Jay Ungar - Ashokan Farewell

[dipsydoodle]

This is a cross post. Its the music background track used for The work of Lewis Hines: U.S. Child Labor, 1908-1920 http://www.democraticunderground.com/101797983

[klook]

1. One of the most beautiful and heart-rending songs of all time.

The version on "Common Chord" by David Grisman, Daniel Kobialka, et al. is gorgeous also.

[Munificence]

2. I consider

I consider myself to be a "tuff' guy"! I do however play music (have for 25+ years) and I love "old fiddle tunes".

Well back to the fact that I consider myself a tough guy I will say that it's all I can do to keep from tearing up when I hear a good version of Ashokan Farewell. It's a beautiful tune in itself, but when you are blessed by any musician that can add the feel and phrasing to a song such as this and "nail it" then it's one of the most amazing stimuli that falls on your ears and within your mind.

Danny Boy gets me all teared up also.

[dipsydoodle]

3. Yes that's a doleful fiddle tune.

One of my favorites is Bonaparte's Retreat which I'd never heard before I went down to the bottom of KY in 2002 to visit a friend's dad.

Here's a latter day version from the Transatlantic Sessions :

And here's the '30s version I heard in KY :

I read once that the tune was what the Scottish pipers played to see the French off the field at the Battle of Waterloo.