When we arrive back to the kitchen we find Cat has pulled back the table and arranged chairs in a circle. Our instruments wait for us beside the chairs. When we arrive back to the kitchen we find Cat has pulled back the table and arranged chairs in a circle. Our instruments wait for us beside the chairs."Oh well, there is no mistake what happens now," Rory says. "We better tune up and decide how to order the tunes into a set."
"Eh bien, il n'y a pas d'erreur sur ce qui se passe maintenant," dit Rory.
"Nous ferions mieux d'accorder nos instruments et de décider comment ordonner les morceaux dans un ensemble."
"Nous ferions mieux d'accorder nos instruments et de décider comment ordonner les morceaux dans un ensemble."
"Mine is a waltz, we could start with that. A good warm up."
But before I get a chance to find my music Allan takes out his penny whistle and begins to play The Banshee reel. Rory joins in but his fiddle is out of tune so he stops. Allan plays it twice on his own then sits down breathless and grinning.
But before I get a chance to find my music Allan takes out his penny whistle and begins to play The Banshee reel. Rory joins in but his fiddle is out of tune so he stops. Allan plays it twice on his own then sits down breathless and grinning.
"Now that’s a better warm up," Allan says.
"But why The Banshee?" I ask. "You played it last night too."
He thumbs back to the door. "Good old Cat. Always one step ahead of us. I don’t know a tune called Glaistig but a Banshee is similar only a bit evil."
"The Banshee is Irish," Fiona explains. "And is a bringer of doom. I don’t think that’s Cat."
The others are tuning up and look about ready to start.
Allan is still smiling. "But we don’t know whose side she’s on do we?"
I nod in agreement.
The others are tuning up and look about ready to start.
Allan is still smiling. "But we don’t know whose side she’s on do we?"
I nod in agreement.
"Friend or foe," I say. And start The Banshee again on my own penny whistle because whether the tune fits Cat or not it’s a great tune. This time everyone joins in. Rory and Fiona blast out the melody on their fiddles, Allan switches to thrum chords on his guitar and Stella plays counter melody on her accordion. As we begin the second time round I notice Cat standing by the door. Her arms are folded, her face expressionless but her foot is tapping, her fingers begin a strumming on her arms. Rory puts his fiddle down, stands and walks towards her. He holds his hand out to her and together they dance into the room, whirling in a reel. Cat’s green dress flows and swirls, her free arm waves as Rory birls her round and round. There is a huge smile on both their faces. She might not be a Banshee but watching her almost lift off the ground on each turn gives her an ethereal air. When we stop playing after three more rounds, Rory takes his seat while Cat bends over with her hands on her knees breathing hard. Her shoulders shake with laughter, then she straightens her back, smooths her dress and leaves us without a word.
We five look at each other and burst out laughing.
"This is the weirdest place -ever," Stella says.
I love my waltz, Rose of Avonmore. It’s easy to learn and has loads of scope for ornamentation. I fire up my bagpipes for Fiona’s march and I tag The Barren Rocks of Aden onto the end of it because I think it will please Nell. Stella’s strathspey Miss Lyall is the only one that is new to us all so we spend some time perfecting it. We finish on the two jigs, The Banks of Allan and Rory MacLeod. Tunes I know but they’re similar so I get them mixed up. Rory glowers at me. Rory MacLeod is a jig he’s played since he was small. I should know it.
J'adore ma valse, Rose of Avonmore. Elle est facile à apprendre et offre de nombreuses possibilités d’ornementation. Je lance ma cornemuse pour la marche de Fiona et je marque The Barren Rocks of Aden à la fin parce que je pense que cela plaira à Nell. La strathspey de Stella, Miss Lyall est la seule qui soit nouvelle pour nous tous, nous passons donc un peu de temps à la perfectionner. On termine sur les deux gigues, The Banks of Allan et Rory MacLeod. Des airs que je connais mais ils sont similaires donc je les mélange. Rory me lance un regard noir. Rory MacLeod est une gigue qu'il joue depuis qu'il est petit. Je devrais le savoir.
We play all morning and only stop when Cat returns to put the kettle on for hot chocolate. Before we pack up I play the opening bars of Hector the Hero on my bagpipes. The others lift their instruments to join but Cat slams a pot on the table.
"No, Miss Rose MacLeod!" She says. "Never play that here."
