Annotation:Tom Ward's Downfall

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X:1 T:Tom Ward's Downfall T:Mourne Mountains [1], The R:reel Z:id:hn-reel-436 Z:transcribed by henrik.norbeck@mailbox.swipnet.se M:C| L:1/8 K:G BG~G2 GEDG|EDEG AEGA|DEGA ~B3d|ed~d2 egdc| BG~G2 GEDG|EDEG AEGE|DEGA ~B3d|1 egdc BGGA:|2 egdc BAGB|| |:dggf gedg|eaab a2ga|bg~g2 agef|gedc BGGB| dggf gedg|eaab a2ga|bg~g2 agef|1 gedc BAGB:|2 gedc BGGA||

TOM WARD'S DOWNFALL (Bascadh Thomáis Mhic an Bháird). AKA and see "Bascadh Thomáis Mhic an Bháird," “Follow Me Down to Carlow (3)," “Let a Body Lie with You,” “Long Hills of Mourne (2) (The),” “Mourne Mountains (2).” Irish, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Perlman): AABB (Breathnach, Miller & Perron, Moylan): AABB' (Flaherty). A rare version of “Tom Ward” is called “The American Reel,” according to Caoimhin Mac Aoidh (1994). This alternate version was imported home to County Donegal by fiddler Charlie Doherty (of the famous fiddling Doherty family) when he returned after his years in America. During the 78 RPM era the melody (under the “Tom Ward” title) was recorded by Sligo fiddlers Michael Coleman in 1927 and Paddy Killoran in 1939 (paired with “McGovern's Favorite”). In was recorded by Peter Conlon in 1929 as the follow-up tune to “Coalminer's (The),” according to Philippe Varlet, although the label on the record called the medley “The Fiddler’s Delight.” O’Neill prints the tune as “The Mourne Mountains.” Barrel Rafferty, Galway flute player Mike Rafferty’s father, knew the tune by the title “Follow Me Down to Carlow,” although that title is usually applied to other melodies. A closely related American old-time tune is the Kentucky melody “"<incipit title="load:merri" width=850 link="https://tunearch.org/wiki/Merriweather">Merriweather</incipit>,” while the second strain of West Virginia fiddler Edden Hammons’ “Cumberland Gap (4),” mirrors the second strain of “Tow Ward’s Downfall.”

Additional notes

Source for notated version: - piper Pat Brophy/Patrick Ó Broithe (Ireland) [Breathnach]; fiddler Kathleen Morris (Corlisheen, Ballyrush, County Sligo) [Flaherty]; accordion player Johnny O’Leary (Sliabh Luachra region of the Cork-Kerry border) [Moylan]; Peter Chaisson Sr. (b. 1929, Bear River, North-East King’s County, Prince Edward Island) [Perlman]; fiddler Seán McGuire (1927-2005, Belfast, Ireland) & flute player Roger Sherlock [Miller & Perron].

Printed sources : - Breathnach (CRÉ I), 1963; No. 90, p. 39. Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland vol. 3), 1976; No. 29. Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), 1990; p. 59. Lyth (Bowing Styles in Irish Fiddle Playing, vol. 1), 1981; 59. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music, vol. 2), 1977; No. 33. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 2nd Edition, 2006; p. 108. Moylan (Johnny O’Leary of Sliabh Luachra), 1994; No. 239, p. 138. Perlman (The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; p. 55.

Recorded sources: -Green Linnet GLCD 1175, Cherish the Ladies – “New Day Dawning.” Green Linnet GLCD 1187, Cherish the Ladies – “One and All: the best of Cherish the Ladies” (1998). Intrepid Records, Michael Coleman - “The Heyday of Michael Coleman” (1973). Outlet SOLP 1001, "Sean McGuire & Roger Sherlock."

See also listings at:
Jane Keefer’s Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [ ]
Alan Ng’s Irishtune.info [ ]

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