Annotation:Poplar Pole

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POPLAR POLE. Old-Time, Breakdown. USA, southwestern Va. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). A tune and tune title peculiar to the Franklin/Floyd County area of southwestern Va. (Tom Carter & Blanton Owen, 1976). It was also in the repertoire of Glen Lyn, Giles County, Virginia, fiddler Henry Reed (1884-1968), although he learned it in Floyd County when he was working there. Alan Jabbour [1] says it is "essentially the same tune as" "Handsome Molly" as recorded in the 78RPM era by Grayson and Whitter (Gennett 6034, Victor 21189). He also sees similarities in "Angeline the Baker." Related song melodies, continues Jabbour, were collected by Cecil Sharp in the early 20th century as "The Derby Ram" (Sevier County, Tenn.) and "Liza Anne" (Lee County, Kentucky) and can be found in Sharp's English Folk Songs from the Southern Mountains. Finally, Jabbour notes the tune was used for shape note hymns "The Converted Thief (Original Sacred Harp, Denson Revision, p. 44) and "The Church's Desolation" (ibid, p. 89). The meaning of the title is unknown.

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See also listing at:
Hear Alan Jabbour's 1967 field recording of Henry Reed playing the tune at the LOC [2]

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