Annotation:For the Sake of Old Decency

Tune properties and standard notation

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FOR THE SAKE OF OLD DECENCY (De Ghrá na Sean-Mheasúlachta). AKA and see "Farewell to Old Decency." Irish, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. The first part is the same as "Maid of Feakle (the)," although the 'B' parts differ. The tune has sometimes been miss-attributed to Paddy O'Brien. "Old decency" is a phrase used in Ireland to mean times past when manners and respected prevailed, as in "the man was a throwback to old decency." The Irish collector P.W. Joyce, discussing the phrase 'Relics of old decency,' says that "when a man goes down in the world he often preserves some memorials of his former rank - a ring, silver buckles in his shoes, &c. - ' the relics of old decency.'" A similarly titled tune is "Moving in Decency," and although it is musically quite different, the names do sometimes get garbled together.

Source for notated version: flute, whistle and concertina player Michael Tubridy of the Chieftains (Ireland) [Breathnach].

Printed sources: Breathnach (CRÉ III), 1985; No. 192, p. 86.

Recorded sources: Claddagh CC27, Michael Tubridy - "The Eagle's Whistle" (1978). Island ILPS 9501, "The Chieftains Live" (1977).

See also listing at:
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [1]

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Tune properties and standard notation