JIGS: 1. Haste to the Wedding: Joe Burke, the famous box player of Co. Galway, played this in a medley with Father O'Flynn, and wrote of the two, "Now if I was out for an early morning stroll by the Great Wall of China and met a native on a bicycle whistling either one of these tunes on the way to work...I wouldn't be the least surprised. They must be the two best-known and overplayed tunes of all time. They are truly great." 2. My Darling Asleep; 3. Behind the Haystack: also known as The Munster Buttermilk. 4. The Rambling Pitchfork: called the Fisherman's Widow in O'Neill's. 5. The Sporting Pitchfork: from the playing of P. Glackin, who played it in a set following the Rambling Pitchfork. 6. Tatter Jack Walsh, or Father Jack Walsh. "Tatter Jack" probably comes from the Irish: an tAthair Jack Walsh = reverend father Jack Walsh. 7. Three Little Drummers: this seems to be in all the standard collections, and was among the earliest tunes recorded, but it hasn't been recorded that much lately. Patsy Tuohey recorded it on an Ediphone cylinder, (reproduced on the Wheels of the World album) ca 1907. It has also been called the Tenpenny Bit, and Spirits of Whiskey. 8. The Cook in the Kitchen: 9. The Swallowtail: called the Dancing Master in O'Neill's. O'Neill has a slightly different version in Waifs and Strays, called Dromey's Fancy after John Dromey, fluter,piper and singer, who gave him the tune. 10. Fraher's: a fine tune for the pipes, named after piper Edward Fraher, Emly, Co. Tipperary, b. 1804 11. The Trip to Sligo: this is in O'Neill's under the name "The Lark in the Morning," but it bears no relation to the tune we play these days under that name. O'Neill considered it to be a very old and unusual tune. 12. Tom Billy's #2: Tom Billy was a fiddler of a previous generation from Kerry. His name is associated with a number of tunes which reach us through Padraic O'Keefe and Denis Murphy. This particular tune was learned from a recording of Denis Murphy and Julia Clifford, where it was the second in a set called Tom Billy's Jigs. 13. Tony Rowe's: this was recorded by Andy McGann under the name of Carmen's Amber. According to the liner notes, they didn't have a name for the tune and made that up especially for the album. It would be interesting to know how many people know it under that name. It's called Tone Rowe's in Bulmer and Sharpley (shades of twelve-tone music?) and Ceol Rince na hEireann prints it as Port Ui Thomhnra, or Tonra's Jig. 14. The Battering Ram: learned from the Tulla Ceili Band of Tulla, Co. Clare. 15. The Mist on the Mountain: by Junior Crehan, said to have been composed one one dawn while returning in the wee hours from a country house dance. It is often called the Mist Covered Mountains. There is a Scots Gaelic song, Chi mi na Morbheanna (I Will See the Great Mountains), well-known in Cape Breton, with a similar tune. The words were written in the 1800s by John Cameron of Ballachulish to a version of the tune of "John is too Long at the Fair"--so the tune has been around longer than the words. Highland pipers play it as a slow march, and call it the Mist Covered Mountains, better known in the US as the tune played at JFK's funeral; it is similar to the jig, but to my ears at least, it is not the same tune. 16. Willie Coleman's: This and the preceding tune were made popular by a recording of Matt Molloy. 17. The Portroe Jig: I learned this from the playing of Clare fiddlers Paddy Canny and P.J. Hayes. It is probably better known as Out on the Ocean. 18. The Trip to Athlone: I learned this from a Tulla Ceili Band recording. Felix Doran recorded it as "Newport Lasses". 19. The Pipe on the Hob: a good piping jig--the slide into those C naturals is very effective. "Hob" refers to part of a fireplace, of course, but I'd long wondered whether "pipe" referred to uilleann or clay pipes. Evidently it refers to neither. One of its names in Irish translates to "the piper of the embers", i.e. the cricket on the hearth. Seamus Ennis recorded it under that name. 20. The Bride's Favorite: combine this with Haste to the Wedding and a jig known as The Joys of Wedlock (in Roche's collection) to get a good wedding set. Also called O'Brien's. 21. Port Shean Tseain: or "Old John's Jig." From the playing of Tommy Peoples. 22. The Rakes of Kildare: The first edition of O'Neill's called this the Barndoor Jig, later editions called it the Rakes of Kildare, and that is the title it goes under these days. 23. The Bank of Turf: this is more a slide than a double jig. Ceol Rince na hEireann has it as Padraic O'Keefe's Slide--but there must be 50 tunes with that name. 24. Doctor O'Neill: This and the next two are some of the "big" jigs, of four parts or more. In addition to being great tunes in their own right, they are good to play at ceilis for dances like the Haymakers' Jig: these can last a while, and it's nice to have long tunes which don't have to be repeated too often. 25. Cherish the Ladies: this has been attributed to Walter "Piper" Jackson, a gentleman piper of the mid 18th century in Co. Limerick, who composed many other still-popular tunes, such as Jackson's Morning Brush. The original would have been a two-part tune and the additional three parts of the present melody would have been added over the years. This version was learned from the playing of P. Glackin. 26. The Frieze Britches: The first two parts were made popular by Planxty in their recording of the song "Cunla". Frieze is a heavy coarse wool fabric. SLIP JIGS: 27: The Humors of Whiskey: this is Dever the Dancer in O'Neill's. 28: Drops of Brandy: this is well-known in Scotland and thruout the British Isles. 29: The Boys of Ballisodare: This probably refers to the town of Ballysodare in Co Sligo, North of the Owenmore River. ?? 30: An Phis Fliuch: This is associated with Willy Clancy. It enjoyed a period of popularity after it was recorded by Planxty, but is perhaps less played now. It can be a very expressive tune in the right hands. It is also called The Choice Wife--a prettified and loose translation of the Irish title--and O'Farrell's Welcome to Limerick. REELS: 31, 32. Toss the Feathers (D) and (Am): These are quite different tunes. The D tune seems to be better known: it is in several collections, including O'Neill's. They make a good set together. 33. Father Kelly's: learned from fiddler Paddy Haverty of Killimor, Co. Galway. It has become quite popular in sessions. 34. The Hunters Purse: a well-known, well-loved reel, which has gone under numerous names, such as the Five Leafed Clover and An Sceach (The Bush). 35. The Wind That Shakes the Barley: Irish tunes are known for imaginative and beautiful names, as well as for beautiful melodies. This is an example of both. 36. Rolling in the Ryegrass: near the Shannon river in Galway, this is called the Shannon Breezes. 37. The Silver Spire: no relation to the Silver Spear! It has picked up a number of names in its day, such as the Great Eastern and John Brennan's. Recorded by Paddy Killoran. Quite popular in sessions. The run at the start of the second part is striking. 38. The Dublin Reel: Michael Coleman recorded this as part of a medley called Jackson's Reels. It is also called the Clogher reel. 39. Lucy Campbell: Originally Scottish, in print as far back as 1780. 40. Farewell to Ireland (Am): This tune is in O'Neill's. It is normally a showpiece for the fiddle, but this setting is taken from the piping of Tom Creegan. The main difference between it and the usual one is in the first part; a fiddle would play it an octave lower to get a dramatic opening, as follows: B,|A,3B, EDEF|GEDB, G,A,B,G,|A,G,(3A,B,D E2AF|GEDB,EA,~A,2|\ A,G,A,C E2EF|GEDB, G,A,B,g|ed (3efg abaf|(3gfe dB BAA:| (Fiddlers will want to replace the given first part with this.) 41. Farewell to Ireland (D): This has no relation to the tune above, except its name. While it is not in O'Neill's, it is in "The Dance Music of Willy Clancy" as "Unknown", and is in Ceol Rince na h'Eireann as "Slan le hEireann". 42. The Dunmore Lasses: Paddy Carty recorded it as Morrison's; also known as the Road to Knock. 43. Gravel Walk: a Donegal tune, made popular by J. Doherty. This can be a real fiddle showpiece. At the same time, it is a lovely tune to slow down and play as a slow reel. 44. The Salamanca Reel: there is a seminary in Salamanca, Spain, where many Irish priests have studied. 45. The Banshee: often known as McMahon's. It is said to have been composed by the flute player James McMahon, of Rosslea, Co Fermanagh. 46. The Jolly Clamdiggers: Michael Coleman recorded this as "The Blackthorn Stick". 47. The Sunny Banks: this, along with the Jolly Clamdiggers, makes as cheerful a set of reels as you could ask for. 48. The Humors of Tulla: a good tune to take at a fast clip. 49. The Convenience: a bit of a party piece, it's not as difficult as it sounds, and I know of one fiddler who won't play it because he considers it's just for showing off. Yes, of course, it refers to _that_ convenience. 50. Sporting Paddy: O'Neill has this in Waifs and Strays as Irish Pat. 51. The Lady on the Island: 52. Roaring Mary: 53. Boil the Breakfast Early: a reel much favored by pipers. Learned from the piping of Leo Rowsome. 54. The First House in Connaught: this is another good pipe tune, and the setting here, which is mainly taken from Seamus Ennis, favors the pipes. 55. Craig's Pipes: or Greig's Pipes, or Kregg's Pipes--among other spellings. Also known as the Kerry Huntsman. A distantly related tune with the same name was printed in O'Farrell's Pocket Companion for the Irish or Union Pipes (1800); it had appeared in collections as early as 1762, and was probably composed by Joshua Campbell. 56. Carrowcastle Lasses. Recorded by Leo Rowsome as George White's Favorite. The setting here is from the playing of the Kincora Ceili Band. 57. The Boys of Ballisodare: O'Neill's has this as "Dublin Lasses", and the Willie Clancy collection has it as "Unknown", but it is usually played under this name these days. 58. The Maids of Mount Kisco: it's sometimes spelled Mount Cisco or Montcisco, but it refers not to a place in Ireland but to a town in New York state. It was recorded by Paddy Killoran, a Sligo fiddler who did all his recording in the US, so that may not be too surprising. 59. The Ladies' Pantalettes: Michael Coleman recorded this following the Duke of Leinster, and called it "The Duke of Leinster's Wife". S. Hamilton posted the following information on the origin of the name. "I recently came across an interesting account of the origin of the name of the well known reel 'The Ladies Pantalettes'. I had always assumed that it referred to the item of clothing but no! According to Diarmuid O'Muir the well-known Irish linguistic scholar, the following is the real and much more interesting truth. When sailors on the old tall-masted sailing ships really wanted to get everything they could out of their ships, for example on the last stretch home to port, they put up every last scrap of canvas. The very last tiny sail above the top gallants and the skyscraper was known as...the ladies pantalettes, presumably because they were about the same size! and perhaps also reminded the sailors what awaited them in port!" 60. Maude Millar: modified a bit from the playing of James Keane. 61. The Blackberry Blossom: recorded by numerous musicians, from James Morrison to Mary Bergin to Planxty, it lends itself to a light, fast treatment. 62. The High Reel: Scots know this as Sandy Duff. 63. The Drunken Landlady: similar enough to Pigeon on the Gate that playing them in the same set in a session is bound to lead to confusion. 64. The Fox Hunter's Reel: this can be a real blaster. Fiddlers often play it in the key of A. 65. The Bucks of Oranmore: Seamus Ennis thought this the _very_ best of Irish reels. It goes especially well on the pipes, and all good pipers have their own special versions of it. He was once asked what reel to play following it in a medley. He thought a bit, then replied "You can't play anything after the Bucks." So we put it last here. HORNPIPES 66. Cronin's Hornpipe; learned from the playing of P. Glackin and P. Keenan. 67. The Flowing Tide: learned from the playing of The Boys of the Lough. 68. The Wicklow Hornpipe: also called Delahunty's, and sometimes the Road to Boyle. 69. The Little Stack of Barley: a very melodic hornpipe. The name refers to the portion of barley which is kept aside to make potheen. 70. The Stack of Wheat: Michael Coleman played this in a medley following the Little Stack of Barley. 71. The Fairies' Hornpipe: according to Seamus Ennis, a young man once lost his way coming home from a dance, fell asleep in a field, and woke later to the music of fairies dancing. The villagers didn't believe his story at first when he came home late in the morning, saying he must just have gotten drunk and passed out, but then he played them the tune he'd heard the fairy piper playing. Since not even the oldest had heard it before, they had to believe him, and it has been called the Fairies Hornpipe ever since. POLKAS, MARCHES, AND OTHERS 72,73. The Dark Girl (or the Dark Girl Dressed in Blue) and Farewell to Whiskey: two old and popular Kerry polkas. 74. Jessica's: a polka learned from the playing of Kevin Burke. 75. The Three Sea Captains: a set dance; found in O'Neill as Three Captains. 76. Poll Ha'penny: a set dance. Recorded long ago by Patsy Tuohey on an Edison cylinder, and more recently by Mary Bergin under the name Garrai na Philig or The Garden of Butterflies. 77. Rodney's Glory: a set dance. Admiral Rodney (1718--1792) won celebrated naval victories for the English over the Spanish off Cape St. Vincent and over DeGrasse and the French fleet in the West Indies in 1782, restoring a bit of English military glory after the surrender of Cornwallis to Washington in the American colonies. The Munster poet Owen Roe O'Sullivan was in the fleet at the time and composed a poem called Rodney's Glory in honor of the triumph. It is not known if there is a direct connection between the poem and the set dance. 78. The Battle of Aughrim: this march is sometimes played up-tempo as a polka. On July 12, 1691 the army of James Stuart, under St. Ruth and Sarsfield, was defeated by William of Orange at Aughrim, near Ballinasloe, Co Galway. This marked the end of the old Gaelic aristocracy, and is commemorated in the present Orange celebration of July the 12th. Our version of this tune is from the playing of the fiddler Martin Byrnes. (The main difference from the usual version is the second measure of the first part, which is usually played "|e2d2c2A2|".) 79. The Return From Fingal: A none-too-reliable tradition has it that this was the march played by the troops of Brian Boru as they returned from the Battle of Clontarf. Fingal--Fine Gall, or foreigner's territory--is another name for Clontarf, and is just north of Dublin. 80. O'Sullivan Mor: this old clan march is also used for the song "I Won't Be a Nun". 81. Lord Mayo: this march was originally a harp tune, written by David Murphy, harper to Lord Mayo. Murphy was regarded as one of the greatest harpers of his generation and had played before Louis XIV of France. He was also self-important and boastful. In his memoirs the harper Arthur O'Neill tells the following tale of an encounter of Murphy and Carolan: "Carolan was one night in Castleblayney in a public house and Murphy struts in, and after some acrimonious remarks of his against Carolan he said that his compositions were 'like bones without beef'. ... 'Damn me,' says Carolan, 'but I'll compose a tune before I quit you and you may put what beef you please on the bones of it.' With that he left his seat and cautiously stole behind Murphy, then seized him by the hair of his head, dragged and kicked him through the room unmercifully...Carolan saying to him while he was roaring, 'Put beef to that air, you puppy!'" 82. Si Bheag Si Mhor: This was probably the first composition of Turlough Carolan (1670--1738), the famous harper, tho it may have been based on an earlier song, An Chuaichin Mhaiseach, The Bonny Cuckoo. It was composed at the suggestion of Squire Reynolds of Lough Scur, Co. Leitrim. According to the story, Carolan at that time was only moderately skilled on the harp, and Reynolds suggested he try composing, as he "might make a better fist of his tongue than his fingers." He suggested the story of Si Bheag and Si Mhor as the subject. These are two ranges of hills near Lough Scur which were, according to local folklore, the seats of opposing hosts of the Good People. There was a great battle between them in which Finn McCool and his Fianna were defeated. Carolan composed the tune, and played it for Squire Reynolds, who was more than pleased. This was the beginning of Carolan's reputation. 83. Planxty Irwin, or Colonel John Irwin: Carolan wrote this planxty for Colonel John Irwin, Co. Sligo (1680--1752). It was probably composed ca. 1713, after Irwin's return from the wars, since the song--Carolan wrote words to many of his compositions--mentions Irwin's exploits in Flanders. 84. Planxty Fanny Power: Carolan wrote this for Fanny (Frances) Power, who was the daughter of David and Elizabeth Power of Coorheen, Loughrae, Co. Galway, one of Carolan's patrons. She married Richard Trench in 1732, and this has also been called "Mrs. Trench", but it was probably composed before the wedding. (In addition to being lovely tunes, these last three planxties are excellent to play at ceilis when a waltz is called.) 85. Carolan's Concerto, or Mrs. Power: according to an oft-repeated story, Carolan composed this on the spot, in a musical contest with the Italian violinist Geminiani which took place at the estate of Lord Mayo. However, some manuscripts call this "Mrs. Power", making it appear that it was composed for Elizabeth Power, wife of David Power (see the previous note). The version we give here has passed thru the hands of generations of pipers and fiddlers and has changed appreciably from the original harp tune.