The Fiddler’s Companion

© 1996-2008 Andrew Kuntz

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Notation Note: The tunes below are recorded in what is called “abc notation.” They can easily be converted to standard musical notation via highlighting with your cursor starting at “X:1” through to the end of the abc’s, then “cutting-and-pasting” the highlighted notation into one of the many abc conversion programs available, or at concertina.net’s incredibly handy “ABC Convert-A-Matic” at

http://www.concertina.net/tunes_convert.html 

 

**Please note that the abc’s in the Fiddler’s Companion work fine in most abc conversion programs. For example, I use abc2win and abcNavigator 2 with no problems whatsoever with direct cut-and-pasting. However, due to an anomaly of the html, pasting the abc’s into the concertina.net converter results in double-spacing. For concertina.net’s conversion program to work you must remove the spaces between all the lines of abc notation after pasting, so that they are single-spaced, with no intervening blank lines. This being done, the F/C abc’s will convert to standard notation nicely. Or, get a copy of abcNavigator 2 – its well worth it.   [AK]

 

[COMMENT4] 

 

AR A' mBAILE SEO TA AN CHIOLFHIONN (In this village dwells the fair lady). AKA and see "Within this Village Dwells a Maid [1]."

                       

AR BRUAC NA ABAINNE. AKA and see "On the River Bank."

                       

'AR ÉIRINN NI 'NEOSFAINN CE HI (“For Ireland I Won't Say Her Name” or “For Ireland I’ll Not Tell Her Name”). AKA and see “For Ireland I Won’t Say Her Name [1].”

                       

AR HYD Y NOS. Welsh, Air. The tune appears in Jones’s first edition of Musical and Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards (1784).

                       

AR LAOCHRA. Irish, Air (or Jig). D Major. Standard. AB. Composed by Frank Roche, who compiled the early 20th century collection bearing his name. Roche Collection, 1982; vol. III, pg. 11.

                       

AR MAIDIN GO MOC. AKA and see "Early in the Morning [1]."

                       

AR MHUIN NA MUICE.  AKA and see “On the Pig’s Back.” Irish, Reel. Composed by County Tipperary fiddler Seán Ryan (d. 1985). Ryan (Seán Ryan’s Dream); 22.

 

AR n-OILEAN BEAG FEIN. AKA and see "Our Own Little Isle."

                       

AR SLIABH BREAC. Irish, Slow Air (4/4 time). D Major/Mixolydian. Standard tuning. AB. Composed by fiddler and pianist Josephine Keegan (b. 1935), of Mullaghbawn, south County Armagh. Keegan (The Keegan Tunes), 2002; pg. 85.

                       

AR THAOIBH NA CARRAIGE BAINE. Irish, Air. The tune printed under this title in Petrie’s 1855 collection is, in fact, “Bruach na Carraige Baine” (The Brink of the White Rock), explains Ó Canainn (1978), despite Petrie’s protestations in his introduction that it is not “Bruach na Carraige Baine.”

           

ARABELLA’S (WALTZ).  English (?), Waltz. D Major (‘A’ and ‘B’ parts) & B Minor (‘C’ part). Standard tuning. AABBCC. Kennedy (Fiddler’s Tune-Book: Slip Jigs and Waltzes), 1999; No. 94, pg. 23.

                       

ARABY'S DAUGHTER. Irish, Air (6/8 time, "with spirit"). D Major. Standard tuning. AB. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903/1979; No. 305, pg. 53.

X:1

T:Araby’s Daughter

M:6/8

L:1/8

R:Air

N:”With spirit”

S:O’Neill – Music of Ireland (1903), No. 305

Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion

K:D

d | fzd f>ed | e>de fdd | d>cB Adf | egf e2 d/e/ | f>ed f>ed | e>de fdd |

dcB Adf | ede d2 || A | AAA BAA | AAA dAA | AAA f>ed | c<eG A2A |

f>ed f>ed | e>de fdd | dcB Adf | ede d2 ||

                                   

ARAIDH/AIRIDH NA mBADAN. AKA and see "The Glen of Copsewood." See Bayard's notes for "Over the River to Charlie."

                                   

ARAN BOAT SONG. See "The Arran Boat."

                                   

ARBANA. AKA and see "Ben Butler's Reel." American, Reel. B Flat Major. Standard tuning. AABBCCDD. Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; pg. 17. Ryan’s Mammoth Collection, 1883; pgs. 42 & 78.

X:1

T:Arbana

M:2/4

L:1/8

R:Reel

B:Ryan’s Mammoth Collection, pg. 42  (1883)

Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion

K:B Flat Major

(3F/G/A/|B/F/d/B/ A/F/e/c/|B/F/d/B/ g/f/e/c/|B/F/d/B/ A/F/e/c/|A/F/G/A/ B:|

|:d|c/B/A/G/ F/A/c/e/|d/B/f/d/ b/f/e/d/|c/B/A/G/ F/A/c/e/|d/e/c/A/ B:|

|:(g/f/)|=e/g/B/g/ e/g/B/g/|f/c/a/f/ b/a/g/f/|=e/g/B/g/ e/g/B/g/|f/a/g/=e/ f:|

|:f|f/e/c/A/ F/E/C/E/|D/F/B/d/ f/d/b/f/|f/e/c/A/ F/E/C/E/|D/B/A/c/ B:|

                                   

ARBEADIE. Scottish, Strathspey. D Major. Standard tuning. AAB. Composed by J. Scott Skinner. Skinner (The Scottish Violinist); pg. 6.

X:1

T:Arbeadie

M:C

L:1/8

R:Strathspey

C:J. Scott Skinner

Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion

K:D

A>G F>A D<D F2 | B>A G>B E<E G2 | A>G F>A D<D F2 | G>B C<A F<D D2 :|

|| g | f/g/a (3gfe dFAd | (3gab (3agf eGBe | f/g/a (3gfe dFAd | (3cde (3bag f<d d>g |

(3fga (3gfe dFAd | (3gab (3agf eGBe | f/g/a g/f/e (3dcB (3AGF | (3EFG (3ABc d<D D2 || 

                                   

ARBOE [1]. Irish, Jig. G Major. Standard tuning. AAB. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 1977; vol. 3, No. 60.

 

ARBOE [2]. AKA and see “Come West Along the Road,” “The Monasteraden Fancy,” “Over the Moor to Peggy.”

           

ARCADIAN CONTEST, THE. English, Jig. England, North‑West. D Major. Standard tuning. AABB. Knowles (Northern Frisk), 1988; No. 74.

                       

ARCADIAN NUPTIALS. English, American; Country Dance Tune (9/8 time). F Major. Standard tuning. AABBCC. Thomson's 200 Country Dances, volume III (London, 1773, pg. 100) contains the earliest printing of this melody, however, it must have been quite a bit older since the piece was recorded as having been one of the melodies danced to at a 1752 "turtle frolic" at Goats Island, near Newport, Rhode Island (a turtle frolic was a special event when West Indes turtles, towed astern from the Carribean, arrived in port). It appears in America in a Connecticut MS by Asa Willcox from 1793, and is the third tune in the Select Collection, printed in Ostego, New York, in 1808. Knowles (A Northern Lass), 1995; pg. 7.

                       


ARCADIAN ONE STEP. Cajun, One‑step. USA, Louisiana. The tune was originally recorded in 1929 by Cajun accordion player Joseph Falcon. Harry Smith (Folkways FS1952, 1952) writes: “The accordion, one of the most basic Arcadian instruments, is seldom heard in the states north of Louisiana.” Columbia 40513F (78 RPM), Joseph Falcon (1929). Folkways FA 1952, "Anthology of American Folk Music, vol. 2: Social Music" (1952).

                       

ARCHDUKE JOHN OF AUSTRIA. Scottish, Strathspey. D Minor. AABB'. Archduke John of Austria (1782-1859) was a military leader, unfortunately chiefly remembered in that role for his defeat at the hands of Moreau at the Battle of Hohenlinden in Bavaria in 1800, closing the “War of the Second Coalition” during Europe’s Napoleonic Wars. Later in life he was appointed Regent of the Reich in Germany, replacing the German Confederation. The latter government was forced to reorganize in response to uprisings in many states in Germany after the French Revolution in 1848. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; pg. 214.

X:1

T:Archduke John of Austria

M:C

L:1/8

R:Strathspey

B:Stewart-Robertson – The Athole Collection (1884)

Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion

K:F

a|f<d d<c A<d d>f|e>cg>c e/f/g/e/ c<a|f<d d>c A<d d>f|e>c a/g/f/e/ f<dd:|

|:A|d>ef>e d<A A>F|E>cG>c E<C C>A|1 d>e f/g/e/f/ d<A A>F|

E>c A/B/^c/A/ d<DD:|2 D>FE>G F>AG>b|a>A a/g/f/e/ ~f<dd||

                       

ARCHIBALD MACDONALD OF KEPPOCH. Scottish, Slow Air (6/8 time). D Minor. Standard tuning. AAB. See "Keppoch A Wilderness" for related history of the MacDonalds of Keppoch. The tune was first published by the Scots fiddler, collector and composer Captain Simon Fraser (1773-1852) of Ardachie, near Fort Augustus. Fraser's work The Airs and Melodies Peculiar to the Highlands of Scotland and the Isles contained many works collected from vaious sources during the period 1715-1745. The MacDonalds of Keppoch were a distinguished branch of Clan MacDonald, who supported the Stewart monarchs in the 17th century, culminating with their participation in the Jacobite risings of the 18th century. As a result of their support for the Jacobite cause they lost their lands in Lochaber/ Roy Bridge and they are currently without an officially recognized clan chief. Although it has not been determined which individual has been honored in the title, an Archibald MacDonald lived from 1678 to 1745, dying just prior to the entrance of the MacDonald’s of Keppoch on the side of Bonnie Prince Charlie in his ill-fated attempt to gain the crown of Scotland and England. Lerwick (Kilted Fiddler), 1985; pg. 71. Martin (Ceol na Fidhle), Vol. 2, 1988; pg. 20 (includes a harmony part). Matthiesen (Waltz Book II), 1995; pg. 2. Culburnie Records CUL 121D, Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas – “Fire and Grace” (2004). Green Linnet SIF 1047, Johnny Cunningham ‑ "Fair Warning" (1985). Elke Baker & Liz Donaldson - "Terpsichore."

X:1

T:Archibald MacDonald of Keppoch

R:Slow Air

M:6/8

L:1/8

K:D Minor

D/E/|F>GA f>ed|c<AF G2 D/E/|F>GA f>ed |A<d^c d2:|

d/e/||f>ed c>BA|B>AG A2 D/E/|F>GA f>ed|A<d^c d2 f/g/|

a>gf A<fd|c>AF G2 D/E/|F>GA f>ga|A<d^c d2||

                       

ARCHY BOYLAN. Irish, Air (2/4 time). E Flat Major/Mixolydian. Standard tuning. AB. Stanford/Petrie (Complete Collection), 1905; No. 744, pg. 186.

X:1

T:Archy Boylan

M:2/4

L:1/8

S:Stanford/Petrie (1905), No. 744

Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion

K:E_

G/A/ | BB BA/B/ | c>B AF | AF EE | E3 || G/A/ | BB Bc/d/ | ee ed/e/ |

f>e _dc/B/ | c3 c/B/ | BB Bc/d/ | ee ed/e/ | f>e _dc/B/ | c3 d/c/ | BB BA/B/ |

c>B AF | AF EE | E3 ||

                       

ARCHIE/AIRCHE BROWN. Scottish, Reel. A Major. Standard tuning. AAB. Composed by J. Scott Skinner. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; pg. 20.

                       


ARCHIE MENZIE'S REEL. AKA and see "Bells of St. Louis." Scottish, Canadian, New England; Reel. Canada; Ontario, Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island. F Major (Brody, Cranford, Hunter, Martin & Hughes, Perlman, Phillips, Welling): D Major (Begin, Bohrer/Kibler). Standard tuning. AB (Hunter): AABB (most versions). Composed by Scottish musician John Lowe (1797-1866), father of the Joseph Lowe who published a collection in 1840, who also wrote the classic tune “Rachael Rae.” Menzies was originally a Norman name, introduced into Scotland in the half-century after the conquest of England by William the Conqueror; it is pronounced in Scotland ‘Minghees’. Lowe may have composed his tune in honor of Archibald Menzies (1754-1842), a Perthshire doctor/surgeon who gained fame as the naturalist attached to a Royal Navy expedition to explore the west coast of America. More likely, the title honors Archibald Menzies, born in Dull Perthshire, about 1806. Menzies earned a reputation as on e of the best strathspey and reel players of his day, taking many prizes at competitions. He played at the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh, for several years until his death in that city in the year 1856 [George Robertson]. Or, he could have composed it for (a young) Archie Menzies, also a musician—see his composition “Miller of Camserney”—who eventually became first conductor of the Highland Reel and Strathspey Society in 1889.  It is a very popular tune among Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, fiddlers. Perlman (1996) notes that Prince Edward Island fiddlers often play the ‘b’ flat notes almost natural at several points in the tune. See also the Québec version called “Rêve du Quêteux (Tremblay).” Sources for notated versions: the late Graham Townsend (d. 1999, Ontario, Canada) [Brody]; Dawson Girdwood (Perth, Ontario) [Begin]; Winston Scotty Fitzgerald (Cape Breton) [Phillips]; unnamed Canadian fiddler [Bohrer/Kibler]; Francis MacDonald (b. 1940, Morell Rear, North-East Kings County, Prince Edward Island) [Perlman]. Begin (Fiddle Music in the Ottawa Valley: Dawson Girdwood), 1985; No. 14, pg. 27 (appears as “Archie Menzies Hornpipe”). Bohrer (Vic Kibler), 1992; No. 11, pg. 11. Brody (Fiddler’s Fakebook), 1983; pg. 24. Cranford (Jerry Holland’s), 1995; No. 147, pg. 42.  Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 259. Perlman (The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; pg. 116. Phillips (Fiddlecase Tunebook), 1989; pg. 9. Welling (Welling’s Hartford Tune Book), 1976; pg. 17. Avoca 139, Sean Maguire‑‑"Music of Ireland." Breton Books and Records BOC 1HO, Winston “Scotty” Fitzgerald - “Classic Cuts” (reissue of Celtic Records CX17). Canadian Broadcasting Corp. NMAS 1972, Natalie MacMaster - "Fit as a Fiddle" (1993). Celestial Entertainment CECS001, Brenda Stubbert (Cape Breton) - “In Jig Time!” (1995). Celtic 17, "Winston Scotty Fitzgerald." Rounder 7002, Graham Townsend‑ "Le Violin/ The Fiddle." Rounder 7004, Joseph Cormier‑ "The Dances Down Home" (1977).

X:1

T:Archie Menzies Reel

M:C|

L:1/8

S:From a transcription by Carmelle Begin of the playing of fiddler Dawson Girdwood.

K:D

A,2|:D2 (A,D) FDA,D|FABc dAFD|({E/F/}E2) (B,E) GEB,E|GABc dBAF|

D2 (A,D) FDA,D|FABc dAFD|G2 (EG) (FE)(DE/F/)|1 EDCE D2 (A,B,/C/):|2

EDCE D2 (3ABc||

|:d2 (A>d) f>DA>d|f>de>c d>AFA|e2 (Be) geBe|gefd e(dc>A)|

d2 (A>d) fdAd|fdec dA FD|G>FE>G F>E (3DEF|1 (3EED C>E D2 (3ABc:|2

E>DC>E D2 (A,B,C||

X:2

T:Archie Menzies Reel

M:4/4

L:1/8

K:F

C2|F2 CF AFEF|Acde fdAF|G2 DG BGDG|Bdef gdBG|

F2 CF AFEF|Acde fcAF|BdGB AcFA|GFDE F2:|

|:e2|f2 cf afef|cfag fedc|g2 dg bg^fg|dgba gfed|cfef afef|cfag fedc|BdGB AcFA|GFDE F2:|

 

ARCHIE NEIL CHISHOLM. Canadian, Pipe March (cut time). Canada, Cape Breton. A Dorian. Standard tuning. AABB’. Composed by Cape Breton fiddler Brenda Stubbert (b. 1959, Point Aconi, Cape Breton). Cranford (Brenda Stubbert’s), 1994; No. 3, pg. 2. Celestial Entertainment CECS001, Brenda Stubbert - “In Jig Time!” (1995).

 

ARCHIE STEWART’S FAVORITE.  Canadian, Jig. Canada, Prince Edward Island. A Major. Standard tuning. AABB. Miller (Fiddler’s Throne), 2004; No. 3, pg. 15.

 

ARCHIE STEWART’S REEL. Canadian, Reel. Canada; Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick. D Major. Standard tuning. AABB. Source for notated version: the tune was learned from a broadcast from New Brunswick of a radio fiddler and remembered (though not the title) by Archie Stewart (b. 1917, Milltown Cross, South Kings County, Prince Edward Island) [Perlman]. Perlman (The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; pg. 80.

 

ARCHIE'S FANCY. English, Waltz. England, Northumberland. G Major. Standard tuning. AABB. Composed by Northumbrian small-piper Billy Pigg (1902-1968), named in honor of Archie Dagg. Dagg, a farmer and maker of small-pipes, was a member of the concert band The Border Minstrels, and composed “Elsie’s Waltz.” Callaghan (Hardcore English), 2007; pg. 83. Lerwick (The Kilted Fiddler), 1985; pg. 59.

 

ÁRD AN BHÓTHAIR (High Part of the Road). AKA and see “High Part of the Road,” “Blooming Meadows [1].”

 

ÁRD MHÍN, AN. AKA and see “High Level {Hornpipe} [1].”

 

ÁRD NA BRAHAR. AKA and see "Friars' Hill."

 

ARDA BERKSHIRE. AKA and see "The Berkshire Heights."

 

ARDAIDH CUAIN. Irish, Air. D Major. Standard tuning. AB. Ardaidh Cuain (Ardí Cuan or Ardicoan) is a townland in County Antrim, situated on a hill above Knocknacarry and Cushendun in the north-east part of the county.

***

Ardí Cuan (from, Ceolta Gael, ed. Seán óg and Manus O Baoill)
***
Dá mbeinn féin in Airdí Cuan

in aice an tsléibhe úd 'tá i bhfad uaim
b'annamh liom gan dul ar cuairt
go Gleann na gcuach Dé Domhnaigh.

***
Curfá
Agus och, och Éire 'lig is ó
Éire lonndubh agus ó
is é mo chroi  'tá trom is é brónach.

***
Is iomaí Nollaig 'bhi mé féin
i mbun abhann Doinne is mé gan chéill
ag iomáin ar an trá bhán
is mo chamán bán i mo dhorn liom.

Curfá
***
Nach tuirseach mise anseo liom féin
nach n-airim guth coiligh, londubh nó traon,
gaelbhán, smaolach, naoscach féin,
is chan aithnim féin an Domhnach.

Curfá
***
Dá mbeadh agam féin ach coit is rámh
nó go n-iomarfainn ar an tsámh
ag dúil as Dia go sroichfinn slán
is go bhfaighinn bás in Éirinn.

Curfá

***

Tubridy (Irish Traditional Music, vol. 1), 1999; pg. 42.

 

ARDCLACH. Scottish, Reel. B Flat Major. Standard tuning. AA'B. Composed by Alexander Walker. Walker (A Collection of Strathspeys, Reels, Marches, &c.), 1866; No. 43, pg. 16.

 

ARDERIN. Irish. Composed by County Tipperary fiddler Seán Ryan (d. 1985). Ryan (Seán Ryan’s Dream: The Second Collection), 26.

 

L'ARDEUR DE PARIS. American, Waltz. D Minor. Standard tuning. Composed by Eric Scott (1924-1991) in 1985, who thought the melody reminiscent of French cafe waltzes. His wife suggested the name, which means "glow of Paris." One part. Matthiesen (Waltz Book II), 1995; pg. 3.

 

ARDKINGLAS'S REEL. Scottish, Reel. The tune appears in a MS inscribed "A Collection of the best Highland Reels written by David Young, W.M. & Accomptant."

 

ARDLAMON. Irish, Hornpipe. G Major. Standard tuning. AABB. Ardlamon is a place name from County Limerick. "From Davy Cleary, piper and dancing‑master, Kilfinane: 1842" (Joyce). Joyce (Old Irish Folk Music and Songs), 1909; No. 39, pg. 22.

X:1

T:Ardlamon

M:C

L:1/8

R:Hornpipe

S:Joyce – Old Irish Folk Music and Songs  (1909)

Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion

K:G

DGGF G2 Bc|dgfa gdBG|EAAG A2 BA|GFGE DCB,A,|G,GGF GABc|

dgfa gdBG|Eedc BAGF|G2G2 G3z:|

|:Eeed efga|bagf edBA|G2 GA BABd|egfd e/d/BAF|E2 ed e2 ga|

b/c’/baf edBG|Eedc BAGF|G2G2G2:|

 

ARDOIN TWO-STEP. AKA and see “Perrodin Two Step.” Cajun/Creole, Two-Step. A version of the “Perrodin Two-Step.” Arhoolie CD445, Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin with Canray Fontenot - “La Musique Creole.”

 


ARDRISHAIG. AKA and see “Donald John the Tailor.” Scottish, Cape Breton; Strathspey. Originally published in Robert MacKinnon’s Collection of Highland Pipe Music (1901/6). Ardrishaig (or, in Gaelic, ‘Rudh Ard driseig’) is a place name. A Cape Breton pipe setting can be found in Barry Shears’ Cape Breton Collection of Bagpipe Music (1995).  

 

ARDROSSAN CANAL, THE. Scottish, Strathspey. F Major. Standard. AB. Composed by Nathaniel Gow. Carlin (The Gow Collection), 1986; No. 4.

 

ARDTAOISEAC FRASER, AN. AKA and see "Colonel Fraser."

 

ARDTAOISEAC MIC BAEITINE, AN. AKA and see "Colonel McBain's."

 

ARDTAOISEAC RODNAIG, AN. AKA and see "Colonel Rodney."

           

ARE YE SLEEPIN’ MAGGIE?  Scottish, Air or March. E Minor. Standard. AABB. A song air employed as a march by fiddler Randy Miller. Miller (Fiddler’s Throne), 2004; No. 328, pg. 194.

                       

ARE YOU HUNGRY LITTLE SEAMUS? (A Sheamuis Bhig a bhfuil Ocras Ort?). AKA and see “The Roving Bachelor.” Irish, Highland. See “(A) Sheamuis Bhig a bhfuil Ocras Ort?

                                   

ARE YOU NOT THE BRIGHT STAR THAT USED TO BE BEFORE ME? AKA and see “One night I dreamt.”

                       

ARE YOU READY YET? Irish, Reel. E Minor. Standard tuning. AABBCC. Composed by Danú flute player Tom Doorley, “with a little inspiration from his girlfriend Deirdre.” Shanachie 78030, Danú – “Think Before You Think” (2000). 

X:1

T:Are You Ready Yet?

R:Reel

D:Danu: Think Before You Think

Z:Bill Reeder

M:C|

L:1/8

K:Em

B2AF EGFE|FDFA dAFA|BAAF EGFE|FGFD ~B3A|

B2AF EGFE|FDFA dAFA|BAAF EGFE|FGFD ~B3c:||

Beed deef|gefa gfeg|fdBA B2fB|gBfB edBA|

Beed deez|gefa g4|bage agfd|Bgfd e4:||

BAGF ~G3A|dBAG FEDF|E2BA (3Bcd eg|ef~f2 e2fe|

edBe dBAF|BAGF EFGA|BedB AcBA|GAFA E4:||

                       

ARE YOU SHOT?  AKA and see "The Ducks and The Oats." See also "The Tenpenny Bit [2]," "The New Tenpenny."

 

ARE YOU WILLING? (An E Do Toil E?)  Irish, Reel. A Major. Standard tuning. AB (O'Neill/1850 & 1001): AA'B (O'Neill/Krassen). O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; pg. 150. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903/1979; No. 1494, pg. 276. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907/1986; No. 718, pg. 126.

X:1

T:Are You Willing?

M:C|

L:1/8

R:Reel

S:O’Neill – Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems (1907), No. 718

Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion

K:A

A2 EA FAEA|ABcA BABc|A2 EA FAEA|faed cABc|A2 EA FAEA|

ABcA BABc|defg agae|fdBd cA A2||agae fece|dBcA GAFA|

agae fgae|fdBd cAAg|aece fece|dBcA BAFA|A,CEA ceae|fdBd cA A2||

 

AREIR A TEIRIGHIG SCEUL DHOM TREM NEULTA. AKA and see "Last Night a Story Came to Me in My Dreams."

 

AREIR AS ME AG MACHTNAMH AIR BHEARTAIBH AN t-SAOGHAIL. AKA and see "Last Night as I was Thinking of the Ways of the World."

 

ARETHUSA, THE. AKA – ‘The Saucy Arethusa.” AKA and see "The Princess Royal [1]." See also Oswald's "My Love is Lost to Me," which Bayard questions as to whether it is derivative of, or ancestral to, Carolan's tune. The song appeared in the opera The Lock and Key, acted in 1796, with words by Prince Hoare, music composed and selected by William Shield, and relates the engagement of the English frigate The Arethusa with a larger French warship, La Belle Poule, in the English Channel in June, 1778.  Although often attributed to Shield, he himself only claimed to have added the bass.  Irish writers have claimed that Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738) composed the tune as “The Princess Royal,” in honor of a daughter of Macdermott Roe. Kidson (Groves), however, maintains it was an English country dance from the early 18th century, dedicated to Anne, daughter of George II, who married the Prince of Orange in 1734. For more see Roly Brown’s article at Musical Traditions (http://www.mustrad.org.uk/enthuse.htm), No. 45.

 

ARGAN MOR. AKA and see "The Battle of Argan More."

 

ARGEERS. AKA – “The Wedding Night.” English, Country Dance (2/2 time). B Flat Major (Barnes, Fleming‑Williams, Raven, Sharp): D Major (Johnson, Williamson). Standard tuning. AABB. The tune dates at least to 1651, when it was first published in John Playford’s first edition of his English Dancing Master, with the alternate title “The Wedding Night.” Williamson (1976) identifies the melody as a morris dance tune from southern England, and suggests that the title might have been a garbled version of the North African territory of 'Algiers.' This may be true: the Barbary coast, including Algiers, was long the haven of pirates that prayed on shipping for many centuries. Shakespeare and Dryden both refer to Algerian pirates by the term ‘Argiers’, and Luttrell writes: “His majestie hath granted a brief for making charitable collections for the redemption of captives at Argiers” [I, 37]. The Barbary pirates remained active into the next century, and they were a topic Playford’s day in England, as that country sought to suppress them in support of trade. Samuel Pepys makes mention in his diary for November 22nd, 1662: “News that Sir J. Lawson hath made up a peace now with Tunis and Tripoli, as well as Argiers, by which he will come home very highly honoured.” The entry references Sir John Lawson, born the son of a poor man in Hull, Yorkshire, entered the navy as a common seaman but rose to the rank of vice-admiral. Lawson spent the early 1660’s trying to suppress the pirates of the African coast and, in 1664, he “made the Algerines disgorge eighteen vessels…” after which he proceeded to relieve Tangier. He was killed fighting the Dutch in 1665, acting as Rear-Admiral of the Red under the Duke of York.

***

Algiers’ was also apparently in common use in the 1660’s as a term meaning a ‘haven for thieves’. A London pamphlet issued in 1662 (“printed for W. Gilbertson at the Bible in Giltspur-street without Newgate”), titled “The Life and Death of Mrs. Mary Frith. Commonly Called Mal Cutpurse,” purported to be the ‘diary’ of an infamous Fleet street criminal (and as such, no less fascinating to the public then, as now). She relates that her house received all kinds of stolen goods—“My House was the Algiers where (thieves) trafficked in safety without the Bribes to those Fellows (i.e. thief-catchers, the policemen of the era), and publically exposed what they had got without the danger of Inquisition or Examination or Fees of silence. I could have told in what quarter of the Town a Robberty was don the Evening before by very early day next morning, and had a perfect Inventory of what they had taken as soon as it came to the Dividend…”

***

Barnes (English Country Dance Tunes), 1986. Fleming‑Williams & Shaw (English Dance Airs; Popular Selection, Book 1), 1965; pg. 7. Johnson (The Kitchen Musician No. 14; Songs, Airs and Dances of the 18th Century), 1997; pg. 1. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; pg. 20. Sharp (Country Dance Tunes), 1909/1994; pg. 30. Williamson (English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish Fiddle Tunes), 1976; pg. 17. Maggie’s Music MMCD216, Hesperus - “Early American Roots” (1997).

X:1

T:Argreers

M:2/2

L:1/8

S:Sharp – Country Dance Tunes   (1909)

Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion

K:B_

|: (Bcde c2.B2 | .A2.F2 F4 | (f2c2f3e | d2)B2 B4 |

(Bcde c2B2 | A3B c2 (F2 | GA B2) (ABcd | B6) z2 :|

|: (ABc2 ) (ABc2) .f2.c2.f2c2 | (ABc2) (ABc2) | .f2.c2.f2c2 |

(f2ed e2 fe | d2 cB c3)(F | GABc ABcd | B6z2 :|

 

ARGILE'S BOULING GREEN. Scottish, Country Dance. The melody appears in the Holmain Manuscript (1710‑50), a six‑page book of instructions for country dances.

 


ARGLYE('S) BOWLING GREEN. AKA and see “The Braes of Glencoe.” Scottish, Reel. C Major. Standard tuning. AB (Gow/Repository, Surenne): AAB (most versions): AABBCCDD (Bremner). The melody appears in the Drummond Castle Manuscript, inscribed "A Collection of Country Dances written for the use of his Grace the Duke of Pert by Dav. Young, 1734,” which in the early 1970's was in the possession of the Earl of Ancaster at Drummond Castle. However, perhaps not aware of that work, Glen finds the earliest appearance of the piece in Robert Bremner's 1757 collection (pg. 70). It has been suggested that the ‘bowling green’ title is an Englished corruption of the Gaelic "buaile na greine" (sunny cattle-fold). However, Argyle’s Bowling Green is also the nickname of a range of hills and mountains known as the ‘Arrochar Alps’, especially as seen from the fjord-like Loch Long. A melody by this name (“Argile’s Bouling Green”) appears in the Holmain Manuscript (1710‑50), a six‑page book of instructions for country dances. The name Argyll derives from the Gaelic ‘Airer Gaedel’, or ‘coast of the Gaels,’ and refers to the area of Scotland first invaded by the Irish tribes in the 5th century. Source for notated version: George MacPhee (b. 1941, Monticello, North-East Kings County, Prince Edward Island) [Perlman]. Bremner (Scots Reels), 1757; pg. 70. Gow (Completre Repository), Part 4, 1817; pg. 31. Kerr (Merry Melodies), Vol. 2; No. 85, pg. 12. Lowe (A Collection of Reels and Strathspeys), 1844. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; pg. 120. Perlman, 1996; pg. 119. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; pg. 66. Surenne (Dance Music of Scotland), 1852; pg. 71. WMT002, Wendy MacIsaac – “That’s What You Get” (1998?).

See also listings at:

Alan Syner’s Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index

X:1

T:Argyle Bowling Green

M:C|

L:1/8

R:Reel

B:Stewart-Robertson – The Athole Collection  (1884)

Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion

K:C

E|C2c2 cded|cdcA G^FED|C2c2 cded|cBcE D3:|

c|GecE GEEA|GecE G2 GA|GecE GEEF|GAGE D2Da|

gec’e geea|gec’e g2ga|gec’e geef|gage d2d||

 

ARGYLE IS MY NAME. Scottish, Jig. D Major. Standard tuning. AABB. The name Argyll derives from the Gaelic ‘Airer Gaedel’, or ‘coast of the Gaels,’ and refers to the area of Scotland first invaded by the Irish tribes in the 5th century. Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 1; No. 15, pg. 32.

X:1

T:Argyle is My Name

M:6/8

L:1/8

R:Jig

S:Kerr – Merry Melodies, vol. 1, No. 15  (c. 1880’s)

Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion

K:D

A|d>ed dcd|fee e2g|f>ed (f<a)A|ABc dfe|d>ed dcd|

fee e2g|f>ed (f<a)A|ABc d2::a|afd dfa|agf g2b|

afd dfa|agf eef|g>ag g>ag|A>BA g>ag|fed (f<a)A|ABc d2:|

 

ARGYLL REEL. Scottish, Reel. The name Argyll derives from the Gaelic ‘Airer Gaedel’, or ‘coast of the Gaels,’ and refers to the area of Scotland first invaded by the Irish tribes in the 5th century. Green Linnet SIF‑1094, Capercaillie ‑ "Sidewaulk" (1989).

 

ARIEL HORNPIPE. AKA and see "Ball and Pin Hornpipe." New England, Canadian; Hornpipe. A Major. Standard tuning. AABB. The tune may just possibly have been named for the clipper ship Ariel, a name that appears in American Clipper Ships 1833-1858 by Howe and Matthews. Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; pg. 90. Messer (Anthology of Favorite Fiddle Tunes), 1980; No. 107, pg. 69. Ryan’s Mammoth Collection, 1883; pg. 124.

See also listings at:

Alan Snyder’s Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index

X:1

T:Ariel Hornpipe

R:Hornpipe

M:2/4

L:1/16

Z:Transcribed by Bruce Osborne

K:A

A2|A,CEA c2BA|BEGB d2cB|cAce aecA|BcdB AGFE|

A,CEA c2BA|BEGB d2cB|Acea gfdB|A2c2 A2:|

|:(3efg|aece a2ga|fdBd f2ed|cAce aecA|BcdB AGFE|

aece a2ga|fdBd f2ed|Acea Begb|gefg a2:|

 

ARISAIG CAIRN. Canadian, March (2/4 time). Canada, Cape Breton. A Major/Mixolydian. Standard tuning. AABBCCDD. Composed by Cape Breton fiddler Dan R. MacDonald (1911-1976). Cameron (Trip to Windsor), 1994; pg. 5.

 

ARISAIG JIG. Canadian, Jig. Canada, Cape Breton. E Flat Major. Standard tuning. AABB. Composed by Cape Breton fiddler and composer Dan R. MacDonald (1911-1976). Cameron (Trip to Windsor), 1994; pg. 57.

 

ARISAIG MIST. Canadian, Slow Air (4/4 time). D Dorian. Standard tuning. AABCCD. Composed by Cape Breton fiddler Wilfred Gillis, originally set in D Minor. Source for notated version: Winston Fitzgerald (1914-1987, Cape Breton) [Cranford]. Cranford (Winston Fitzgerald), 1997; No. 230, pg. 92.

 

ARIZONA STOMP. Old‑Time, Breakdown. The tune was composed by fiddler Huggins Williams of the East Texas Serenaders. The name Arizona had humble origins, and was first used by Spanish explorers referring to ‘the little spring’. It was used by a mining company which brought it to public notice and it soon came to represent an entire territory of the American southwest (Matthews, 1972). County 410, "The East Texas Serenaders, 1927‑1936" (1977).

 


ARIZONA WALTZ. Old-Time, Waltz. D Major. Standard tuning. AA'B. The name Arizona had humble origins, and was first used by Spanish explorers referring to ‘the little spring’. It was used by a mining company which brought it to public notice and it soon came to represent an entire territory of the American southwest (Matthews, 1972). The waltz is copyrighted to Rex Allen, who recorded it in the 1950’s or 60’s. Source for notated version: Clem Myers [Phillips]. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), Vol. 2, 1995; pg. 238.

 

ARK AN D’OR HOUSE. Canadian, Slow Air (4/4 time). Canada, Cape Breton. A Major. Standard tuning. AA’B. Composed by fiddler Brenda Stubbert (b. 1959, Point Aconi, Cape Breton). Cranford (Brenda Stubbert’s), 1994; pg. 1. Brenda Stubbert - “House Sessions” (1992).

 

ARKANSAS JITTERS. American, Breakdown. USA, Arizona. G Major. Standard tuning. AB. Ruth (Pioneer Western Folk Tunes), 1948; No. 98, pg. 35.

X:1

T:Arkansas Jitters

L:1/8

M:2/4

S:Viola “Mom” Ruth – Pioneer Western Folk Tunes (1948)

Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion

K:G

G|BB/d/ BB/d/|BGAB|c/B/c/d/ cB|A3 (3A/B/c/|da/g/ fa/g/|

fdef|g/f/g/a/ ge|d/e/d/c/ B/A/G/A/|BB/d/ BB/d/|BGAB|

c/B/c/d/ cB|A3 (3A/B/c/|da/g/ fa/g/|fdef|g/f/g/a/ g/f/e/f/|

[d3g3] (g/a/)||ba g/f/e/f/|ag ff/g/|ag f/e/d/e/|fe d/B/G/A/|

BB/d/ BB/d/|BGAB|c/B/c/d/ cB|A3 (3A/B/c/|da/g/ fa/g/|

fdef|g/f/g/a/ g/f/e/f/|[B2g2][Bg]||

 

ARKANSAS PUMPKINS. Old‑Time, Fiddle Tune. Appears in a list of traditional Ozark Mountain fiddle tunes recorded by folklorist Vance Randolph for the Library of Congress in the 1940's.

 

ARKANSAS STOMP. Old‑Time. Caney Mountain Records CEP 102 (privately issued extended play LP), Lonnie Robertson (Mo.), c. 1965‑66.

 

ARKANSAS TRAVELER. Old‑Time, Bluegrass, American; Reel, Country Dance. USA, almost universally known. D Major (Rosenberg, Sweet, Titon, White): G Major (Shaw): A Major (Kerr). Standard or ADae (Edden Hammons, Molsky) tunings. One part (Burchenal): AB (Shaw): AABB (most versions): AABBA'A' (Phillips, 1994). One of, if not the most famous of American fiddle tunes. E. Southern (1983) calls "Arkansas Traveller" a "plantation fiddle tune" (pg. 186), while Cauthen (1990) writes that it "had been played and sung as (an) anonymous folk tune, claimed and popularized by minstrel performers, then passed into the realm of folk music once more" (pg. 15).  It is true that at least some of the elements of the famous dialogue typically attached to the melody  (i.e. the conversation between the 'hick' and the 'city-slicker') were in circulation in the 1820's‑1830's, during the plantation era, and it has been found that the tune and sketch had been joined and were being performed (in minstrel shows) not long after (Yates and Russell, O.T.M. # 31 Winter 78/79).  {For more information see article by H.C. Mercer in JEMFQ VI:2 (18) Summer 1970.} Rosenberg (198‑) records that "Arkansas Traveler" was first published by Oliver Ditson and Company of Boston in 1863 and attributed to an itinerant musician or stage comedian named Mose Case, although Cazden (et al, 1982) reports it had been previously published in Buffalo, N.Y., by Blodgett & Bradford in 1858.

***

The music itself was in print in 1847, Rosenberg states, and both the tune and the accompanying skit are presumed by him to have been in oral circulation at the time. Bayard (1981) thinks the whole melody may be an "American amalgam," as he was unable to locate a recognizable version in British Isles traditions. The second strain became a "floater," according to him, and appears in otherwise unrelated tunes, and he speculates a portion of the first part may itself have been a 'floater' that became attached to the tune. In Francis O'Neill's Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody (1922) "Arkansas Traveler" is regarded as having a 'presumable' Irish history and three tunes are given which are proffered as in part ancestral to the American melody. O’Neill says: “Vying in popularity with ‘Turkey in the Straw’, another American favorite claims our affection. Famous in song and story its origin has baffled investigation. An exhaustive research conducted by Dr. H.C. Mercer, an official of Buck's County Historical Society (Doylestown, Pa) relating to its history and antecedents failed of its purpose. All lines of inquiry extending to Kentucky, Arkansas, and Louisiana, ended in contradiction, and uncertainty. Furthermore, the quaint dialogue between the ‘Traveler’ and the backwoods fiddler was based on nothing more substantial than a fertile imagination. The opening paragraph of Dr. Mercer's essay published in the Century Magazine -On the track of the Arkansas Traveler- is well worth quoting:

***

Sometime about the year 1850 the American musical myth

known as "The Arkansas Traveler" came into vogue among

fiddlers. It is a quick reel tune with a backwoods story

talked to it while played, that caught the ear at sideshows