Annotation:Bush on the Hill (2) (The)
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BUSH ON THE HILL [2], THE/A. AKA and see "Humors of Miltown (3)," "Lowdown Jig (The)," "McGlinchey's Jig," "Milltown Maid," "Old West Clare Jig (The)," "Paddy Killoran's Jig (1)," "Sean Ryan's Jig (3)." Irish, Jig. A Major (Cranford/Stubbert, Taylor/Tweed): G Major (Mulvihill). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (Cranford/Stubbert, Mulvihill): AA'BB' (Taylor/Tweed). According to New York button accordionist Luke O'Malley, it was composed by Jack McKenna (a guitar accompanist to Hughie Gillespie and Paddy Killoran) and touched up a bit by Killoran himself, who then recorded it. Philippe Varlet relates that Killoran also played it at a 1949 concert at the Dublin GPO. Indeed, the notes to the Ennis Ceili Band CD maintain that it is a Killoran composition originally titled "Humors of Miltown (3)," honoring his wife's native home of Coore, a townland of Miltown Malbay, Clare (Paul de Grae mentions that she was a Hayes, sister-in-law to Kitty Hayes). The "Lowdown Jig (The)" title by which it is known nowadays in County Kerry, according to Paul is descriptive of the distinctive first part of the tune, which begins with a roll on the open 'G' string. Cape Breton versions are sometimes set in the key of A major, as was the setting recorded by New York fiddlers Brian Conway and Tony DeMarco.
Sources for notated versions: fiddler Jimmy McHugh [Bulmer & Sharpley]; fiddler Brenda Stubbert (b. 1959, Point Aconi, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia) [Cranford]; Brendan Mulvihill (Baltimore, Md.) [Mulvihill]; fiddler Brian Conway (Westchester, NY) [Taylor/Tweed]; fiddler Eugene O'Donnell (of Derry and Philadelphia) [Miller & Perron].
Printed sources: Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland), 1974, vol. 2, No. 43 (as "McGlinchey's Jig"). Cranford (Brenda Stubbert's), 1994; No. 85, p. 32. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 1977; vol. 2, 49 (appears as "Jig from West Clare"). Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music, 2nd Edition), 2006; p. 16. Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 27, p. 70. Taylor (Traditional Irish Music: Karen Tweed's Irish Choice), 1994; p. 8.
Recorded sources: Green Linnet SIF 1027, Mick Moloney - "Strings Attached" Green Linnet SIF1035, Brian Conway & Tony De Marco - "The Apple in Winter" (1981). Shanachie 79054, Kevin and Liz Carroll - "Fathers and Daughters."
See also listings at:
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index [1]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [2]