Annotation:Bush in Bloom (The)

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BUSH IN BLOOM, THE (An Tom Faoi Blat). AKA and see "Boil the Kettle Early," "Bush in Blossom (The)." Irish, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (O'Malley, O'Neill, Roche): AABB (McDermott). The reel is identical with "Bush in Blossom (The)," printed by Glasgow publisher James S. Kerr (Merry Melodies vol. 4, c. 1880's). The reel was well-established with Irish musicians by at least the turn of the century as "Bush in Bloom,"

Sources for notated versions: students of New York fiddler John McGrath (1900-1955, originally from County Mayo) [O'Malley]; Teresa Halpin, “a dancer and fiddler from Limerick" [Hardebeck]; "McFadden" [O'Neill], referring to fiddler Biography:John McFadden, originally from Carrowmore, near Westport, County Mayo, whose playing O'Neill greatly admired (and who, alluded O'Neill, was kept on a sinecure by the City of Chicago due to his political connections in the Irish-American community).

Printed sources: Giblin (Collection of Traditional Irish Dance Music), 1928; 47. Hardebeck (A Collection of Jigs and Reels vol. 2), Dublin, 1921; p. 14. McDermott (Allan's Irish Fiddler), No. 42, p. 10. O'Malley (Luke O'Malley's Collection of Irish Music, vol. 1), 1976; No. 14, p. 7. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 103. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1242, p. 234. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 515, p. 97. Roche (Collection of Traditional Irish Music, vol. 1), 1912; p. 58, #144.

Recorded sources: Gennet 5003 (78 RPM), Tom Ennis & John Gerrity (1922). Shanachie 79064, Matt Molloy - "Heathery Breeze" (1999).

See also listing at:
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [1]
Hear the 1922 recording by uilleann piper Tom Ennis with John Gerrity at the Internet Archive [2]