X:1
T:Scatter the Mud (2)
T:2nd Setting
M:6/8
L:1/8
R:Jig
B:O'Neill's Music of Ireland. 1850 Melodies, 1903, p. 180, no. 967
Z:François-Emmanuel de Wasseige
K:A Minor
d|eAA B>(cB/A/)|eAA ABd|eAA B>(cB/A/)|dBG GBd|
eAA B>(cB/A/)|eAA AGE|GAB Bge|dBA A2:|
|:d|eaa egg|dBA ABd|eaa egg|dBG GBd|
ea^f {a}g2e|dBA AGE|GAB Bge|dBA A2:|]
SCATTER THE MUD [2]. AKA and see "Blackthorn Stick," “Doran's Fancy,” "Freehan's Jig," “Jack Walsh's Jig,” "Noonday Feast (The)," "Maid/Maids of Tramore” “Rambles with Rory." Irish, Jig (6/8 time). A Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (Alewine, Breathnach, Flaherty, O’Neill): AA’BB (Harker/Rafferty): AABCCD (Mitchell). The jig has collected a variety of titles, with the first strain being shared with other tunes. Paul de Grae suggests this tune may be the result of Chicago fiddler John McFadden's improvisational skills, since O'Neill also prints another tune by the same name with a similar first strain. McFadden was renowned (and sometimes blamed) for never playing a tune the same way twice, and could compose variations seemingly at will. The first strain is broadly similar to "Scatter the Mud (1)" but the second strain of McFadden's tune is completely different. O'Neill wrote that he considered McFadden's 'improvements' "much superior to the same name, which is fairly well known" [1]John McFadden The title is similar to that of the slip jig "Spatter the Mud," resulting in some confusion if not enunciated well. Breathanch (1963) notes that only the first strain of Roche’s “Maids of Tramore” is the same as this tune, and that the end of the first turn is faulty at that. See also the cognate first part of William Bradbury Ryan's “Eviction (The)” (which itself is identical to "Scatter the Mud (1)") and “Monaghan Jig (The).”
The earliest sound recording of the jig is from the early 1920's by accordion player P.J. Conlon, given on the record label as "The Black Thornstick." Later in the decade Sligo fiddle master James Morrison recorded it as "Noon Day Feast" (1928). Joe Shannon and John McGreevy recorded it in 1975 as "Rambles with Rory" on their album "Noonday Feast", adding another alternate title to the tune.
Additional notes
Sources for notated versions: - the playing partners of Chicago police Sergeant James Early and John McFadden biography:John McFadden, a piper and fiddler from adjoining counties in the province of Connaght [O’Neill]; piper Patrick Ó Broithe/Pat Brophy (Ireland) [Breathnach]; piper and flute player Tommy Hunt (b. 1908, Lissananny, Ballymote, Co. Sligo) [Flaherty]; piper Willie Clancy (1918-1973, Miltown Malbay, west Clare) [Mitchell]; Jack and Fr. Charlie Coen, via New Jersey flute player Mike Rafferty, born in Ballinakill, Co. Galway, in 1926 [Harker].
Printed sources : - Alewine (Maid that Cut off the Chicken’s Lips), 1987; p. 30. Breathnach (CRÈ I), 1963; No. 23, pg. 10. Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), 1990; p. 131. Harker (300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty), 2005; No. 238, p. 73. Mitchell (Dance Music of Willie Clancy), 1993; No. 34, p. 48. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 47. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 967, p. 180. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 187, p. 45.
Recorded sources: . Green Linnet SIF 1041, Kevin Burke "Portland" (1982). Green Linnet SIF 1101, Kevin Burke "Playing with Fire: the Celtic Fiddle Collection" (1989). Old-time Records OTR 104/105, "The Genius of Peter Conlon" (appears as "Blackthorn Stick").
See also listings at:
Jane Keefer’s Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Alan Ng’s Irishtune.info [2]
Hear the 1949 Copley Records recording by piper Felix Doran at the Internet Archive (as “Doran’s Fancy) [3][4]
