Annotation:Oyster Girl (1)

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OYSTER GIRL [1]. English, Jig and Morris Dance Tune. England; Northumberland, North-West. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (Hall & Stafford, Sweet): AABBC (Kennedy, Raven, Wade). Tune used for a single step dance in the North-West (England) morris dance tradition. James Manson (1846) noted the "The comic song, 'Going out a-shooting', is sang to this air."

The melody was entered into several English musicians' copybooks, including those of James Blackshw (North Shropshire, 1837), James Winder (Lancashire, 1835-41), and R. Hughes (Whitchurch, Shropshire, 1823).

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Hall & Stafford (Charlton Memorial Tune Book), 1956; p. 14. Kennedy (Fiddlers Tune Book, vol. 1), 1951; No. 78, p. 38. Manson (Hamilton's Universal Tune Book, vol. 2), 1846; p. 21. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; p. 124. Sweet (Fifer's Delight), 1965/1981; p. 35. Wade (Mally's North West Morris Book), 1988; p. 23.

Recorded sources: Topic TSCD 669, Arthur Marshall (et al) - "Ranting and Reeling: Dance Music of the north of England" (1998. North Yorkshire accordion player Marshall was born in 1896).

See also listing at:
See/hear the tune played on youtube.com [1], and by Lester Bailey [2]