Here are two tunes to start off December! To me, these are the kind of tunes to listen to by a fire, all warm and cosy... Perfect for wintertime. The first one is by Eric Merrill, and the second is a version of a Scottish march called Bonnie Prince Charlie which I learned from the band Velocipede.

Hell'n'Grace/Charlie's March

Red Prairie Dawn/White Mountain Fall

I wrote this song based on a fairy tale of the same name in Hans Christian Andersen's collection. It tells a tragic love story and basically says that jumping to conclusions isn't really the best idea.
Vocals - Josie Duncan
Double bass - Julian Pombo
Mandolin - Graham Rorie
Piano - myself
Recorded by Bob Whitney at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

The Ice Maiden

These are two tunes I wrote, which I arranged and recorded with Dylan Cairns-Howarth. 
"My Room" was named after the room which I currently live in, meaning it's mine, but which Dylan first lived in, which he claims means it's his. Silly. (Not that I'm possessive at all...) 
"Above the Clouds" was in point of fact written above the clouds, on a plane making the journey across the Atlantic Ocean. No better way to pass the time on an airplane that writing tunes!

My Room/Above the Clouds

One of the most fun sets I've played. Rory and I put this set together for a gig some months before my recital, and at the time were really just looking for tunes we both knew. As a result, we picked a couple of fairly well-known tunes - which ended up being excellent for having fun with.

Mattie and Karine's/Tripping Down the Stairs (Aidan O'Rourke/Trad)

Rory Matheson: piano
Craig Baxter: bodhran

Tripping

I wrote this tune for a friend of mine, whose name is Emma. Unfortunately, there is already at least one tune called "Emma's," so I had to get creative.

Miss Mehegan of Pembroke (Madeleine Stewart)

Rory Matheson: piano

Miss Mehegan Of Pembroke

A very creatively titled set of tunes in A major. The first tune was written by my brother for our grandmother, and the second was written by my flatmate. And I just really like playing the last one.

Engelke/Fell Court/The Horse's Tail (Axel Stewart/Sam Mabbett/Zoe Conway)

Rory Matheson: piano
Craig Baxter: bodhran

A Major Set

Madeleine Stewart is a Glasgow-based fiddler and pianist. In addition to performing with a variety of bands, she writes and teaches. Her music is a natural mixture of her American musical upbringing and her immersion in Glasgow's traditional music scene.

Madeleine Stewart

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