Description

Instrumentation: Flute 1, Flute 2 / Descant Recorder, Clarinet 1 in Bb, Clarinet 2 in Bb, Alto saxophone (in lieu of Clarinet 2) Violin, Accordion / Piano / Guitar and Bass.

This is actually an arrangement of two different tunes: “Jimmy Allen” and “Girl with the Blue Dress.” I first heard “Jimmy Allen” when the dance group I was in hosted an American group: the musicians amongst us played this, alongside other tunes, as a “jam” session.

The two tunes, examples of Reels, are lively and, when changing to the second tune, just remember that there are still two beats in a bar. These are real “foot-tapping” tunes, popular with the folk band, with dancers and with listeners. Just remember that they were written to be danced to and keep them lively. It would be acceptable as part of a GCSE Ensemble submission, providing that any rules on doubling are followed.

Many more lively tunes for this or similar flexible instrumentation can be found amongst the Jigs and Reels in this section.