Annotation:Golden Keyboard (1)
Tune properties and standard notation
GOLDEN KEYBOARD [1]. AKA and see "Joe Cooley's Reel (2)," "McGann's," "Méarchlár Órga (An), "Mulhaire's Reel," "Reynold's Reel," "Rough Road," "Sailor's Farewell," "Sailor's Return (2)." Irish, Reel. E Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (Harker/Rafferty, Taylor): AA'BB' (Alewine, O'Malley). The most famous composition of New York City based accordion player Martin Mulhaire (originally from County Galway), a member of the Tulla Céilí Band (see also "Carmel Mahoney Mulhaire") who decided to stay in the United States after touring the country with his band in the early 1960's. New York musician Paul McEvoy had occasion to ask Mulhaire how he came by the title, and received the reply that, while Mulhaire said he had never seen a golden keyboard, he thought it sounded like a good title for a tune.
Source for notated version: accordion player John Ferguson [Bulmer & Sharpley]; John Joe Callaghnan [O'Malley]; 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. 19. Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland), 1974, vol. 2, No. 16. Cotter (Traditional Irish Tin Whistle Tutor), 1989; 68. Harker (300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty), 2005; No. 160, p. 49. O'Malley (Luke O'Malley's Collection of Irish Music, vol. 1), 1976; No. 9, p. 5. Taylor (Crossroads Dance), 1992; No. 4, p. 6.
Recorded sources: Folkways FTS31098, Ken Perlman - "Clawhammer Banjo and Fingerstyle Guitar Solos." Green Linnet Records SIF 1058, Matt Molloy & Sean Keane - "Contentment is Wealth" (1985). Shanachie Shan-79017, John & Phil Cunningham - "Against the Storm" (1980). Shaskeen - "The Mouse Behind the Dresser."
See also listings at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [2]