Bernado's Favorite
BERNADO'S FAVORITE. AKA and see "Humors of Castle Bernard (The)." American, (Lancashire) Clog. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The title perhaps refers to a black-face minstrel whose stage name was 'Bernardo' (not Bernado). Edward Le Roy Rice, in his volume Monarchs of Minstrelsy (New York, 1911) gives this entry on him:
"BERNARDO" (Thomas White), a prominent female impersonator in the "good old days," according to Frand Dumont, appeared as early as 1867 with Ned Davis/Olio Minstrels as Master J. Buckley. He was with Hooley's Minstrels in Brooklyn, N.Y., two years later, playing under his own name, Thos. White. He joined Lew Benedict's Minstrels in July, 1872, subsequently he was associated with the San Francisco Minstrels in New York in 1875; the same year he joined Hooley's Minstrels in Brooklyn, N.Y., and in 1878 was a member of Charley Morris Minstrels. He was with Bryant's in New York, also Haverly's Minstrels. In May, 1877, with Charley Sutton, Francis Wilson and Jimmy Mackin, he launched Mackin, Wilson, Sutton and Bernardo's Minstrels. "Bernardo" died in Brooklyn, N.Y., Novermber 21, 1880. (p. 210)
Perhaps Captain Francis O'Neill could not reconcile a good tune with the stage occupation of a female impersonator, for he changed the title of the tune in his 1903 Music of Ireland to "Humors of Castle Bernard (The)."
Printed sources: Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; p. 119. Ryan's Mammoth Collection, 1883; p. 158.
X:1 T:Bernado's Favorite M:C L:1/8 R:Hornpipe S:Ryan's Mammoth Collection (1883) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:D (f>.e)|(d>.f)(A>.d) (3DFA(d>.f)|a>fb>f a>gf>e|d>fA>d (3DFA d>f|(3efe(3dcB A>gf>e| d>fA>d (3DFA d>f | a>fb>f a>gf>e | d>^de>f (3gec (3ABc | d2f2d2 :: A2 | c>de>f g>ec>A | d>cd>e f>de>f | {a}g>fg>a b>ag>f | (3efd (3cdB A2 A>B | c>de>f g>ec>A | d>cd>e f>de>f | g>ba>g f>de>c | d2f2d2 :||