Annotation:George White's Favorite: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 18:27, 6 March 2024

GEORGE WHITE'S FANCY/FAVORITE (Rogha Sheoirse de Faoite). AKA and see "Carrowcastle Lasses (The)," "George White's," "Lass of Carrowcastle (2) (The)," "Bessie Sweeney's" and "Bessie Sweeney's Dream." Irish, Reel. E Minor ('A' part) & G Major ('B' part). Standard tuning (fiddle). In New York in 1934, Paddy Sweeney (1894–1974), a fiddler originally from the townland of Powellsborough in the south Sligo parish of Achonry, recorded a pair of reels titled "George White's Favorite" and "The Lass of Carracastle." The names subsequently became confused with each other, so that "George White's" has also been called "The Lass of Carracastle" (or "Carrowcastle Lass"). Famed Sliabh Luachra fiddler and teacher Padraig O'Keeffe (1887-1963) played "George White's Favorite" in a medley with "Kennedy's Reel" and Road to Newbridge (The)."

George White was a piccolo player who, according to the liner notes of "The Fiddler's Delight" (Oldtime Records OTR 107), performed weekly on the radio in the mid-1930's on fiddler Jim Clark's "Smiles and Tears of Erin" program, broadcast by the Paulist Fathers' station WLWL from Kearney, New Jersey. The musical group 'Smiles and Tears of Erin', which also included Eileen Burke White (George's wife) on piano, was an ensemble led by County Longford fiddler Jim Clarke (1887–1938), which sometimes included fiddle and melodeon player Frank Quinn (1893–1964). Quinn and Clarke lived a few miles away from each other in Drumlish, Longford before they both emigrated to New York. In December, 1934, Jim Clarke and George White teamed up on a business opportunity and opened Clarke and White's bar and restaurant at 42 West 60th Street in Manhattan, a few blocks north of the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan. Fiddler Paddy Sweeney served as musical director at the establishment.

White, who later relocated to Boston, is said to have taught and composed music. Authorship of both "George White's" and "Lass of Carracastle" (aka "Miss Langford") has been attributed to Sweeney, but Mayo accordionist Vincent McGrath contends that "George White's" was a composition of his uncle John McGrath, a fiddler, accordionist, bandleader and music teacher in New York from the 1920s until his death in 1955. McGrath's name for the tune was "Bessie Sweeney's" after a New York-based accordionist unrelated to Paddy Sweeney. Fiddler Jackie Roche, a former student of both James Morrison and John McGrath, recorded the tune with his dance band as "Bessie Sweeney's Dream" on an Avoca 45 rpm disc.

Some see resemblances between "George White's" and the "Old Maids of Galway" family of tunes.

"George White's Favorite" has been recorded frequently, notably by Paddy Sweeney, Paddy Killoran and Leo Rowsome.

Additional notes
Source for notated version : - Frank McCollum (Ballycastle, County Antrim) [Mulvihill]; accordion player Sonny Brogan (County Sligo/Dublin, Ireland) [Breathnach]; New Jersey flute player Mike Rafferty, born in Ballinakill, Co. Galway, in 1926 [Harker]; Pádraig O'Keeffe [Beisswenger].

Printed sources : - Beisswenger (Irish Fiddle Music from Counties Cork and Kerry), 2012; p. 19. Breathnach (Ceol Rince na hÉireann vol. 1), 1963; No. 97, p. 42. Cobb (Music of Ireland), No. 111. Harker (300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty), 2005; No. 105, p. 32. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music vol. 1), 1977; No. 30. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 2nd Edition, 2006; p. 73. Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 19, p. 5 (appears as "George White's"). O'Brien (Jerry O'Brien's Accordion Instructor), Boston, 1949. Prior (Fionn Seisiún 3), 2007; p. 6.

Recorded sources : - Coleman Center CD CC004, Paddy Ryan & Jim Corry – "The Mountain Road" (1999. Various artists. "A Compilation of tunes popular in South Sligo"). Green Linnet Records SIF 1058, Matt Molloy & Sean Keane – "Contentment is Wealth" (1985). RTE 174CD, Pádraig O'Keeffe - "The Sliabh Luachra Fiddle Master" (1995. Originally recorded 1948-49).

See also listing at :
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index [1]
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [2]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [3]
Hear Paddy Sweeney's 1934 recording at the Comhaltas Archive [4]

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+{{TuneAnnotation
-<p><font face="garamond, serif" size="4">
+|f_tune_annotation_title= https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:George_White's_Favorite >
-'''GEORGE WHITE'S FANCY/FAVORITE''' (Rogha Sheoirse de Faoite). AKA and see "[[Carrowcastle Lasses (The)]]," "[[George White's]]," "[[Lass of Carrowcastle (2) (The)]]." Irish, Reel. E Minor ('A' part) & G Major ('B' part). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The tune is attributed by more than one source (according to David Taylor {1992}) to the great Co. Mayo and New York fiddler John McGrath (1900-1955), who called it "[[Carrowcastle Lasses (The)]]," although this attribution is in doubt. George White was born in County Longford in the late 19th century and immigrated to the New York City area around the turn of the century. He taught music, wrote and composed in that city, although later relocated to Boston. Sometimes it is said White was a publican who so often requested "Carrowcastle Lasses" that it became associated with his name. This tune was famously recorded by south Sligo fiddler Patrick 'Paddy' Sweeney {1894-1974} (who often partnered with Paddy Killoran) in New York in 1934. Piper Leo Rowsome recorded it under the title "George White's Favorite." Some see resemblances to the "[[Old Maids of Galway]]" family of tunes.
+|f_annotation='''GEORGE WHITE'S FANCY/FAVORITE''' (Rogha Sheoirse de Faoite). AKA and see "[[Carrowcastle Lasses (The)]]," "[[George White's]]," "[[Lass of Carrowcastle (2) (The)]]," "Bessie Sweeney's" and "Bessie Sweeney's Dream." Irish, Reel. E Minor ('A' part) & G Major ('B' part). Standard tuning (fiddle). In New York in 1934, [[biography:Paddy Sweeney|Paddy Sweeney]] (1894–1974), a fiddler originally from the townland of Powellsborough in the south Sligo parish of Achonry, recorded a pair of reels titled "George White's Favorite" and "The [[Lass of Carracastle]]." The names subsequently became confused with each other, so that "George White's" has also been called "The Lass of Carracastle" (or "Carrowcastle Lass"). Famed Sliabh Luachra fiddler and teacher [[wikipedia:Padraig O'Keeffe|Padraig O'Keeffe]] (1887-1963) played "George White's Favorite" in a medley with "[[Kennedy's Reel]]" and [[Road to Newbridge (The)]]."
 <br>
 <br>
-</font></p>
+George White was a piccolo player who, according to the liner notes of "The Fiddler's Delight" (Oldtime Records OTR 107), performed weekly on the radio in the mid-1930's on fiddler Jim Clark's "Smiles and Tears of Erin" program, broadcast by the Paulist Fathers' station WLWL from Kearney, New Jersey. The musical group 'Smiles and Tears of Erin', which also included Eileen Burke White (George's wife) on piano, was an ensemble led by County Longford fiddler Jim Clarke (1887–1938), which sometimes included fiddle and melodeon player Frank Quinn (1893–1964). Quinn and Clarke lived a few miles away from each other in Drumlish, Longford before they both emigrated to New York. In December, 1934, Jim Clarke and George White teamed up on a business opportunity and opened Clarke and White's bar and restaurant at 42 West 60th Street in Manhattan, a few blocks north of the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan. Fiddler Paddy Sweeney served as musical director at the establishment.
-<p><font face="garamond, serif" size="4">
-''Sources for notated versions'': Frank McCollam (Ballycastle, County Antrim) [Mulvihill]; accordion player Sonny Brogan (County Sligo/Dublin, Ireland) [Breathnach]; New Jersey flute player Mike Rafferty, born in Ballinakill, Co. Galway, in 1926 [Harker].
 <br>
 <br>
-</font></p>
+White, who later relocated to Boston, is said to have taught and composed music. Authorship of both "George White's" and "[[Lass of Carracastle]]" (aka "[[Miss Langford]]") has been attributed to Sweeney, but Mayo accordionist Vincent McGrath contends that "George White's" was a composition of his uncle John McGrath, a fiddler, accordionist, bandleader and music teacher in New York from the 1920s until his death in 1955. McGrath's name for the tune was "Bessie Sweeney's" after a New York-based accordionist unrelated to Paddy Sweeney. Fiddler Jackie Roche, a former student of both James Morrison and John McGrath, recorded the tune with his dance band as "Bessie Sweeney's Dream" on an Avoca 45 rpm disc.
-<p><font face="garamond, serif" size="4">
-''Printed sources'': Breathnach ('''CRÉ I'''), 1963; No. 97, p. 42. Harker ('''300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty'''), 2005; No. 105, p. 32. Miller & Perron ('''Traditional Irish Fiddle Music'''), 1977; vol. 1, No. 30. Miller & Perron ('''Irish Traditional Fiddle Music'''), 2nd Edition, 2006; p. 73. Mulvihill ('''1st Collection'''), 1986; No, 19, p. 5 (appears as "George White's").
 <br>
 <br>
-</font></p>
+Some see resemblances between "George White's" and the "[[Old Maids of Galway (1) (The)|Old Maids of Galway]]" family of tunes.
-<p><font face="garamond, serif" size="4">
-''Recorded sources'': <font color=teal>Coleman Center CD CC004, Paddy Ryan & Jim Corry - "The Mountain Road" (1999. Various artists. "A Compilation of tunes popular in South Sligo"). Green Linnet Records SIF 1058, Matt Molloy & Sean Keane - "Contentment is Wealth" (1985).</font>
 <br>
 <br>
-</font></p>
+"George White's Favorite" has been recorded frequently, notably by Paddy Sweeney, Paddy Killoran and Leo Rowsome.
-<p><font face="garamond, serif" size="4">
+|f_source_for_notated_version=Frank McCollum (Ballycastle, County Antrim) [Mulvihill]; accordion player Sonny Brogan (County Sligo/Dublin, Ireland) [Breathnach]; New Jersey flute player Mike Rafferty, born in Ballinakill, Co. Galway, in 1926 [Harker]; Pádraig O'Keeffe [Beisswenger].
-See also listings at:<br>
+|f_printed_sources=Beisswenger ('''Irish Fiddle Music from Counties Cork and Kerry'''), 2012; p. 19. Breathnach ('''Ceol Rince na hÉireann vol. 1'''), 1963; No. 97, p. 42. Cobb ('''Music of Ireland'''), No. 111.
-Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index [http://www.cbfiddle.com/rx/tune/t2723.html]<br>
+Harker ('''300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty'''), 2005; No. 105, p. 32.
+Miller & Perron ('''Irish Traditional Fiddle Music vol. 1'''), 1977; No. 30.
+Miller & Perron ('''Irish Traditional Fiddle Music'''), 2nd Edition, 2006; p. 73.
+Mulvihill ('''1st Collection'''), 1986; No. 19, p. 5 (appears as "George White's").
+O'Brien ('''Jerry O'Brien's Accordion Instructor'''), Boston, 1949.
+Prior ('''Fionn Seisiún 3'''), 2007; p. 6.
+|f_recorded_sources=Coleman Center CD CC004, Paddy Ryan & Jim Corry – "The Mountain Road" (1999. Various artists. "A Compilation of tunes popular in South Sligo").
+Green Linnet Records SIF 1058, Matt Molloy & Sean Keane – "Contentment is Wealth" (1985). RTE 174CD, Pádraig O'Keeffe - "The Sliabh Luachra Fiddle Master" (1995. Originally recorded 1948-49).
+|f_see_also_listing=Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index [http://www.cbfiddle.com/rx/tune/t2723.html]<br>
 Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [http://www.ibiblio.org/keefer/g02.htm#Geowhfa]<br>
 Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [http://www.irishtune.info/tune/712/]<br>
-</font></p>
+Hear Paddy Sweeney's 1934 recording at the Comhaltas Archive [http://comhaltasarchive.ie/search?tab=tracks&q=carracastle#/tracks/13846]<br>
-<br>
+}}
-<br>
+-------------
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-[[{{BASEPAGENAME}}|Tune properties and standard notation]]