Annotation:Belfast Almanac (The)

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BEL(L)FAST ALLMANACK (ALMANAC), THE. AKA and see "Bob in the Bed," "Harlequin's Lament for the Loss of Colomtine," "Planxty Connor (1)," "Irish Air (1)," "John O'Connor," "Planxty Mrs. O'Connor." Scottish, Jig. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (Gow): AABBCC (Athole). Gow notes the melody is "A Favorite Irish Air," and Glasgow publisher James Aird printed it under the simple title "Irish Air." Indeed, it is an older Irish melody originally composed by Irish harper Turlough O'Carolan called "John O'Connor." The name Belfast means 'crossing place by a sandbank'. The almanac was a long-running publication quite popular in its day, stemming from the mid-18th century. Like the modern-day Farmer's Almanac, the Belfast Almanac contained a wide variety of calendars, weather forecasts, advice, instructions, stories and various and sundry other items.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Carlin (Gow Collection), 1986; No. 321. Gow (Fourth Collection of Niel Gow's Reels), 2nd ed., originally 1800; p. 12. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; p. 156.

Recorded sources: The Oyster Band - "Golden Tie-Slackeners" (1984). Jimmy Shand - "The Bluebell Polka" (disc 2).

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