Annotation:Dever the Dancer

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X:1 T:Dever the Dancer S:78 RPM recording by flute player John McKenna Z:Transcribed by Frank Claudy M:9/8 L:1/8 K:D BEE BEF G2 A|BGE BAG FED|BEE BEF G2 A|1 dcB ABG FED:|2 dcB ABG FGA||:ded cAF ~G3|Adc def gfe| fed cAF G2 A|1 Bdc ABG FGA:|2 Bdc ABG FED||

DEVER THE DANCER ("Cnuic Tiobraid-Arainn" or "Ua Duibir, an Rinnceoir"). AKA and see "Humors of Whiskey (2) (The)," "Peeler's Return (The)/Policeman's Return (The)," "Deel of the Dance," "Bridge of Athlone (1) (The)," "Dillon's Fancy (2)," "Crossroads Frolic (The)," "Barranna mora Chlann Donncha," "Humors of Derry," "Paschal's," "Plearaca an Fuisce." Irish, Slip Jig (9/8 time). E Dorian ('A' part) & D Major ('B' part). Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB (O'Neill/Krassen & 1001): AABB (O'Neill/1850, Tubridy). Flute player John McKenna (1880-1947) and banjo player Michael Gaffney (d. 1972), both originally from County Leitrim, made a famous recording of the tune for Decca in 1934, in which they paired the slip jig (released as "Denver the Dancer") with the double jig "Connie the Soldier." McKenna and Gaffney were fast friends, remembers McKenna's daughter Catherine, who told Harry Bradshaw and Jackie Small that she could not remember a week that Gaffney was not in her father's house playing his banjo or rehearsing new numbers with the flutist for recordings, dances, weddings and other events they had booked.

The tune was recorded under the title "Paschal's" by the group Na Fili in 1971, transcribed by Robin Williamson in his English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish Fiddle Tunes (1976). Donegal fiddler Vincent Campbell recorded a variant of the slip jig as "Mickey Doherty's" on his "The Purple Heather" album.

Source for notated version: "Gillan" [O'Neill]. Probably John Gillan of Chicago, a successful man and an Irish music enthusiast who was a friend of O'Neill's. Gillan is mentioned several times in O'Neill's Irish Minstrels and Musicians (1913), and made several contributions to O'Neill's works.

Additional notes

Source for notated version: -

Printed sources : - Breathnach (Folk Music and Dances of Ireland), 1971; No. 10. Cotter (Traditional Irish Tin Whistle Tutor), 1989; 60. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 83. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1148, p. 216. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 431, p. 85. Tubridy (Irish Traditional Music, Book Two), 1999; p. 41. Williamson (English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish Fiddle Tunes), 1976; p. 85 (as "Paschal's").

Recorded sources: -Celtic Crossings CD0299-02, Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin & Patrick Ourceau - "Tracin" (1999). Decca Records 12011 (78 RPM), John McKenna & Michael Gaffney (1934). DREY 36192, Alan Stivell - "Live in Dublin." Kells Music 9507, Dervish - "At the End of the Day" (appears as part of "Packie Duignan Set"). Outlet Records SOLP 1010, Na Fili (The Poets) ﷓ "Farewell to Connacht" (as "Paschal's).

See also listing at:
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [1]
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index of Recorded Sources [2]
Hear McKenna & Gaffney's 1934 recording at Juneberry 78's [3] and at the Comhaltas Archive [4]
Hear Na Fili’s recording ("Paschal") on youtube.com [5]

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