Annotation:Jenny Dang the Weaver (1)

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JENNY DANG(ED) THE WEAVER [1] (Planc Sinead an Fiodoir). AKA – "Jeannie Dang the Weaver." AKA and see "Furze Bush," "Jenny Bang the Weaver," "Jemmy Dang the Weaver," "Jenny Beguil'd the Webster," "Longford Spinster (The)," "Longford Tinker (The)." Scottish (originally), Shetland, Irish, Canadian, American; Air, Reel or "Solo Strathspey." USA, New England. Canada, Cape Breton. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Athole, Balmoral, Gow, Skye, Surenne): AAB (Honeyman, Hunter, Martin & Hughes, O'Farrell, Ross): AA'B (Perlman): ABC (Breathnach): AABB (Cole): AA'BB' (Kerr). Composition of the tune has been credited to the Rev. Alexander Garden (1688–1778), minister of Birse, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Hunter (1988) relates that around 1746 "the minister's 'handy-man,' and ex-weaver from Mary well called Jock, hotly refused to clean the parson's boots when requested to do so by Mrs. Garden. The enraged minister's wife gave him such a beating with her 'tattie-beetle' that he soon performed the task." Another explanation for the title stems from the fact that an engine or a machine was often called a "jenny"; thus a "jenny" that replaced a weaver to produce cloth could be said to 'dang' (beat) him. It was first published in the 2nd edition of William Thompson's Orpheus Caledonius (1733), where it appeared as "Jenny Beguil'd the Webster." John Glen (1891), though, finds it earliest in print in Robert Bremner's 1757 Collection of Scots Reels or Country Dances, and it was also printed in the Gillespie Manuscript of Perth (1768). It is reported to be in Rutherford's 200 Country Dances of c. 1756. It became a favorite early 19th century song (at least in Lowland centers, says Emmerson {1971}), with lyrics by Sir Alexander Boswell set to the tune. The song tells of a weaver who makes unwanted advances toward Jenny, who turns him down flatly, or 'dangs' him:

Jenny dang, and Jenny dang, and Jenny dang the weaver,
Soon the fool his folly kent and Jenny dang the weaver.

The popular melody was known in the American colonies where it appeared in the MS copybooks of violinist Whittier Perkins (Massachusetts, 1790) as "Jemmy dang the weaver" and Clement Weeks (Greenland, New Hampshire, 1783) as "Jenny Dangs." It has been observed that there is some similarity between this tune and the Irish three-part setting called the "Longford Tinker (The)." See also the Irish "Furze Bush (The)" and an untitled reel in the Northern Fiddler (1979), No. 189.

Sources for notated versions: fiddler Seán Keane (Ireland) [Breathnach]; Peter Chaisson (b. 1942, Bear River, North-East Kings County, Prince Edward Island) [Perlman].

Printed sources: Alburger (Scottish Fiddlers and Their Music), 1983; Ex. 19, pp. 39–40 (a reprint of the Skye version). Breathnach (CRÉ 3), 1985; No. 139, p. 65 (appears as "Planc Sinéad an Fíodóir/Jennie Bang the Weaver"). Bremner (Scots Reels), c. 1757; p. 54. Gow (Complete Repository, Part 1), 1799; p. 34. Henderson (Flowers of Scottish Melody), 1935. Honeyman (Strathspey, Reel and Hornpipe Tutor), 1898; p. 13 (reel). Hunter (The Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 216. Johnson (Kitchen Musician No. 10: Airs & Melodies of Scotland's Past), 1992 (revised 2001); p. 7. Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 1), c. 1880; Set 6, No. 4, p. 6. J. Kenyon Lees (Balmoral Reel Book), c. 1910; p. 7. Lowe's Collection, 1844. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; p. 35 (appears as a "Solo Strathspey"). Martin & Hughes (Ho-ro-gheallaidh), 1990; p. 23. O'Farrell (Pocket Companion, vol. 3), c. 1808; p. 56. Perlman (The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; p. 77. William Ross (Ross's Collection of Pipe Music), 1869; No. 114, p. 102. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; p. 83. Surenne (Dance Music of Scotland), 1852; p. 27.

Recorded sources: Canadian Broadcasting Corp. NMAS 1972, Natalie MacMaster – "Fit as a Fiddle" (1993). Claddagh Records CC17, Sean Keane – "Gusty's Frolics" (1975). Culburnie Records CUL102, Alasdair Fraser & Jody Stecher – "The Driven Bow" (1988). Culburnie Records CUL 121D, Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas – "Fire and Grace" (2004). Green Linnet GL1108, The Tannahil Weavers – "Cullen Bay." Green Linnet SIF 1077, Capercaillie – "Crosswinds" (1987). Green Linnett GLCD 1119, Cherish the Ladies – "The Back Door" (1992). "The Caledonian Companion" (1975). "Dun Creagan in Paradise."

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]
Hear the tune played by Farquhar MacRae at Tobar an Dualchais [4] [5]



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