Annotation:Irish Molly O

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IRISH MOLLY-O. Irish, Air (6/8 time). F Major (Haverty, Joyce, O'Neill): G Major (Kerr). Standard tuning (fiddle). One part (Joyce): AB (Haverty, Kerr, O'Neill). "The words I give here are mainly taken from 'The Native Music of Ireland,' 1842; but I heard different versions in my youth. As for the air: I give it from memory: and my setting hardly differs from that given in the above-mentioned work. I learned it in childhood from the people all round me, with whom the song, both air and words, was in great favour" (Joyce). The song retained its popularity for some time and was widely disseminated. Cazden (et al, 1982) collected a version in New York's Catskill Mountains and notes that the original was re-written several times for the popular stage. See note for "Annotation:Enniskillen Dragoon (1) (The)" for brief discussion of the structure of this tune and partial list of others in this class.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: P.M. Haverty (One Hundred Irish Airs, vol. 3), 1859; No. 285, p. 142. Joyce (Old Irish Folk Music and Songs), 1909; No. 403, p. 213. Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 1); p. 41. O'Neill (O'Neill's Irish Music), 1915; No. 91, p. 51.

Recorded sources:

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