Annotation:Mechanic's Hall Jig
X:1 T:Mechanic's Hall Jig M:2/4 L:1/8 R:Reel B:Coes Album of Jigs and Reels, something new, for professional and amateur violinists, B:leaders of orchestras, quadrille bands, and clog, reel and jig dancers; consisting of a B:Grand Collection of entirely New and Original Clog-Hornpipes, Reels, jigs, B:Scotch Reels, Irish Reels and Jigs, Waltzes, Walk-Arounds, etc. (1876, p. 36) N:Coes performed with the San Francisco Minstrels in California from 1852 to 1859. Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G Sd^d e2|z/d/c/A/ D2|z_E =E/c/ z/c/|B/G/A/F/ G/A/B/c/| d^d e2|z/d/c/A/ D2|z_E =E/c/ z/c/|B/G/A/F/ Gz:| |:D/G/z/B/ A/G/B/G/|D/G/z/B/ A/G/B/G/|A/d/z/f/ e/d/f/d/|A/dz/f/ e/d/f/d/|D/G/z/B/ A/G/B/G/| D/G/z/B/ A/G/B/G/|1e/g/g/a/ g/e/d/c/|B/G/A/F/ G/F/E/D/:|2 (3d/c/B/ (3B/c/d/ c/B/A/c/|B/G/A/F/ G/A/B/c/!D.C.!||
MECHANIC'S HALL JIG. AKA and see "Bird on the Wing." American, Schottische or Reel (2/4 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB'. "Mechanic's Hall Jig" was printed in George H. Coes Coes Album of Jigs and Reels (1876), which contains a great number of tunes with minstrel stage associations or origins. Seven years later it was printed in Ryan's Mammoth Collection (1883) as "Bird on the Wing," and it can also be found as the 5th and 6th strain of "Kitty O'Neill's Champion Jig." There were many Mechanic's Halls in the United States, famously, for example, stage venues in New York City, Boston and Worcester. They were ancillary to The Mechanics' Institutes of the mid-19th century, established for the betterment of working men initially serving as lending libraries. They were often endowed by industrialists and other powers as an alternative to drinking and gambling for their employees. It is likely, however, that the title referred to Mechanics' Hall at 427 Broadway, Manhattan, in New York City, for many years the home of Bryant's Minstrels.
