to my fingers,
Distant the strains of a fairy dance linger,
Calling me, calling,
See, I have fallen
Under the spell of a parallel realm!

                                                                              © Karen E. McAulay, 2019

Blueberry enchantment - Karen E McAulay, 2019

A climate action rallying call with words and music by @karen-McAulay. Her song calls for greater collaboration to save the planet. It is performed by Ruth Carlyle (singer) and @david-barton-music (pianist). The illustration is by Nic Carlyle.

Extinction Calypso - Karen McAulay, 2019

I used to pass these ruins on my way to Paisley along Arkleston Road, and often wondered what the story was. Today I found the Geograph website AND the story AND a photo, so I just had to write a tune about it.  Here's the weblink:- https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3825314 
I'm teaching myself the concertina, and maybe one day I'l play it live, but meanwhile, here's a midi file.

2020 The Ruins Of East Arkleston - Instrumental

Written for concertina and piano, to commemorate the loss of a friend.

In Memory

improbably, a jar of spaghetti falls from a cupboard - and lands in a cup of tea.  Which prompted this miniature flute trio (two flutes and an alto flute) ...

2020 Spaghetti Leaps

A piano setting of Scottish poet Robert Burns' famous song, 
'Ae fond kiss and then we sever; ae farewell, alas, for ever'

2021 Ae Fond Kiss (Piano Only)

I arrange Scottish tunes for small ensembles, and occasionally write songs with a folk influence. Find my tunes on the ArrangeMe website https://www.arrangeme.com/

Karen McAulay

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