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The Old Swan Band Tunebook

The Old Swan Band Tunebook

£14.99 GBP
£14.99 GBP
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191 Traditional Tunes from One of England’s Most Influential Folk Bands

The Old Swan Band Tunebook brings together 191 traditional tunes played and recorded by The Old Swan Band across five decades. Compiled and published by Dave Mallinson, this substantial collection draws on music from Britain, Ireland, mainland Europe, North America and Australia, reflecting the band’s enormous influence on English traditional dance music.

Ideal for melodeon players, accordionists, fiddlers and ceilidh musicians, the book combines a huge session repertoire with fascinating background notes on the origins and history of the tunes.

Quick Overview

This 64-page collection captures the repertoire and musical spirit of The Old Swan Band, one of the defining forces behind the English folk revival movement. The tunes are suitable for English sessions, ceilidh bands and traditional dance musicians seeking authentic repertoire with strong rhythmic character.

What Makes This Book Important?

The Old Swan Band helped reshape the sound of English traditional dance music from the 1970s onwards. Their emphasis on English repertoire, strong rhythm and dance-focused playing had a lasting influence on folk musicians throughout the UK.

This tunebook preserves much of that repertoire in a practical working collection, making it valuable not only as a tune source but also as part of the wider history of English folk music.

Foreword by Derek Schofield

The book includes a detailed foreword by Derek Schofield exploring the rise of The Old Swan Band, the emergence of the English folk revival and the band’s long-term influence on dance music and session culture.

Ideal For

  • English folk session musicians
  • Ceilidh bands
  • D/G melodeon players
  • Accordion players building repertoire
  • Folk fiddlers and ensemble musicians
  • Players interested in English traditional dance music
  • Musicians seeking authentic session and dance tunes

Musical Style and Repertoire

The collection includes:

  • Polkas
  • Hornpipes
  • Jigs
  • Mazurkas
  • Waltzes
  • Schottisches
  • Marches
  • Stepdance tunes
  • Traditional English dance music

The repertoire ranges from classic English traditional tunes to carefully selected material from Ireland, Europe, America and Australia that became part of The Old Swan Band’s distinctive sound.

Book Details

  • Title: The Old Swan Band Tunebook
  • Author: The Old Swan Band
  • Publisher: Dave Mallinson Publications
  • SKU: AR113
  • Format: Book Only
  • Pages: 64
  • ISBN: 9781899512973

Full Tune List

View all tunes included in this collection
  • Alexandra Park
  • Andrea’s Swedish Mazurka
  • Another Fine Mess
  • Art Wooten’s Quadrille
  • Astley’s Hornpipe
  • Bälter Svens Paradpolkett
  • Barbara Allen
  • The Basque Jig
  • Basquet of Oysters
  • Batt Henry’s Barn Dance
  • Beatrice Hill’s Three Hand Reel
  • The Bell Isle March
  • Betty Fitchet’s Wedding
  • Billy Ballantine’s Reel
  • The Bishop of Chester’s Jig
  • The Blakeney Breakdown
  • Blue-Eyed Stranger
  • Bobbing Around
  • Bobby Shaftoe
  • Bonnets So Blue
  • Bonny Breast Knots
  • The Bottom of the Punch Bowl
  • Bourton Six
  • Brighton Camp
  • The Bugle Call Jig
  • Buttered Peas
  • Can’t Stop Polka
  • Captain Lanoe’s Quick March
  • Church Street
  • The Cliffe Hornpipe
  • The Coleford Jig
  • Covent Garden Row
  • Crabfish Stepdance
  • The Curly Headed Ploughboy
  • Dan Leno’s Boa
  • Dancing Dustman
  • The Dannish Waltz
  • The Dark Girl Dressed in Blue
  • The Dashing White Sergeant
  • The Day Room
  • Double Figure Eight
  • Down the Road
  • Dr Casey’s Finbook
  • Druttjinkeilleitjen
  • The Earl of Mansfield
  • The Evesham Stick Dance
  • Fire Burning Bright
  • Flowers of Edinburgh
  • Flowers of Edinburgh (Slow)
  • Freedom of Ireland
  • The General Ward
  • The Gentiane Mazurka
  • George Green’s College Hornpipe
  • George Privett’s Polka
  • Ger the Rigger
  • German Polka
  • Getting Upstairs
  • Give Us a Little Treacle and Bread
  • The Gloucester Hornpipe
  • Going to the Well for Water
  • Grand Chain
  • The Green Ship
  • Green-Clad Hills
  • Grommet
  • Gypsy’s Hornpipe
  • Hayward’s Schottische
  • Heel and Toe Polka
  • Herbert Smith’s Four-Hand Reel
  • Herbert Smith’s Varsovienne
  • Hop Jig
  • Hunting the Hare
  • Huntsman’s Chorus
  • In and Out the Windows
  • The Indian Polka
  • J B Milne
  • Jack O’Robinson
  • Jenny Bell’s Polka
  • Jimmy Duffy’s Barn Dance No. 1
  • Jimmy Duffy’s Barn Dance No. 2
  • Jimmy Garson’s March
  • Kelso Fiddle and Accordion Club
  • The Kennet Jig
  • Kings of Kerry
  • Kitchen Girl
  • Lady Comptons Whim
  • Lass of Richmond Hill
  • The Leeds Polka
  • Little Diamond
  • Little Polly
  • Little Red Wagon
  • Louis James Quadrille
  • Lovely Nancy
  • Lucy Campbell’s Polka
  • Mad Moll of the Cheshire Hunts
  • The Maids of Ardagh
  • The Man in the Moon
  • The Manchester Hornpipe
  • March of St. Timothy
  • Marche des Cabrettaires
  • The Marriage Vow
  • The Matelot
  • Michael Turner’s Jig
  • Mickey Chewing Bubblegum
  • Morning Star
  • Morpeth Rant
  • Moss-trooper’s Polka
  • Mr Rew’s Polka
  • Mrs Claxton’s Polka
  • Mrs O’Dwyer’s
  • Mr Swallow’s Swedish
  • The Mudgee Schottische
  • My Love, My Love
  • Neriah Benfield’s Waltz
  • The New Killarney
  • The New Rigged Ship
  • Nip the Bunny
  • Not for Joe
  • Old Heddon of Fawley
  • Once I Loved a Maiden Fair
  • Oscar Woods’ Polka
  • Oscar Woods’ Jig
  • La Ouellette
  • Over the Hills to Glory
  • Packie Russell’s
  • Parnell’s March
  • Partie de Lanciers
  • Percy Brown’s Polka
  • The Perfect Cure
  • Polly Put the Kettle On
  • President Garfield’s
  • Quadrille de le Fin de l’An
  • The Quaker
  • The Queen’s Jig
  • Queer Fella’s Shot-ese
  • The Quickstep
  • Redowa Polka
  • Redwing
  • The Rigs of Marlow
  • Rita Baker’s Varsovienna
  • Road To The North
  • The Rocking Schottische
  • The Rose Tree
  • Rose, The
  • Salford Lasses
  • Sally Sloan’s Varsoviana
  • Sally Sloane’s
  • Scan’s Stepdance No.2
  • Schottisch fran Havero
  • Seamo’s Polka
  • Sherborne Waltz
  • The Sloe
  • Soldier’s Joy
  • Sonny Brogan’s Mazurka
  • Speed The Plough
  • St. Mary’s
  • The Staffordshire Hornpipe
  • Stan Treacy’s Very Particular Waltz
  • Starry Night for a Randy
  • The Steamboat Hornpipe
  • Stephen Baldwin’s Schottische No. 1
  • Stephen Baldwin’s Schottische No. 2
  • Stjuls på Källhagen
  • Stoney’s Waltz
  • Summer Waltz
  • A Swedish Waltz
  • The Sweet Briar
  • Symondsbury Mummers Tune
  • Three Around Three
  • The Tipputs
  • The Tournemore Polka
  • Travellers' Joy
  • A Trip to the Forest
  • The Triumph
  • Les Trois Puits
  • Tyskan
  • Uncle’s Jig
  • Up the Sides and Down the Middle
  • The Vine Tree
  • Walter Bulwer’s No. 1
  • Walter Bulwer’s No. 2
  • The Waterloo Dance
  • Welsh Jigg
  • Wenlock Edge
  • Whistling Rufus
  • William Irwin’s No. 3
  • William Kimber’s Schottische
  • Winster Gallop
  • The Woodcutter’s Jig
  • Woodland Flowers
  • Woodland Revels
  • The Worcestershire Hornpipe

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