An air and reel, played on a multi-tracked Mengascini D/G melodeon

Bona Lighthouse

Two hornpipes, arranged as a set for dancing. The first is named after a hill in Saddleworth, England, where I live. The second was completed on 11th November, and I thought went well with the first.

Alphin Armistice

A version of the Puss in Boots story - in which King Rat, King Charles and others make short appearances. Here's to the Cat in her little black boots!

Cat from the North in little black boots

Two reels, fuller versions of a track which is on "Dinnerstone Blue", my first album. The title of the second relates to the wonderful "Pretty in a Bonfire of Grudges." Poetry indeed. The picture is a bonito. Which sort of fits.

Station Reel and The Pretty Poet

The Shepherd's Hey is an English morris tune, known and played in many variations. Here it's paired with one of my own tunes, named after a route into the dunes near Scheveningen, South Holland.

Shepherd's Hey / The Black Path

What are fairy tales? Silly old stories, full of nonsense? Or myths we keep telling because we find something lasting there? Probably both. But here's a song about all that. And anyway, no-one wears glass slippers...

Glass Slippers

Two jigs and a reel, played as a set. The jigs are "A better liberty" and the "Kingston Jig". The reel is "County Hall". None of this is anything to do with Liberty Hall, but it's a shorter name for the set...

Liberty Hall Set

A big 64-bar jig, ready for the Cumberland Square, or some such.

The Verdict

An extended version of a tune written whilst watching some fox cubs playing on a damp lawn one early morning. Urban foxes, who didn't remotely care that they were being watched...

The Cubs and the Grass

A three-line English concertina tune, written in December, recorded completely unseasonally in May!

First Snow of Winter

A reflective piano piece, which builds into an accelerating polka.

Die Mohnblume (Poppy's Polka)

Some cute furry aliens having a go at playing a jig......

Green Rocket Rediscovered

The second in the series. This one is in A dorian mode, so still with just one sharp, but resolving to A. A very common folk "minor" in Britain and Ireland

Number Two Orange Jig

The first in a planned series of 7 modal polkas - this one in the simple major Ionian mode. And with a footbass!

Number eight fuchsia polka

The second in this series of modal polkas. This is in dorian mode, a lovely folky minor. Photo credit to Jim the photographer, via Flickr.

Number nine marigold polka

The third in this series of modal polkas. This is therefore in phrygian mode, heavy on woodwind and percussion.

Number ten broom polka

The sixth in this series of modal polkas. This one is in aeolian mode, an alternative minor, led by mandolin, with lots of other things..

Number thirteen selfheal polka

This is the last in a series of seven modal polkas. This is in lochrian mode, which some say doesn't really exist. And yet here it is.... (Picture credit: Liz West)

Number fourteen loosestrife polka

The third in this series, in phrygian mode. Picture credit: Stefan Berndtsson

#17 Yellowhammer Hornpipe

The fourth hornpipe in this modal series, so Lydian. Just a whole load of squeezeboxes this time!

#18 Honeycreeper Hornpipe

Number five in this series, so a mixolydian mode. It gets a bit jiggy rather than hornpipey, but hey....
Picture credit: Michael Dernbach

#19 Bluetit Hornpipe

The sixth in this series, so in Aeolian mode. Lots of bouncy minorness, with various kitchen equipment joining the squeezeboxes

#20 Bunting Hornpipe

The seventh and final in this set of hornpipes. This is therefore the tricksy and possibly not-really-existing lochrian mode. And yet here it is. 

#21 Starling Hornpipe

The first in a planned series of waltzes. This one a simple dorian mode tune, just bouncing along on various squeezeboxes. Mostly. (Picture credit to FrozenOrb) 

#22 Ruby Waltz

The second in this series, so in dorian mode. With bagpipes!

#23 Amber Waltz

The third in this series of modal waltzes. It's therefore in phrygian mode. Quite dark. Harpsichords.

#24 Tourmaline Waltz

The fourth in this set, so a tune in lydian mode. 

#25 Emerald Waltz

The fifth in this series of Gemstone Waltzes, so in mixolydian mode. That lovely lazy bluesy sort of mode.

#26 Sapphire Waltz

The sixth in my series of Gemstone Waltzes, so in aeolian mode. Moody piano and box on this one.

#27 Amethyst Waltz

And this is the final tune in this set. Not really a waltz (more of a brisk march really) and in a mode (lochrian) that isn't really there. Perhaps. 

#28 Jasper Waltz

Accordion, melodeon, concertina, ceilidhs, traditional and experimental

James Fitton

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