The idea for this came from an email I received recently. Someone had enjoyed playing my Princess Grainne's Air & Jig on their Tin Whistle, and wondered whether I had anything else for the instrument.

I hadn't, but decided to make a compilation with Princess Grainne's Air & Jig representing the Irish contingent, and Lochardil Dances (Strathspey and Reel) for the Scots.

Tin Whistles are most commonly made in the key of D, so I transposed both pieces to that key. As well as the tonic (home) key, they can also manage fairly well in the subdominant - a 4th higher. So I tweaked some of the original modulations, so that the piece is mainly in D throughout,. but with the odd short section in G. Without keys, or a thumbhole, fingering is a little bit more involved when producing anything but diatonic notes - i.e. ones in the home key - but by some nifty cross-fingerings and half-holes, it can be achieved.

Of course, the range also suits the Descant Recorder, which is fully chromatic and has a range just over two octaves.

The two pieces can be played as separate entities, or segue as one longer, though more taxing piece.