Traditional – Fiddling Around Book 3 (Violin Duets)

The Fiddling Around books are a wonderful and varied collection of traditional folksongs and fiddle tunes from the British Isles and North America, wide-ranging in material and treatment. Some tunes are evergreens (e.g Scarborough Fair, Skye Boat song), some curious combinations (e.g The Fair-haired Boy with the Tenpenny Bit, Ranting in the Rye), and others toe-tapping discoveries (e.g. Kemp's Jig, The East Neuk O'Fife). Drawing on fiddle styles such as jig, reel, hornpipe, strathspey, old-time, bluegrass, syncopated shuffle and American waltz, the arranger Bill Thorp has made a fascinating set of truly democratic and hugely fun duets. For colleges and professionals.

Review: "Traditional, fun fiddle tunes for duet. For colleges, professionals." – New Issues June 1998

Review: "Fiddling Around' is a series of four volumes, which include such gems as The Drunken Sailor, Barbara Allen, Greensleeves, The Derry Air and other favorites." – American Music Teacher September 1999

Biography

Thorp, Bill

Bill Thorp, born in 1952, started arranging music, while still at school, as a member of a folk group in which he played string bass. More experience followed with a college based acoustic folk-rock bank, playing violin, viola and piano, which went on to work professionally for two years. Later, in a varied career which included performing with string quartets at some of London's pizza restaurants, he was prompted to arrange music especially for that grouping and situation. Nowadays his playing career ranges from appearing on Renaissance, Baroque and Classical Violin with most of London's period instrument groups, to odd recording sessions on country and western fiddle.