Annotation:Blewitt's Jig

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BLEWITT'S JIG. AKA and see "Barney Bralligan," "Barney Brallaghan," "Charming Judy Brallahan," "Judy Callaghan," "Master Brallaghan." Irish, Jig. Alfred Moffat, in Minstrelsy of Ireland (1897), records (in the note for the song "Barney Brallaghan's Courtship"):

Regarding this air Mr. Frank Kidson writes me as follows: "The air is by Jonathan Blewitt [1], who, at the time of its composition, between 1811-14, was musical director of the Theatre Royal, Dublin. It was most likely first produced as a jig for stage dancing, and under the name 'Blewitt's Jig' is in Hime's Collection of Country Dances for the present year, Dublin, fol., the date of which is 1814. This is ascertained by Nos. 6 and 7 of the same collection being dated for 1810 and 1811 respectively. It must have been somewhat of a favourite in this form when Thomas Hudson, a clever London song-writer, wrote the song 'Barney Brallaghan's Courtship' to it. This was about 1825-30, and having been sung by Mr. Fitzwilliam and others at the 'Freemason's Taver' and other convivial meetings it was then published in sheet form with Hudson's and Blewitt's names attached, and soon after became very popular. The words of the song have been foolishly attributed to 'Father Prout', who certainly had no hand in its creation. He, however, under the title of 'The Sabine Farmer's Serenade' produced a mock antique Latin version of it. This, one of his 'Reliques,' was published in the first number of Bentley's Miscellany, Jan., 1837, and in his humorous prefatory note he refers to Hudson as the author of the 'Vulgate' version. [communicated by Conor Ward]

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: P.M. Haverty (One Hundred Irish Airs vol. 2), 1858; No. 127, p. 58. R.M. Levey (First Collection of the Dance Music of Ireland), 1858; No. 111, p. 43.

Recorded sources:

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