Annotation:King Pippin Polka (1)
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KING PIPPIN POLKA. AKA and see "I'll Tell Me Ma," "My Auntie Jean." English, Polka. England, Dorset. G Major (Kerr):D Major (Roche, Trim). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Roche): AABB (Kerr, Trim). The melody was composed by Charles D'Albert (1864-1932), a Glasgow-born pianist and composer who was a student of Franz Liszt. D'Albert became a naturalized German citizen (he was the son of a French/Italian father and an English mother, never spoke English fluently, and considered himself to be German) and composed 21 operas, a symphony, two piano concerti, and numerous lesser works. Peter Kennedy says children sing words to the tune, beginning: "My mother says I never should play with gipsies in the wood." See also D'Albert's "Sweetheart's Waltz." It is popular in Ireland as the song and polka "I'll Tell Me Ma", recorded by the group Cherish the Ladies and others.
Source for notated version:
Printed sources: McDermott (Allan's Ballroom Companion), p. 9. Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 4), No. 408, p. 45. Roche, (Collection of Traditional Irish Music, vol. 2), 1912; No. 304 (appears as untitled tune in "Old 'Set' Tunes" section). Trim (Thomas Hardy), 1990; No. 77.
Recorded sources:
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