Everyone enjoys Celtic Folk Songs and Folk Hymns but not all realize that often they can be one and the same. A hymn text has often found its home in a folk song and a secular text sometimes finds a home in a hymn tune. This collection has a little of both. All but one of the tunes in this collection are of Celtic origin. The exception, ?Amazing Grace,? is a folk hymn of unknown origin that has all the markings of a Celtic Tune, including a pentatonic harmonic foundation.
For the harpists who also like to understand the history of a tune or even sing along, a variety of texts along with information about the tune and the lyrics can be found in the back of this book in the ?Notes on the Tunes.?

Titles: Ad Hyd y nos, Annie Laurie, Auld Lang Syne, Bunessan, Brother James' Air, Down By the Salley Gardens, Greensleeves, Iona Boat Song, Rorate (Rorate Coeli Desuper), Londonderry Air, New Britain, O Waly Waly, Slane, Scots W' Hae, The Ash Grove, Royal Oak, The Twenty-Ninth of May, St. Denio, Skye Boat Song, The Bard of Armagh, The Streets of Laredo, The Caledonian Hunt's Delight, St. Columba, The Road and the Miles to Dundee, The Rowan Tree, Ye Banks and Braes O' Bonnie Doon

One of the nicest things about this book is that each song has a short but lovely introduction!

Internationally acclaimed guitarist Ellsworth ("El") McMeen has done over 220 solo fingerstyle guitar arrangements and compositions in the last 30 years. He has numerous recordings, books,
and DVD lessons and has concertized throughout the United States.

Of his work, he has selected for this voluminous book
60 pieces with his favorite melodies. (Among them is an instrumental
he composed for his wife, called "Song for Sheila.")

The music is diverse in genre and mood, but each piece is compelling in its own way.
Included are folk tunes, a classical piece, hymns, a patriotic song,
ancient Celtic harp music, lullabies, El's favorite Christmas song
("In the Bleak Midwinter"), El's favorite Irish jig ("The Kid on the Mountain"),
laments, love songs, and Irish airs.

El is included in the Digitaldreamdoor listing of the 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists.
https://tinyurl.com/GreatestGuitarists Several of his recordings are referenced here:
https://elmcmeen.bandcamp.com/

The audio sampler contains all or part of the following selections, in the CGDGAD tuning
except as otherwise indicated. (When El has recorded some of this music, he has used a capo,
usually at fret II or IV, for tonal atmosphere.)

1. America the Beautiful
2. Be Still, My Soul
3. Be Thou My Vision
4. Carolan's Concerto
5. Carolan's No. 179
6. Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
7. Give Me Your Hand
8. Hector the Hero
9. In the Bleak Midwinter
10. Jerusalem (Drop D)
11. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
12. Kid on the Mountain
13. My Mary of the Curling Hair
14. Niel Gow's Lament for the Death of His Second Wife
15. Rose of Allendale
16. Song for Sheila

ISBN 9781619110748. What's more fun than playing the tin whistle? How about playing tin whistle with a friend? Here are 38 two-part tunes arranged and composed especially for tin whistle players. Presents Celtic jigs, hornpipes, airs, American and British folk songs, marches, and country dances along with favorite hymns and campfire songs. For those who really want to try something different on whistle, there are also Medieval rounds, Renaissance courtly dances and a complete eighteenth-century, six-movement suite for two flageolets.