Annotation:Fiddler's Contest (The)

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X:1 T:Fiddler's Contest, The M:C| L:1/8 R:Hornpipe S:O'Neill - Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems (1907), No. 901 Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:A cd|edef ecAc|defg agaf|eagf ecAc|BABc B2 cd| edef ecAc|defg agaf|eagf edcB|A2a2A2:| |:cB|ABAG FGAB|cBce defg|afge fdec|dcde dcBc| dcBd cBAc|BAGF GABc|dgfe dcBA|G2G2G2:||

FIDDLER'S CONTEST, THE ("Comortus na fidileiride" or "Coim-seasam na beidleadoir"). AKA and see "Crooked Leg Reel." Irish, American; Hornpipe. A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. Frank Claudy remarks the tune was a favorite of influential Bronx accordion player Sean McGlynn. Galway-born Bronx resident and fluter Jack Coen recorded it with his brother, cleric Charlie Coen on their 1977 album.

Despite the tune's circulation among Irish and Irish-American musicians, the provenance is American. Researcher Fr. John Quinn finds "The Fiddler's Contest" to be the first and third strains of American minstrel and variety performer George H. Coes' composition "Crooked Leg Reel," printed in his Coes Album of Jigs and Reels (New York, 1876, p. 38).

Additional notes
Source for notated version : - "Cronin" [O'Neill]. Chicago fiddler Edward Cronin, born in Limerick Junction, County Tipperary, in the 1840's, was the source for many tunes in the O'Neill collections. He was a superb fiddler, although a somewhat difficult personality.

Printed sources : - O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 200. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1711, p. 318. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 901, p. 154.

Recorded sources : - Green Linnet SIF 3067, Jack and Charlie Coen - "The Branch Line" (1992. Reissue of Topic 12TS337). Topic 12TS337, Jack and Charlie Coen - "The Branch Line" (1977. Learned from Paddy O'Brien).

See also listing at :
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [1]
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [2]

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