Annotation:Maid Behind the Bar (1) (The)
X:1 T:Untitled T:Maid behind the Bar [1] M:C L:1/8 R:Reel B:Stephen Grier music manuscript collection (Book 2, c. 1883, No. 278, p. 58) B: http://grier.itma.ie/book-two#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=57&z=-464.6511%2C313.344%2C3106.4674%2C1258.8443 N:Stephen Grier (c. 1824-1894) was a piper and fiddler from N:Newpark, Bohey, Gortletteragh, south Co. Leitrim. Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G F|A3B AFED|FAAB ABde|fBBA Bdeg|fdec dBAG| FAAB AFED|FAAB ABde|fBBA BcdB|AFGE D3|| a3g fddg|fdad fddf|gfga beef|gebe geeg| fgaf bgaf|defd dcBc|dcBA BcdB|AFGE D3||
MAID BEHIND THE BAR [1], THE (An Gearrchaile taobh thiar den Bheár). AKA and see "Barmaid (The)," "Bartender (The)," "Green Mountain (2)," "Haymaker Reel (1) (The)," "Honeycomb (The)," "Indy's Favorite," "Little Judy," "Long Island Reel," "Judy's Reel," "Maid Behind the Barrel (The)," "Maid Behind the Counter (The)," "Maids of Castlebar (The)." Irish, Reel. D Major (most versions): C Major (Cranitch). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (most versions): AA'BB (Bain). The tune was popularlized through the recording by Sligo fiddle master James Morrison (and piper Tom Ennis) and has become (along with its variants) one of the most ubiquitous tunes in modern Irish sessions. "Maid behind the Bar [1]" was entered as an untitled reel in Book 2 (No. 278) of the large c. 1883 music manuscript collection of County Leitrim fiddler and piper biography:Stephen Grier (c. 1824-1894). Versions of the melody appear earliest in published collections as "Indy's Favorite" and "Judy's Reel" in Ryan's Mammoth Collection (1883). O'Neill prints the tune also under the title "Maid of Castlebar," but title may be a corruption of "Maid Behind the Bar," or vice-versa. Philippe Varlet believes that a recording for Columbia Records by accordion player James Murphy in 1920 is the first time that the use of the title "Maid Behind the Bar" can be documented. He notes that accordion player John "Dutch" Kimmel recorded the tune the same year as "The Bartender" and that flute player John Sheridan waxed it as "Maid Behind the Barrel" in 1928. Kimmel also included it in his 1920 cylinder recording for Edison as the last tune in a medley of Irish reels called "Oh gee!" County Clare fiddler Vincent Griffin recorded the tune in 1977, played in the key of 'C' major.
The second strain of 'Maid' was employed as the third strain of the French-Canadian tune "Ronfluse Gobeil/Snoring Gobeil/Snoring Mrs. Gobeil/Reel St-Siméon," recorded by Jos Bouchard in 1938. See also note for "Annotation:Long Island Reel."