Annotation:Humors of Bandon

Tune properties and standard notation

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HUMOURS OF BANDON, THE ("Sugra Droiciod-na-Bandann" or "Pléaráca na Bandan"). AKA and see "Humors of Listivain," "Jolly Old Woman (The)," "Merry Old Woman (3) (The)," "Plangsty Callagh," "Terry's Rambles," "tSeanbhean Sultmhar (An)." Irish, Set Dance (6/8 time). G Major/Mixolydian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. A Whig tune having eight bars in the 'A' part and sixteen bars in the second. It was known as far back as 1690 when the Irish (who had learned it from the supporters of William III) played it when they sacked Kilbrogan (Winstock, 1970, pg. 26). As "Humors of Listivain (The)" it appears in Jackson's Celebrated Irish Tunes, published in Dublin by Samuel Lee around 1775 (reprinted in 1790), a collection of tunes from gentleman piper Walker 'Piper' Jackson of the townland of Lisduan in the parish of Ballingarry, Aughrim, County Limerick. The tune was still current in 19th century County Limerick, for O'Neill (1913) mentions a retired Chicago policeman colleague remembered having danced it in his boyhood to the piping of Newcastle-West gentleman-musician Jack Moore. The title appears in the John Carroll manuscript of dance music entrusted to the Newberry Library in Chicago. Carroll was apparently stationed at Fort Niagara in the early 19th century and the dates 1804 and 1812 appear contained in the pages of the manuscript. Some believe "Humors of Bandon" to be a distanced version of "Black Joke (1) (The)." Fiddler James Morrison (1893-1947), originally from Drumfin, County Sligo, recorded the tune in New York in February, 1923. However, the earliest sound recording appears to be a wax cylinder recording made by Capt. Francis O'Neill of the playing of famed piper Patsy Touhey, around 1903.

Source for notated version: New Jersey flute player Mike Rafferty, born in Ballinakill, Co. Galway, in 1926 [Harker].

Printed sources: Allan's Irish Fiddler, No. 109, p. 28. Harker (300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty), 2005; No. 297, p. 97. Kennedy (Jigs & Quicksteps, Trips & Humours), 1997; No. 63, p. 16. O'Neill (O'Neill's Irish Music), 1915; No. 391, p. 187. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 224. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 786, p. 146. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 977, p. 168. Roche (Collection of Irish Traditional Music, vol. 2), 1912; No. 272, p. 30.

Recorded sources: Cló Iar-Chonnachta CICD 148, Mick Conneely - "Selkie" (2001). Shanachie 34013, Liz Carroll - "A Friend Indeed." Shanachie 34016, Joe Burke & Andy McGann - "The Funny Reel."

See also listings at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [2]
Hear recorded versions at the Comhaltas Archive [3]

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Tune properties and standard notation