Annotation:Old Grey Cat

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OLD GREY CAT. AKA and see "Smuggler's Reel." Scottish, Reel; American, Polka. USA; New England, Northwest. E Dorian (Kerr, Lerwick, Martin & Hughes, Phillips, Silberberg, Songer, Sweet): E Minor (Miller & Perron). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Kerr, Martin & Hughes, Silberberg): AABB (Jarman, Lerwick, Miller & Perron, Phillips, Songer, Sweet). Charles Gore identifies 'the old grey cat' as Sean Liath, an Irish cat. He finds Scottish printings only as far back as the 1880's, where it is listed as an Irish tune, and does not find it in the listings of Great Highland Bagpipe repertoire. The first part of the tune is shared with "Night We Made the Match (The)" and an untitled Pennsylvania-collected reel (Bayard, 1981; No. 140 p. 76). Infrequently, selected pizzicato note(s) are used as a variation. See "Cattle in the Cane (1)" for a possible cognate in American old-time tradition. Triple time versions of the tune are the jigs "Rollicking Boys of Tandaragee (The)" and "Hills of Glenorchy (1) (The)," and the Northumbrian air "Wild Hills of Wannies (The)."

Source for notated version: Ruthie Dornfeld (Seattle) [Phillips].

Printed sources: Jarman, No. or p. 28. Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 1), c. 1880's; No. 8, p. 28. Lerwick (Kilted Fiddler), 1985; p. 18. Martin & Hughes (Ho-ro-gheallaidh), 1990; p. 23. Miller & Perron (101 Polkas), 1978; No. 91. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes, vol. 1), 1994; p. 171. Silberberg (Tunes I Learned at Tractor Tavern), 2002; p. 110. Songer (Portland Collection), 1997; p. 150. Sweet (Fifer's Delight), 1965/1981; p. 63.

Recorded sources: CCF2, Cape Cod Fiddlers - "Concert Collection II" (1999). Sage Arts 1101. Erin Shrader & Edith Farrar - "Enrichez Vous" (1991).