Pearl of the Coast

Here's a lovely melody in AEAE tuning that we only have 24 seconds of. I wish it was longer but that's just the way it goes sometimes and you have to be thankful for even having that when the tunes are as rare as these. I recommend putting it on repeat if you're longing for more.

Hear Pearl of the Coast.

Anyhow, there's some really classy fiddling here. Lots of string crossings and trills that will keep you on your toes throughout both sections. If you're a musician and are inclined to learn the tune please feel free to play it as long as you like. Hopefully, for at least a minute or until you get all tangled up and have to stop which happens to me a lot in this one.

I really like this melody because it has a mysterious floating or rolling atmosphere. I've always believed good fiddle music will paint the landscape of where the music is from. I wish I was capable of being more of poetic, but I can really see the rolling hills meeting the rugged coastline and see the mist when I listen to this tune.

Today Brian and I played a good session of his dad's old tunes. This was the first one we played and he came up with a title "Pearl of the Coast," which is what Douglastown is sometimes referred to out there. I think such a pretty tune merits an equally pretty tile. Thanks, Brian!

Enjoy

Update: We now have a few other recordings of Erskine playing this tune and he attributes it to an older Douglastown fiddler named Fred Kennedy.