Annotation:Flowing Tide (1) (The)

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FLOWING TIDE [1], THE. AKA and see "Bunch of Ferns (2)," "Higgins' Best," "Picnic Reel," "Seventh Regiment," "7th Regiment." Irish, Hornpipe. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. A 20th-century Irish adapation of a 19th-century American hornpipe composed by George Saunders (see notes for "Picnic Reel"). Saunders' original was very much a fiddle tune, and was played by New York fiddlers Larry Redican, Andy McGann and Paddy Reynolds, all of whom likely learned it from printed sources. The Irish version now known as "The Flowing Tide" moved it from A to G major and made other alterations for the convenience of concertina and button accordion players. The author of the "Flowing Tide" setting is not known but the tune was first popularized in Ireland by button accordionist Joe Burke and concertina player Chris Droney, the latter of whom made "The Flowing Tide" the title tune of his solo Topic LP.

Sources for notated versions: sessions at the Regent Hotel, Leeds, England [Bulmer & Sharpley]; New Jersey flute player Mike Rafferty, born in Ballinakill, Co. Galway, in 1926 [Harker].

Printed sources: Boys of the Lough, 1977; p. 8. Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland, vol. 1), 1974; No. 66. Carlin (Master Collection of Dance Music for the Violin), 1984; No. 289, p. 162. Harker (300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty), 2005; No. 252, p. 77. Mallinson (100 Enduring), 1995; No. 83, p. 35. Sullivan (Session Tunes, vol. 3); No. 25, pp. 9–10.

Recorded sources: Outlet SOLP 1014 LP, Sean McGuire and Joe Burke - "Two Champions" (1971). Shanachie 79002 LP, "Boys of the Lough" (1973). Topic/Free Reed LP 12TFRS503, Chris Droney – "The Flowing Tide" (1975). Topic LP 12TS315, Dick Gaughan – "Coppers and Brass" (1977).Cló Iar-Chonnachta CD CICD 110, Chris Droney - "The Fertile Rock" (1995). Green Linnet SIF 1139, "Eileen Ivers" (1994).

See also listings at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [2]

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