Annotation:College Grove (The)
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COLLEGE GROVE(S), THE {"Doire An Colaiste" or "Garrán an Choláiste"}. AKA and see "Cailín Fionn (An)" (The Fairhaired Girl), "Cavan Reel (1) (The)," "Connacht Reel (1) (The)," "Green Jacket (The)," "Millstone (1) (The)," "Milestone (1) (The)," "New Demense (1) (The)," "New Domain (The)," "Old Locks and Quays of Galway," "Whiskey in the Jar/Jug." Irish, Reel. D Major (Brody, O'Neill/1001): D Mixolydian (Miller & O'Neill/Krassen). Standard tuning (fiddle). ABCD (Miller & Perron/2006, O'Neill/1001): AABBCCDD (Brody): AABB'CC'D (Miller & Perron/1977). See also the related "Green Jacket (The)" and the 18th century Scottish "Miss Corbett's Reel"--"College Groves" may have been adapted from the latter, according to O'Neill. The melody was recorded by (south) County Sligo fiddler James Morrison in New York in 1926 under the title "Millstone (1) (The)." Paul Cranford says the tune is a favorite of Northside (Cape Breton) fiddler Bobby Stubbert, and it is associated with the playing of West Clare fiddler Bobby Casey. O’Neill also transcribed a two- part version of "College Grove" in Chicago from County Leitrim native James Kennedy, learned from his father Peter Kennedy (Ballinamore).
Sources for notated versions: Kevin Burke (Portland, Oregon) [Brody]; Chicago police Patrolman, flute player and piper James Ennis, originally from Kildare; father of Tom Ennis [O'Neill]; fiddler Patrick Kelly (Cree, County Clare) [Breathnach]; a 1971 recording by the group Na Filí [Miller & Perron].
Printed sources: Breathnach (CRÉ II), 1976; No. 265, p. 137. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; p. 71. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 1977; vol. 2, No. 9. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 2nd Edition, 2006; p. 56. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 97. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 485, p. 93.
Recorded sources: Bellbridge Records, Bobby Casey - "Casey in the Cowhouse" (1992. Originally recorded 1959). Folkways FW 8876, Kevin Burke- "Sweeney's Dream." Green Linnet 1009, Eileen Ivers and Mick Moloney- "Irish Music: The Living Tradition." Green Linnet GLCD 3009/Mulligan LUN 021, Kevin Burke- "If the Cap Fits" (1978). Andy McGann and Paul Brady- "Its a Hard Road to Travel" (appears as "The Millstone"). Outlet SOLP 1010, "Farewell to Connacht." Rounder CD 1161-7033-2, Natalie MacMaster - "My Roots are Showing" (2000). Topic Records TSCD605, James Morrison - "Past Masters of Irish Fiddle Music" (reissue).
See also listings at:
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index [1]
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [2]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [3].