australian folk music
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Chanisa Rum
by Ewen Baker This tune was written on a boat over in New Caledonia. Chanisa was the name of the boat and rum was the drink that John liked to offer. Continue reading
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Cape Otway
by Ciaran O’Grady It’s a bit spooky down at Cape Otway in Victoria’s south west. As you approach, there’s a lot of dead trees that are bleached white and it looks quite ghostly. Then, when you reach the ocean at the end, you come across this beautiful lighthouse. So that’s what was going through my Continue reading
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The Broken Jig
by Merran Moir I was challenged to write a tune and bring it to our band. When I arrived with this reel, still untitled, one suggestion was “The Broken Jig”. It seemed to have stuck! Composed in 2017. Continue reading
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Bodhran in the Bathroom
by Allan Evans This tune was composed for a memorable house session in Bendigo. There were so many people and instruments that the bodhran ended up in the bathroom. It seemed logical at the time. Continue reading
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Blaven
by Pepita Emmerichs and Theodore Barnard This tune is named after a hill in Skye that we tried to climb. Continue reading
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The Battle of Mont St Quentin
by Anne Eastaugh My great uncle Frank Roberts was killed in the Battle of Mont St Quentin on 1st September 1918, barely months before the war ended. His father, JG Roberts, compiled an extensive collection of manuscripts and photographs, held now in the State Library. In amongst this collection there is a photograph of a pair Continue reading
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Amelia
by Hilary Glaisher I wrote this jig for my best friend Amelia’s 30th birthday. It was during lockdown and because we live on opposite sides of Melbourne, we weren’t able to see each other so I had to do a phone recording and send it to her that way. Continue reading
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Allewaltz
By Luke Byrnes A waltz I wrote during the lockdown for Claire Alleyway. Claire and I kept each other sane during the pandemic by playing waltzes and drinking wanky craft beers together. Composed in 2020. Continue reading
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The Annapolis Jig
by Evan Davies Written for my Mum’s 70th Birthday; she was born in Annapolis. Composed in 2020. Continue reading
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Aifric’s Fiddle
by Sylvie Rigby This tune was written on Aifric Boylan’s fiddle during the Portarlington National Celtic Festival after my own fiddle got left behind at home. Composed in 2022. Continue reading
About Melbourne Tune collection
Melbourne Tune Collection records and publishes original folk tunes and songs from around Australia.
I started this project after realising that I barely knew any Australian folk tunes, even though I’ve been playing the fiddle for almost two decades. It wasn’t that Australians weren’t writing tunes, it’s just that there was limited publishing opportunities for them.
I thought maybe if I collect these tunes and put them together, they would have a better chance of getting played. So in early 2019 I set off with my camera and recorder, first around Melbourne, then across Australia.
This site is the result of these travels. Its purpose is to make Australian folk music as accessible as possible and promote the incredible music that’s being written today. I genuinely believe that there’s something special happening in the Melbourne and Australian folk music scenes right now.
I hope you enjoy playing through these tunes as much as I have!
Katherine Oleinikov
Melbourne Tune Collection 