Mother/Son Dance Suggestions

[OC Richard]

I've piped at hundreds of weddings, and when they ask me to play for the "first dance" I play waltzes.

In the Highland bagpipe repertoire there are hundreds of tunes which sound like waltzes and perfectly function as waltzes. When non-pipers write these tunes out in sheet music they write them as waltzes, in 3/4 time.

The strange thing is that Highland pipers write these tunes out in 6/8 time and call them marches. Usually they call them "slow marches".

So if people look through the published Highland pipe collections they'll almost never come across a tune called a "waltz" yet there are hundreds of tunes which are, in all but name, waltzes.

For the first dance at weddings I'll play a some of the following (I play as long or as short as needed)

Skye Boat Song (due to the popularity of the TV programme Outlander this tune has become widely known amongst the general public, and a favourite)

The Mist Covered Mountains/Chi Mi na Morbheanna (this is played for dancing in the film Local Hero)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouqy4UnJjQo

My Home/Mo Dhachaidh

The Highland Cradle Song

Hearken My Love/An Chuinn Leannain

The Mingulay Boat Song

Leaving Lismore

Loch Rannoch

Loch Duich