Annotation:Jockey to the Fair (1)

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JOCKEY/JOCKIE TO THE FAIR [1] (An Riamanaige/Marcac ag an Aonac). AKA - "Jogging to the Fair." AKA and see "General Action." English (originally), Morris Dance Tune (6/8 time) and March; Irish, Jig or Set Dance; American, Country Dance (6/8 time). G Major (most versions): A Major (Bacon & Karpeles - Headington): D Major (Bacon-Longborough). Standard tuning (fiddle). ABCB (Bacon-Ascot Under Wychwood): AAB (Harding): AABB (S. Johnson, Kershaw, Morrison, O'Neill): AABBB, x4 (Bacon & Mallinson- Bledington): ABCBCB' (Karpeles-Headington): ABCDCD (Mallinson-Headington): ABCBCBC (Bacon-Headington): AABBA'A'B'B' (Karpeles): ABCBCB (Bacon-Bampton, Bledington, Longborough): AAABBAAABBCCCB (Bacon-Ducklington): ABABCBABCBA (Bacon-Sherborne). The melody, dating at least from the mid-18th century, was a popular tune throughout England and served several functions, including dancing and marching. Morris dance versions are wide-spread and numerous and have been collected from the villages Adderbury, Ascot-Under Wychwood, Bampton, Bledington, Brackley, Ducklington, Headinton, Longborough, and Sherborne areas of England's Cotswolds. In the north, the title appeared in Henry Robson's list of popular Northumbrian song and dance tunes ("The Northern Minstrel's Budget"), which he published c. 1800. One version of the tune was used as a march in the British army during the Revolutionary War period (Winstock). The word 'jockey' is Scots in origin and derives from the word 'joculator', which by the 17th century meant an itinerant minstrel. T. Straight printed the tune in his 24 Favourite Dances for 1779 under the title "General Action." See also the derivative set dance "Hurling Boys (The)."

Novelist Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) mentioned "Jockey to the Fair" a few times in his novel Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), played by his character Gabriel Oak, a bachelor farmer:

Gabriel’s hand, which had lain for some time idle in his smock-frock pocket, touched his flute which he carried there. Here was an opportunity for putting his dearly bought wisdom into practice. He drew out his flute and began to play "Jockey to the Fair" in the style of a man who had never known moment’s sorrow. Oak could pipe with Arcadian sweetness and the sound of the well-known notes cheered his own heart as well as those of the loungers. He played on with spirit, and in half an hour had earned in pence what was a small fortune to a destitute man.

In Ireland "Jockey to the Fair" (An Marcach Chuig an Aonach) is a traditional solo set dance, one on the "approved" set dance list for Munster competitions. The jig was entered as "The Jockey" in American musician M.E. Eames' music manuscript book, frontispiece dated Aug. 22nd, 1859 (p. 78).

Sources for notated versions: Chicago Police Sergeant James O'Neill, a fiddler originally from County Down and Francis O'Neill's collaborator [O'Neill]; contained in the 19th century Joseph Kershaw Manuscript-Kershaw was a fiddle player who lived in the remote area of Slackcote, Saddleworth, North West England, who compiled his manuscript from 1820 onwards, according to Jamie Knowles [Kershaw].

Printed sources: Aird (Selections of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs, vol. 2), 1785; No. 5, p. 2. Bacon (The Morris Ring), 1974; pp. 16, 25, 54, 94, 104, 108, 136, 193, 264 & 291. Harding's All-Round Collection, 1905; No. 53, p. 16. S. Johnson (The Kitchen Musician No. 6: Jigs), 1982 (revised 1989, 2001); p. 3. S. Johnson (Twenty-Eight Country Dances as Done at the New Boston Fair), vol. 8, 1988; p. 6. The Joseph Kershaw Manuscript, 1993; No. 47. Karpeles (A Selection of 100 English Folk Dance Airs), 1951; pp. 34 & 38. Mallinson (Mally's Cotswold Morris Book), 1988, vol. 2; No's. 1 and 2 (Short and Long versions), p. 3. Mallinson (Mally's Cotswold Morris Book), 1988, vol. 1; No. 34, p. 23. Morrison (Twenty-Four Early American Country Dances, Cotillions & Reels, for the Year 1976), 1976; p. 29. Neal ( Espérance Morris Book), 1910; p. 22. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1796, p. 336 (appears as "The Jockey at the Fair"). O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 969, p. 166 (appears as "The Jockey at the Fair"). Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; p. 79. Roche (Collection of Traditional Irish Music, vol. 2), 1912; No. 277, p. 32 (appears as "Jockey at the Fair"). Skillern (Twenty-Four Country Dances for the Year 1780), 1780.

Recorded sources: EMI/Harvest 7243 8 29861 2 6, Ashley Hutchings et al - "Son of Morris On" (1976/1994).

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

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