Annotation:Shamus O'Brien

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X:1 T:Chamois O’Brien M:3/4 L:1/8 S:Viola “Mom” Ruth, 1948 Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G (dd)||(e2d2B2)|(G2A2B2)|(E2G2E2)|D4 (DD)|G3 (FGB)|(e2d2B2)| (A6|A4) (dd)|(e2d2B2)|(G2A2B2)|(E2F2G2)|e3 (fge)|(d2B2G2)| (A2E2F2)|(G6|G4) (dd)||:e3 (def)|(g2f2e2)|f3 (efd)|B4 (dd)|e3 (def)| (g2f2e2)|(f6|f4) (ge)|(d2B2A2)|(G2A2B2)|(E2F2G2)|e3 (fge)| (d2B2G2)|(A2E2F2)|1 (G6|G4) (dd):|2 (G6|G2) B2d2|(g6|g4)||

SHAMUS O'BRIEN. AKA - "Sheamus O'Brien," “Seamus McManus.” AKA and see "Shamus O'Brien's Waltz," James O'Brien. American, Canadian, Irish; Waltz and Air (3/4 time). USA; Michigan, Missouri, Arkansas, Arizona. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Johnson, O'Neill): ABB (Ford). “Shamus O’Brien” was a song composed by Kentucky-born William Shakespeare (“Will S.”) Hays (1837-1907), a prolific writer of popular songs in the mid-to-latter 19th century, although none of his over 300 published songs have been enduring. It was published in New York in 1867 under the title “Sheamus O’Brien; Answer to Nora O’Neal,” referring to a song also written by Hays, in 1866. The tune was in the repertoires of Arizona fiddlers Kenner C. Kartchner and Viola “Mom” Ruth as “Chamois O’Brien.” Another spelling is often given as "Shamus O'Brien," presumably a corruption of the Gaelic name Séamus, and may have been brought to the United States from Ireland in the 1890's. Francis O'Neill gave the waltz the titles "James O'Brien" (Music of Ireland, 1903) and "Chamois O'Brien" (O'Neill's Irish Music, 1915). For a long time it was a popular waltz in the Mid-west, and it sometimes appears in New England and Canadian Maritime repertory.

Additional notes

Sources for notated versions: - Bob Hubbach (Michigan) [Johnson]; Art Galbraith (1909-1993, near Springfield, Mo.), who learned the tune late in life, probably from Cyril Stinnett (Mo.) [Beisswenger & McCann].

Printed sources : - Beisswenger & McCann (Ozarks Fiddle Music), 2008; p. 41. Ford (Traditional Music is America), 1940; p. 140 (lyrics to song on page 405). Johnson (The Kitchen Musician's No. 7: Michigan Tunes, vol. 7), 1986 87; p. 13. O'Neill (O’Neill’s Irish Music), 1915; No. 92, p. 52 (appears as "Sheamus O'Brien"). Ruth (Pioneer Western Folk Tunes), 1948; No. 32, p. 13 (appears as “Chamois O’Brien”).

Recorded sources: -Marimac 9017, Vesta Johnson (Mo.) - "Down Home Rag" (appears as "Shamus O'Brien's Waltz"). MSOTFA 104, Cyril Stinnett - "Salty River Reel" (1992). Rounder Records 0133, Art Galbraith – “Dixie Blossoms” (1981).

See also listing at:
Jane Keefer’s Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]

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