Annotation:Primrose Glen (The)
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PRIMROSE GLEN, THE (Gleanntán na Samhaircíní). AKA and see "Blooming Meadows (3)," "Lark on the Strand (2)," “Primrose Vale,” “Wicky Sears." Irish, Double Jig. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. Sligo fiddle great Michael Coleman recorded a 78 rpm side that included two jigs but only one title - "The Lark on the Strand." The other tune on that side was this one, later recorded by Paddy Killoran and his Pride of Erin Orchestra as "The Primrose Vale." Coleman's side sufficiently confused the titles so that when Tipperary button accordionist Paddy O'Brien recorded "The Primrose Vale" on an influential 1949 solo disc, the title appeared as "The Lark on the Strand." Breathnach published the tune in Ceol Rince na Éireann vol. 1 (1963) as "Gleanntán na Samhaircíní," a translation of Killoran's title, but noted that it was sometimes incorrectly called “Lark on the Strand (2)." The name "The Primrose Glen" may well have originated as a back-translation of Breathnach's Irish title into English.
The alternate title “Lark on the Strand" (sometimes "Lark in the Morning”) is also the name of several other jigs. Boston button-accordion player Jerry O’Brien published the melody as “Wicky Sears” in the mid-20th century in his Irish Folk Dance Music (Roxbury, Mass.).
Source for notated version: accordion player Sonny Brogan (County Sligo/Dublin, Ireland), 1950's [Breathnach].
Printed sources: Breathnach (CRÉ I), 1963; No. 5, p. 4 (2001. Appears as “Gleanntán na Samhaircíní”).
Recorded sources: New Republic 78 rpm disc 2333, Michael Coleman and Michael Walsh (flute) with Arthur P. Kenna (piano), as one of two "Lark on the Strand" jigs.
Crown 78 rpm disc 3126, Paddy Killoran and his Pride of Erin Orchestra (appears as "The Primrose Vale"), 1931. Tara CD 4011, Frankie Gavin – “Fierce Traditional" (appears as "Primrose Vale").
See also listing at:
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [1]