Original Tunes


Rest Hour Jig

I wrote this tune in 1976 during rest hour at Camp Lymelight, where I was the arts and crafts counselor. This was a camp for autistic and brain damaged children and adults. This tune was selected for the first Composer's Dance that Tod Whittemore organized in 1978 or 1979 or thereabouts. I am not sure how they used a three part jig in a contra dance.

Paula's Fancy

I wrote this tune for Paula some time in the late 70's. Although I played a recording of it at our wedding, it was written well before then. It was selected for the second Composer's Dance

How come there weren't any worms or maggots at the Composer's Dance?

They were all at the Decomposer's Dance.

Rebecca's Reel #1

I wrote this for Rebecca when she was a few months old (1983).

D & C Rag

Written for David Wersan and Caroline Owens when they got married (1983).

Wersandry Waltz

Written for Ellen Wersan and Tim Sandry when they got married (1986, I think).

Lament for Norman Wersan

I originally wrote this for Ellen and Tim, but it never really seemed like a wedding tune. I renamed it after my father died.

Lawsbrook Lullaby

I wrote this for Bill and Sallie Satterthwaite for their wedding.

Two Js Wedding

I wrote this for Joel and Jennifer Birnbaum for their wedding.

ConKateNate Waltz

Written for the wedding of Kate Wersan and Nathan Barker. Kate asked me to play the banjo as part of the wedding procession. It was an homage to my late father.

Knocking Down the Mangoes

In the summer of 2000, we took a vacation in Hawaii. As usual, Meagan Carmody joined us. One day we visited a coffee plantation. Rebecca and Meagan went across the street and were trying to knock mangoes out of a tree. I thought that Knocking Down the Mangoes would be a good name for a tune, a la Shaking Down the Acorns. When Meagan married Toby Mayers in 2015, it seemed like a good time to make the tune happen.

ShaneAnnagins

Pronounced "shenanigans." For the wedding of Anna Wersan and Shane Conner.

Andybob's Jig

When my nieces Kate and Anna were little, Kate called Anna Andybob. There is a New England dance tune called Dusty Bob's Jig. I thought for a long time that it would be good to have a tune called Andybob's Jig. When Anna married Shane, I wrote this tune. My nephew, Sandy Posnick, plays bass on this recording.

The Sporting Leaf

In his President's Message in Vol 49 No 1 of the Hosta Journal, Gregg Peterson wrote:

"Imagine the hosta truck riding up and down the streets of the neighborhood playing the catchy hosta tune (whatever that might be) through the loudspeaker along with the ringing bell."

I took that as something of a challenge. Sadly, Gregg passed away shortly thereafter, but this is the catchy hosta tune I came up with.

Llewelyn's Jig

Written to celebrate the marriage of my nephew, Louis Wersan, to Ellen Reat on Sept. 28, 2019. Couldn't think of a word that contained Louis and Ellen, but this old Welsh name works pretty well.

Llewelyn Crossing the Rocky Mountains

Written to celebrate the marriage of my nephew, Louis Wersan, to Ellen Reat on Sept. 28, 2019. They are geologists living in Salt Lake City. Seemed appropriate.

Together in Solitude

Written to celebrate the marriage of my nephew, Louis Wersan, to Ellen Reat on Sept. 28, 2019. The wedding was at the Solitude Mtn. resort in Utah.

Waltz #3 (untitled) for Fran and Paul

For Paula's cousins, Fran and Paul Dickman, in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary.

Scout House Promenade

My friends Sarah and Andre had a pandemic wedding. They asked me to play a march while they walked up the aisle. So I wrote this tune for them. But they walked so fast that I didn't even get to play it one time through. So here is it all the way - 3 times!

Rebecca's Reel # 2

I wrote Rebecca's Reel #1 when she was three months old. Now she's getting married, so I figured it was time for #2.

Summer Solstice

My daughter Rebecca's marriage to James Smith was scheduled for June 20, 2020 - the summer solstice. Hence the name. The Covid 19 pandemic got in the way of things and the wedding was postponed to June 19, 2021. The name didn't change.

Cerritos Serenade

Another wedding tune. Rebecca's marriage was at the Cerritos Surf Club, in Todos Santos, Mexico.

Sag Harbor Matt-tina (pronounced like matinee)

I wrote this tune for the wedding of my brother-in-law Matthew Posnick to Tina Mills.