ISBN 9781619118164.

Many great Scottish traditional tunes such as Flowres Of The Forrest can be traced back to the 17th centuryaa period when writing down tunes in manuscript collections for the lute was of high interest. Rob MacKillop has created very playable arrangements for the mandolin featuring 25 popular tunes from the Skene, Balcarres, Panmure and Straloch manuscripts. This is a wonderful collection of dance tunes and airs, most of which have not been available for the mandolin until now. The notation is in treble clef with tablature for GDAE tuning. Includes access to online audio featuring Rob Mackillopas performance of each piece. Get ready to explore a wonderful new take on old repertoire!

ISBN 9781619119642.

Many great Scottish traditional tunes can be traced back to 17th century lute music. In this collection, multi-instrumentalist Rob MacKillop has transcribed and arranged 25 popular tunes derived from various lute manuscripts. While idiomatic to the guitar, some of these arrangements include fast runs and chord changes, so are best suited to the intermediate-level flatpicking guitarist. This guitar collection consists of the same melodies in the same keys found in its mandolin counterpart, Tunes From 17th Century Scotland Arranged for Mandolin (Mel Bay Publications). In both books, suggested chords are provided wherever appropriate. Consequently, the settings work fine as either mandolin/violin and guitar duets, or as solos for either instrument. Until now, most of these appealing dance tunes and airs have not been available as guitar arrangements. Here, except for two tunes in drop-D tuning, all are in standard guitar tuning. With MacKillopas spirited online recording, generous performance notes and standard notation and tablature for each selection, get ready to explore a wonderful new take on an old repertoire! Includes access to online audio.

And what would a ?generic? Shakespeare comedy include? Certainly it would center around a pair of young lovers, probably kept apart either by social circumstances or obstructionist parents. There would probably be an important situation involving mistaken identity or some other intrigue, moments of both decorum and revelry, plus some comic relief along the way, something like Peter Quince and the ?rude mechanicals? in Midsummer Night?s Dream, or Dogberry and his bumbling constables in Much Ado About Nothing.) And the whole thing would likely be capped off by a wedding.

So here is a little suite which looks back beyond the great examples of incidental music by Grieg (Peer Gynt), Mendelssohn (Midsummer Night?s Dream) or Bizet (L?Arl�sienne), all the way back to Henry Purcell?s Ayres for the Theatre, published in 1697. It features a blend of 17th century forms and contrapuntal textures with 21st century ?wrong note? harmonies and changing meters in a diverting and accessible audience pleaser. Performance time is about 14 minutes.

The accompanying audio file gives you the first halves (roughly) of the first (Sinfonye) and last (Wedding March) movements. Yes, I know the Wedding March is in 3/4 time. Please don?t write to complain.

All Creatures of Our God and King is Michael Ware's energetic piano arrangement of the 17th century German hymn, LASST UNS ERFREUEN. This mixed meter setting is more challenging, but worth it.