320 Australian songs including the old bush classics, some historical pearls unearthed and set to tunes, and some original contemporary songs.
Option 1
A PDF file download suitable for printing. It includes an alphabetical and a page order index.
Option 2
An indexed PDF with buttons on each page to return the user to the index. Suitable for downloading onto a tablet (Apple or Android), and for online viewing.
Option 3
Opens a page allowing individual songs from the folio to be viewed/ downloaded as a PDF file; as an abc file; or downloaded as a MIDI file (requires an installed MIDI program to open).
Option 4
Allows download as a SongBook Pro file for display in ChordPro Format.
This is where it all started! This folio of bush dance tune sets was compiled in 1984 to fill a gap in available music for bush bands.
BUSH DANCE consists of 164 dance tunes, arranged in sets for 41 bush dances. Dance sets have been grouped by dance formation and include tunes that have been found to provide a suitable time and rhythm for the dancers. Some of the tunes and some of the sets are interchangeable according to personal preference and of course there are many other suitable tunes to be used as well.
Background notes provide valuable information for musicians and listeners alike on the origins and history of the tunes.
The 41 dances represented here all have a strong Australian association. These
dances have been:
- recorded in historical documents as being danced in Australia in earlier times;
- introduced during the folk revival;
- discovered on field excursions by folk-lore collectors; or
- composed recently in the traditional style.
The music comes from various sources: tunes transcribed from field recordings of traditional bush musicians, such as Sally Sloane, Joe Cashmere, Harry Cotter
and Clem O'Neal; tunes from traditional-style contemporary players, such as
Jamie Carlin, Bob Mclnnes and Declan Affley; tunes from researched published
sources known to have been available in Australia; as well as a few newly
composed tunes.
The tunes transcribed from traditional players were mostly previously unpublished and hence they are not often found in the repertoire of bush bands. There are tunes in this category which warrant a much wider recognition as part of our continuing Australian tradition of dance music.
A folio of dance music in playable sets of jigs, reels, polkas and waltzes for bush dances, all organised in 4 and 8 bar phrasing.
Option 1
The folio is offered as a PDF file suitable for printing. It includes an alphabetical and a page order index.
Option 2
The folio is also offered as an indexed PDF with buttons on each page to return the user to the index. This is suitable for downloading onto a tablet (Apple or Android).
This option is also suitable for online viewing.
Option 3
Choosing this option allows you to select individual tune from the folio. Selection leads to a page displaying the tune with links to download the abc file or a MIDI file of the tune.
The Bundanoon Session that meets at the Bundanoon Club on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays has been called upon to play for the occasional Bush Dance and concert. So this is a collation of tunes that are suitable for such occasions.
Printing Option
A downloadable PDF file suitable for printing. It includes a dance index.
Tablet Option
As above but modified for tablets with an index with links to the tune sets and buttons to return to the index.
A folio of dance tunes from traditional and contemporary players including Stan Treacy, Bert Jamieson, Harry Cotter and Monty (Bill Montgomery).
Option 1
The folio is offered as a PDF file suitable for printing. It includes an alphabetical and a page order index.
Option 2
The folio is also offered as an indexed PDF with buttons on each page to return the user to the index. This is suitable for downloading onto a tablet (Apple or Android).
This option is also suitable for online viewing.
Option 3
Choosing this option allows you to select individual tune from the folio. Selection leads to a page displaying the tune with links to download the abc file or a MIDI file of the tune.
A Selection of Tunes from William Litten written down while he was ship's fiddler on the HMS Gorgon 1800-1802.
William Litten was a ship’s fiddler in George the Third’s Royal Navy in the first years of the nineteenth century.
What made Litten remarkable amongst his peers was his ability to transcribe music. In the years 1800 to 1802 he was aboard the HMS Gorgon and during the voyage he wrote down much, perhaps all, of his repertoire. Thus giving us a unique snapshot of the musical and, in particular, the fiddle repertoire of his
time.
The folio is offered as a PDF file suitable for printing. It includes an alphabetical and a page order index.
Click to Download the PDF
A Collection of Ship's Music from 1798 to 1800 as recorded in the journal of Benjamin Carter, Ship's Surgeon on the American merchant ship Ann and Hope.
The Ann and Hope was built at Rhode Island in the USA and named after the wives of the owners, Nicholas Brown, Jr. and Thomas Poynton Ives. The log of her maiden voyage gives a detailed account of the voyage to Canton
by going around the coast of New South Wales. On board as surgeon was Ann
Brown's brother, Benjamin Carter.
Presumably Carter had some musical training as he was musically literate and notated the shipboard music. Whether it was taken from the playing of on board musicians or his own repertoire we can only guess. Nevertheless, he provides an interesting snapshot of music of this period in a smorgasbord of English, Irish, Scottish, French and American tunes.
Click to Download the PDF
A folio of dance tunes from Harry Cotter, accordion and fiddle player from Binalong, NSW.
This volume was produced for the Bush Traditions Back to Binalong weekend; an initiative to focus on the music of a particular region and its musicians. Here the spotlight is on Harry Cotter and his
wife Vera and daughter Val Turton. It includes tunes only very recently transcribed by Tony Stuart and myself plus all that were previously available in publications and online.
Harry and Vera both played a single row C melodeon and Harry also played the fiddle. Harry learnt some of his tunes from his father who played the concertina. Collector John Meredith has noted that this was a common pattern in family musical history. The concertina was eminently suited to small dances often held in a room of a private home. Then as local halls were built the larger venues needed the volume of the accordion to carry the dances.
The initial interest in Harry's music came out of Canberra. In particular union organiser and musician, Colin McJannett, who was followed by others including Chris Sullivan and Jacko Kevans. Harry was feted at several folk festivals including Hill End. Ralph Pride and I transcribed some of his tunes for Bush Dance (1984).
The Sullivan/ Kevans tape is housed in the National Library of Australia. Tony Stuart accessed other recordings in the
National Library of Australia and transcribed them for Back to Binalong.
A collection of 21 Concertina Duets of collected dance tunes from traditional players and contemporary compositions arranged for a workshop at the World Concertina Day Convergence held in Goulburn in 2023.
The collection is offered as a PDF file suitable for printing or download to a tablet/ iPad.
When viewed on a tablet/iPad the indexed items take the user to the appropriate page and the Index button returns the user to the index page.
The PDF is also suitable for online viewing.
There is no abc version of this booklet.
Some of these tunes have been recorded by players at the 2023 Concertina Convergence. Videos are available on the Concertina Australia YouTube Channel.
This substantial collection gathers all my arrangements used for the National Folk Festival Bush Orchestra 2012-2022 and presents them in the full score format.
The collection is offered as a PDF file suitable for printing or download to a tablet/ iPad, and, of course, for online viewing.
The tunes are presented in alphabetical order with an Index and Notes on each tune.
There is no abc version of this booklet.
There are files available for the individual parts for some of the tunes HERE.
Some videos of the Orchestra are available on the Bush Traditions YouTube Channel.
A collection of 26 pages of schottisches for a marathon Schottischathon which took over two hours to play!
This collection was assembled for a fun activity at the 2008 Bush Traditions Gathering held at the Old Goulburn Brewery.
Half the printed copies had pages out of step so there was always some musicians to continue to play during the page turnings.
The playing took an epic two and a half hours!
And many years later folk still remember the Schottische Marathon of '08 and recount the feat of endurance required.
A set of dance tunes put together for the Monaro Folk Society New Year's Eve Bush Dance 2022 for the assembled musicians named for the Yarralumla Woolshed venue. A hop is another term for a dance!
Printing Option
A downloadable PDF file suitable for printing. It includes a dance index in approximate order for the night.
Tablet Option
As above but modified for tablets with an index with links to the tune sets and buttons to return to the index.
