A collection of 45 jigs, set tunes, polkas, mazurkas, waltzes and schottisches and 2 songs.
Written and music transcribed by Alan Musgrove and designed and compiled by David De Santi.
John McKinnon is a traditional dance musician from the Ecklin South district of Victoria, between Colac and Warnambool.
When John was about ten or eleven his father bought him a Nightingale German accordion in Melbourne which he quickly learnt to play. At twelve years old, John McKinnon played at his first dance.
John began playing around the districts of Ecklin, Dixie, and Ayrford. There was plenty of opportunity with regular dances, welcome home parties, and kitchen teas which were popular parties to honour an engaged couple and their families.
John was keen to help a new generation of young musicians to take over the dance bands which were in great demand due to the revival of old time and new vogue dancing. He was also anxious to acknowledge his debt to the musicians and dancers who helped him to become one of Australia’s foremost dance band musicians. John McKinnon’s tapes were enormously successful, selling all over Australia.
Australian folk music collectors John Meredith, Alan Musgrove and Edgar Waters have recorded John McKinnon’s traditional accordion music. The tapes are housed in the Oral History Section of the National Library of Australia in Canberra.
This is a rare collection of some fine old tunes - worth preserving and playing.
The book was launched at the 26th Illawarra Folk Festival held in January by Peter Ellis.
The Wongawilli Colonial Dance Club is a non-profit association and has published and promoted the folk music and dance of Australia's European settlers since 1990. The Club has produced 16 collections of tune and song books and recordings.
Billy Boiled Over,
Carry Me Back to Virginny
Carry Me Back to Virginny Waltz
Chris Bossey’s Waltz
Copenhagen Waltz
Doonerie Waltz,
Ehren on the Rhine
Father O’Flynn
Finnegan’s Wake
Froggie and Toad
They Both Went Up the Road
Galway March,
Gentle Maiden,
Goodbye Pat and Mick
Grand Chain for the Lancers
Grand Old Maid Brittania
Harry Axford’s Schottische
If You Ever go to Ireland
I’ll Remember You in my Prayers
Irish Washerwoman,
Jack and Lil Swinging in the Centre
Jenny Lind Polka
John McKinnon’s Mazurka
John McKinnon’s 1st Waltz
John McKinnon’s 2nd Waltz
Let’s Waltz Again
Louden’s Bonnie Woods and Braes
Manchester Hornpipe
Maquis of Huntly,
McKinnon’s Heel and Toe Polka
Monymusk
Mrs McLeods Reel
Old Rustic Bridge,
Phil The Fluter’s Ball
Poor Old Jeff
Prettiest Little Flower of All,
Rakes of Mallow
Ralph Marwood’s Set Tune
Ralph Marwood’s Waltz
Set Tune No. 16
Set Tune No. 18
Song of the Clyde
Tripping It Lightly Barn Dance
Varsovienna
Westlyn Waltz,
Won’t You Buy My Pretty Flowers
Songs
Beneath the Lights of London Town
Stringy-Bark’s Last Run
3 Sample tunes in PDF format from the book
Set Tune Number16, Set Tune Number 18, Tripping it Lightly Barn dance