Annotation:Old Polka (The)
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OLD POLKA, THE. Scottish, Polka. Scotland, Orkney Islands. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. A traditional tune from Orkney. Phillip Heath-Coleman [1] finds cognates in Beatrice Hill's "Three Hand Reel" (not the "Three Handed Reel (2)" printed by Lionel Bacon)
"Three hand reel"
(Recording by Russell Wortley in the NSA; widely published)
Note: not the tune of this name in Lionel Bacon's Handbook of Morris Dancing, which is a version of the "Manchester Hornpipe".
Brass Monkey have recently recorded the (obvious) 'original', the Moldavian Schottische, which Paul Burgess tells me was written by Charles D'Albert. Other traditional versions include Charlie Batchelor's (NSW) George Parkin's Schottische (CS AFM 002) and Dennis Crowther's 'No.3' as collected by John Kirkpatrick. Known in the Orkneys as the 'Old Polka' and in Norfolk referred to as a "very old schottische" by Walter Geary, who nonetheless diddled it as a quick march (while stepping).
Source for notated version: fiddler Tommy Mainland (b. 1938, Orkney) [Martin].
Printed sources: Martin (Traditional Scottish Fiddling), 2002; p. 102.
Recorded sources: Orkney Strathspey and Reel Society - "Orkney Fiddle Music" (1976). Attic Records, The Wrigley Sisters with David Campbell - "Orkney after Sunset" (2000). Folkways Records FW 8470, Hugh Inkster & Allie Windward - "Music from the Orkney Islands" (1979). Orkney Strathspey & Reel Society - "Itchy Fingers."