Banks of the Bann (The)

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BANKS OF THE BANN, THE. Irish, Air (3/4 time). F Major (Joyce, O'Boyle): G Major (Miller & Perron). Standard tuning. One part. See also "Slane," "With My Love on the Road." Hilltown, mentioned below in the beginning verse of the song, is in the County Down. The song tells a tale of seduction and abandonment and a hope for reunion on the banks of the river Bann, capped with a come-all-ye last verse. O Boyle dates the tune to "sometime in the 19th century" by mention of homeweaving prior the introduction of the power loom in Ulster.

As I went a strolling down by the Hilltown
The lovely fresh mountains they did me surround
I spied a pretty fair maid to me she looked grand she
Was gath'ring wild roses on the banks of the Bann.

Printed sources: Joyce (Old Irish Folk Music and Songs), 1909; No. 556, p. 295. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 2nd Edition, 2006; pg. 137. Ó Boyle (The Irish Song Tradition), 1976; pg. 46. Recorded sources: See also listings at: Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1] Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [2]

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