For years, I’ve been playing this medley of
tunes at contra dances here in New York City and round about with
my band Grand Picnic. These tunes also sound good on solo
concertina. Here is an mp3 of me playing them on my Dipper
G/D.
Hungarian
Railroad Polka / Sideways Glance / Chamberlain’s
March 2008
Sideways
Glance is
by Paul
James, ©
1986 (used by permission). Paul plays sax, bagpipes and other wind
instruments with the amazing band Blowzabella and other
groups.
Chamberlain’s is a french Canadian tune, also known as The Chamberlain and Reel de Rémi . It can be found in the Portland Collection #1 (everyone who plays American tunes should really own one of these).
Chamberlain’s is a french Canadian tune, also known as The Chamberlain and Reel de Rémi . It can be found in the Portland Collection #1 (everyone who plays American tunes should really own one of these).
The tunes:
The Hungarian Railroad Polka (used by permission) was written by fiddler Magnus Bäckström and the title in Swedish is Den Ungerska Järnvägens Polkett. Since I learned it via the folk process, my version is slightly changed from the printed version you can see below. Magnus has an interesting story to tell about how he came to write this tune.
The Hungarian Railroad Polka (used by permission) was written by fiddler Magnus Bäckström and the title in Swedish is Den Ungerska Järnvägens Polkett. Since I learned it via the folk process, my version is slightly changed from the printed version you can see below. Magnus has an interesting story to tell about how he came to write this tune.
“As youngster (18-19 or so?) I
was traveling by train in Europe, and on my way to Romania I was
passing Hungary and heard this melody at every train station. On
the train leaving Hungary for Romania the station melody + the
train´s sound inspired me to this tune. A Swedish Orange Blossom
Special, one could say.
Since it has become so popular amongst Swedish fiddlers (and others as well - there is an arrangement for cellos, used in Swedish cello teaching!) I now and then get greetings from people/fiddlers who have visited Hungary and they just had to go into a train station just to check. And according to them the tune is still there. Or was?" - Magnus Bäckström
Since it has become so popular amongst Swedish fiddlers (and others as well - there is an arrangement for cellos, used in Swedish cello teaching!) I now and then get greetings from people/fiddlers who have visited Hungary and they just had to go into a train station just to check. And according to them the tune is still there. Or was?" - Magnus Bäckström
4.5 MB
To make the story more
interesting, you can see and hear a video of the
Budapest Metro in 2007 playing a very catchy but
different announcement melody at 1:14 sec. into the video. Here is
the theme if anyone wants to give it a shot with a tune of your
own.
A Stadler Flirt at Budapest-Keleti Railway
Station
