Annotation:Bridal Jig (1) (The)

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BRIDAL JIG [1], THE (Port an posta). AKA and see "Beside the Bann," "Humors of Quarry Cross (The)," "Kennedy's Bridal Jig," "Leinster Lasses (The)," "Priest's Leap (1) (The)." Irish, Jig (6/8 time). G Major ('A' part) & E Minor ('B' part). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB' (McDermott): AABB (Cole, Kerr): AABB' (Moylan, Perlman). The tune was contained in the c. 1890's music manuscript collection of "Professor" Patrick D. Reidy, sent to his correspondent in Chicago, Francis O'Neill, around 1902. It seems likely that Reidy's MS was the source for the tune in O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland (1907). Reidy was originally from Castleisland, County Kerry, but had been resident in London since about 1874. He was employed by the Gaelic League in that city in the 1890's and after the turn of the 20th century to provide instruction in Irish dancing at various events and competitions. His MS book contains tunes sourced to fiddlers who accompanied dancers at these events; in the case of "Bridal Jig" it was Michael Shanahan, a native of County Clare. The tune appears as an untitled jig in the large mid-19th century music manuscript (vol. 3, p. 150) collection of County Cork cleric and uilleann piper Canon biography:James Goodman.

Frank Roche printed the tune as "Priest's Leap (1) (The)" in 1927, and Francis O'Neill included it under the title "Kennedy's Bridal Jig" in his Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody (1922). Ballymote, County Sligo, fiddler Paddy Killoran (1904–1965) recorded the tune with his Pride of Erin Orchestra in New York in October, 1934, under the title “McPaddin's Favorite” in a set called “Jerry Donovan's Favorite” (followed by "Mist on the Meadow (1) (The)/Castlebar Races"). Fiddler John Gerrity called it the “Night Cap (5) (The)” on his 1920 recording, while fiddler Paddy Cronin and accordion player Joe Burke each had it as “Humors of Quarry Cross (The),” which is a place-name in Sliabh Luachra, Munster.

Source for notated version: accordion player Johnny O'Leary (Sliabh Luachra region of the Cork-Kerry border) [Moylan]; Reuben Smith (b. 1931, Blooming Point, Queen's County, Prince Edward Island) [Perlman].

Printed sources: Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; p. 58. Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 2), c. 1880's; No. 262, p. 29. McDermott (Allan's Irish Fiddler), c. 1920's; No. 31, p. 8. Moylan (Johnny O'Leary of Sliabh Luachra), 1994; No. 311, p. 179. O'Neill (O'Neill's Irish Music), 1915; No.190, p. 103. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 310, p. 66. Perlman (The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; p. 130. Ryan's Mammoth Collection, 1883; p. 87.

Recorded sources:

See also listing at:
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [1]
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recordings Index [2]

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