Annotation:Bush in Bloom (The)

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BUSH IN BLOOM, THE (An Tom Faoi Blat). AKA and see "Boil the Kettle Early," "Bush in Blossom (The)." Irish, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (O'Malley, O'Neill, Roche): AABB (McDermott). The reel is identical with "Bush in Blossom (The)," printed by Glasgow publisher James S. Kerr (Merry Melodies vol. 4, c. 1880's). O'Neill's source, John McFadden, did not read or write standard music notation, and learned his pieces by ear. It is possible he substituted 'bloom' for 'blossom' in the title (or vice-versa; Kerr may have done the same thing).

John McFadden

Sources for notated versions: students of New York fiddler John McGrath (1900-1955, originally from County Mayo) [O'Malley]; Teresa Halpin, “a dancer and fiddler from Limerick" [Hardebeck]; "McFadden" [O'Neill], referring to fiddler Biography:John McFadden, originally from Carrowmore, near Westport, County Mayo, whose playing O'Neill greatly admired (and who, alluded O'Neill, was kept on a sinecure by the City of Chicago due to his political connections in the Irish-American community).

Printed sources: Giblin (Collection of Traditional Irish Dance Music), 1928; 47. Hardebeck (A Collection of Jigs and Reels vol. 2), Dublin, 1921; p. 14. McDermott (Allan's Irish Fiddler), No. 42, p. 10. O'Malley (Luke O'Malley's Collection of Irish Music, vol. 1), 1976; No. 14, p. 7. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 103. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1242, p. 234. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 515, p. 97. Roche (Collection of Traditional Irish Music, vol. 1), 1912; p. 58, #144.

Recorded sources: Gennet 5003 (78 RPM), Tom Ennis & John Gerrity (1922). Shanachie 79064, Matt Molloy - "Heathery Breeze" (1999).

See also listing at:
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [1]
Hear the 1922 recording by uilleann piper Tom Ennis with John Gerrity at the Internet Archive [2]

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