Annotation:Norwegian Waltz (1) (The)

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NORWEGIAN (WALTZ) [1], THE. Canadian, Waltz. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB'. A waltz of currently unknown provenance despite the title. Peter Yarensky remarks that he found a similar melody on a Scandinavian recording called the "Amerika Vals." The waltz was recorded by New Brunswick radio and TV fiddler Don Messer [1] (1909-1973) and his band The Islanders in 1952. Ontario fiddler Graham Townsend recorded Messer's version some years later, playing with a bit more style and panache. French-Canadian fiddlers sometimes add an extra measure to the 'B' part of the tune.

Don Messer

See "Norwegian Waltz (2) (The)" for a variant by southern Irish musicians.

Source for notated version: Stephen Toole (1927-1995, Green Road, Queens County, Prince Edward Island) [Perlman].

Printed sources: Messer (Anthology of Favorite Fiddle Tunes), 1980; No. 167, p. 112. Perlman (Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; p. 169.

Recorded sources: Apex 26327 (78rpm), Don Messer & His Islanders (1952). Apex AL 1607, Don Messer & His Islanders - "Down East Dancin' with Don Messer Vol. 4." Banff ‎– SBS 5306, Graham Townsend - "I Like Don Messer" (1969). Voyager Records VRCD 312, Grant Lamb - "Manitoba Fiddler."

See also listing at:
Hear Don Messer's 1952 recording on youtube.com [2]
Hear Graham Townsend's version on youtube.com [3]

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