Da Slockit Light -- mandolin

This is a beautiful and sad tune written by Tom Anderson of the Shetland Islands. As I know the story, the idea for this song came while Mr. Anderson was walking late one night, still grieving the recent, and untimely, death of his wife. As he look down on his home town that night the city lights were being turned out and this lead him to think about things in his own life that had or were going out or ending. The words slockit light meaning "slowly extinguishing lamp" came to his mind and the lead him to this lovely tune.
The tune is not so well known in the USA I think but it is widely played in the UK as well as in the Canadian Maritime provinces. Da Slockit Light has been used as a slow march introduction to fiddle tune sets by several well know Cape Breton fiddlers, Buddy MacMaster, Carl MacKenzie, and Karen Beaton to name a few.
I am using a computer simulation of a violin to play along with here for keeping tempo. I believe this is probably not the best way to go. The song needs more feeling than I can program into a computer. Also, IF there is such a thing as tune the SHOULD be played on the fiddle this one might be close to it. It is very hard to capture the poignant nature of the song with a pick and a tremolo -- in my opinion that is. On the other hand, I urge you to listen to the wonderful guitar version of the song posted by YouTube member keltickev27 on his channel!

This is a new tune for me to play on the mandolin but I am obsessed with it now so I will be trying to improve this effort soon. For one thing next time I will use an oval hole mandolin to get more sustain to better mimic the fiddle bowing sound.

It is played here on a 2002 Gibson F-5 Fern mandolin with J75 DAddario phospho-bronze strings and a Wegen TF-100 pick at approximately 90 bpm.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Da
• Slockit
• Light
• mandolin
• Celtic
• Music
• Tom
• Anderson
• fiddle
• tune
• Gibson

[gtrfinger]

Mandolin sounds fine, not that keen on the backing music. Some arpeggiated pizzicato strings would have been better

[Mandolin1944]

@gtrfinger Hi thanks! I tried to reply to your comment a couple of weeks ago but just realized the it did not upload - YT is weird ever since the last upgrade! Thanks I agree the back up was weak -- but I tend to lose tempo without back up. I think this sound would sound great on electric guitar also.

[doccalley]

Awesome song Mandolin! I've never heard it before but it is definitely a keeper. How many mandolins do you have anyway? Keep on picking! (<:

[Mandolin1944]

Much obliged for the kind remarks Doc! Let's just say I have enough mandolins to meet my needs for today -- but tomorrow? Who knows when the need for a new mandolin might come up? I have no control over it. (<:

[amarcordeon]

Very enjoyable music very well played with mandolin.

I appreciate so much this performance

Congratulations!

******

Lillo

[Mandolin1944]

Thank you so much! I appreciate your visit to my channel and thanks for the kind words -- I think this song would be great on your accordion as well!

[ScottishFiddleLesson]

From a tape recorded interview with Tom Anderson by a student in 1970.

[ScottishFiddleLesson]

'Da Slockit Light' which was inspired by the depopulation of the area of Eshaness where he was born. Each time the occupants of another croft moved out, or died, another light was 'slockit', (Shetland for extinguished).

"I was coming out of Eshaness in late January, 1969, the time was after 11 pm and as i looked back at the top of the hill leading out of the district, I saw so few lights compared to what I remembered when I was young.

[ScottishFiddleLesson]

Nice Story But not the one i know.

and well done!

[Mandolin1944]

Thank you thank you for listening and for you encouraging words. Luck you are to living in "beer country" and also to be such a wonderful accordion player as you are!