Annotation:Pretty Peggy (1)

Back to Pretty Peggy (1)

X:1 T:Pretty Peg T:Pretty Peggy [1] M:C L:1/8 B:Petrie - Fourth Collection of Strathspeys, Reels, B:Jiggs & Country Dances (1805) K:D A|d2 fd AFED|d2 fd egfe|d2 fd AFDF|GEFD CEE:| A|(F/E/D) AD BDAD|(F/E/D) (F/E/D) CEEA|(F/E/D) AD BDAD|GFED A,DDA| F/E/D dD cDBD|AD G/F/E/D/ CEEG|FAdf edcB|AGFE FDD||

PRETTY PEGG{Y} [1] (Mairgreadin Deas). AKA – “Pretty Peg.” AKA and see “Bill Clancy's Delight,” “Ladies' Delight," "Lady Elizabeth Percy's Reel," "Snuff Box.” Scottish, Irish; Reel. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (O'Neill/1850 & 1001, Surenne): AAB (Athole, Gow, Hunter, Johnson, Martin & Hughes, Petrie, Skye): AA'B (O'Neill/Krassen): ABB' (Hardie): AABB’ (Skinner). The melody is identified by the band Altan as a Scottish reel that has been popular in Ireland for a number of years; indeed, J. Scott Skinner, in his Harp and Claymore collection observes it is "One of the finest of the old Reels." It is sometimes played with parts reversed (see O'Neill's "Bill Clancy's Delight"). The second strain is similar to "Perthshire Hunt (The)." See also “Humors of Westport (The),” “Maguinnis' Delight," “Milestone in the Garden (The)” and “Clydeside Lassies" for other tunes in this family.

The reel appears under the title "Snuff Box" in the 1821 music manuscript collection of musician John Burks attributed to "W.M." Unfortunately, nothing is known of Burks or where he hailed from, but at a guess, he may have been from the north of England or the Borders. County Leitrim piper and fiddler biography:Stephen Grier (c. 1824-1894) entered the tune into Book 2 of his c. 1883 music manuscript collection under the title "Lady Elizabeth Percy's Reel." The melody was also entered as an untitled reel in the 1890's music manuscript collection of London dancing master Patrick D. Reidy, originally from Castleisland, County Kerry. Reidy was employed to teach dancing at various Gaelic League functions, and was a correspondent of Capt. Francis O'Neill in America. He sent O'Neill one of his manuscripts [1] containing this tune, which he credited to Micheal B. Shanahan as his source (see also "Shanahan's Hornpipe", attributed to him).

Additional notes

Source for notated version: - Chicago Police Sergeant James O’Neill, a fiddler originally from County Down and Francis O’Neill’s collaborator [O’Neill]; Robert Petrie’s 4th Collection (Edinburgh, 1805) [S. Johnson]; banjo player Tommy Finn (b. 1964, Barlow, Ballymote) [Flaherty].

Printed sources : - Carlin (The Gow Collection), 1986; No. 440. Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), 1990; p. 51 (appears as “Unknown”). Gow (Complete Repository, Part 3), 1806; p. 34. Hardie (Caledonian Companion), 1986; p. 25. Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 214. S. Johnson (A Twenty Year Anniversary Collection), 2003; p. 22. Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 2), c. 1880’s; No. 140, p. 17. Kerr (Caledonian Collection), p. 5 (appears as “Pretty Peg”). MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; p. 76. Martin & Hughes (Ho-ro-gheallaidh), 1990; p. 36 (appears as “Pretty Peg”). O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 146 (appears as "Pretty Peggy"). O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1476, p. 273. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 704, p. 124. Petrie (Fourth Collection of Strathspey, Reels, Jiggs and Country Dances), 1805; p 22. Skinner (Harp and Claymore), 1904; p. 78. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; p. 90. Surenne (Dance Music of Scotland), 1852; p. 87.

Recorded sources: - Culburnie Records CUL 102, Alasdair Fraser & Jody Stecher – “The Driven Bow” (1988). Green Linnet SIF-1094, Capercaillie - "Sidewaulk" (1989). Green Linnet GLCD 1117, Altan - "Harvest Storm" (1992). Shanachie 29004, "Andy McGann and Paddy Reynolds" (1976). Ron Gonnella – “Scottish Violin Music” (1966).

See also listings at:
Alan Snyder’s Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index [2]
Jane Keefer’s Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [3]
Alan Ng’s Irishtune.info [4]

Back to Pretty Peggy (1)