X:1
T:Maid of Sligo
T:Sligo Maid
M:2/2
L:1/8
R:Reel
B:James Morrison - "How to Play the Globe Accordion Irish
B:Style" (1931, No. 19, p. 23)
Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion
K:Ador
A2 BA Bdef|gedB AGEF|GABG AEGE|DEGA BGdB|
A2 BA Bdef|gedB AGEF|GABG ABGE|DEGA BA A2:|
|:eaag a2 ga|bgaf ged2|eggf gage|dega bgag|
eaag a2 ga|bgaf ged2|eggg edBd|dBgd BA A2:|]
SLIGO MAID (Gearrchaile Shlighigh). AKA and see “Glendoan Fancy (The),” “Glendowan Fancy (The),” “Glendowan Reel (The),” “Old Peter’s Reel,” “[[Sligo Maid's Lament] (The)]]." Irish, Reel (cut time). A Dorian (Flaherty, Mallinson, Mulvihill, O’Malley, Tubridy): A Dorian/A Minor (Brody): A Mixolydian/A Dorian (Breathnach). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (Brody, Mallinson, Mulvihill, O’Malley): AA'BB (Breathnach, Mitchell): AA'BB' (Flaherty, Harker, Tubridy). “Sligo Maid” is a very popular session reel of fairly recent origin. A Prince Edward Island version goes by the title “Old Peter's Reel.” It has been said that "a Scottish variant" is “Down the Broom,” however, although the title sounds Scottish, “Down the Broom” is an Irish reel. There are some melodic similarities between “Sligo Maid” and “Down the Broom” in both strains, however, whether they are cognate is debatable. Influential recordings of the “Sligo Maid” were made by Paddy Killoran (1904-1965, whose version has been much imitated) and Michael Coleman (1891-1945), both émigrés from south County Sligo.
Additional notes
Source for notated version: - fiddler Tommy Potts (Ireland) [Breathnach]; fiddler Kathleen Morris (Corlisheen, Ballyrush, Co. Sligo) [Flaherty]; piper Willie Clancy (1918-1973, Miltown Malbay, west Clare) [Mitchell]; Barney Enright (Moyvane, Co. Kerry) [Mulvihill]; New York fiddler John McGrath (1900-1955, originally from County Mayo) [O’Malley]; New Jersey flute player Mike Rafferty, born in Ballinakill, Co. Galway, in 1926 [Harker].
Printed sources : - Breathnach (CRÉ I), 1963; No. 124, p. 51. Brody (Fiddler’s Fakebook), 1983; p. 259. Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland, vol. 1), 1974; No. 3. Cranitch (Irish Fiddle Book), 1996; No. 53, p. 146. Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), 1990; pp. 56-57. Harker (300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty), 2005; No. 6, p. 2. Jordan (Whistle and Sing), 1975; 51. Lyth (Bowing Styles in Irish Fiddle Playing, vol. 1), 1981; 63. Mallinson (100 Essential), 1995; No. 48, p. 21. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music, vol. 1), 1977; No. 3. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 2nd Edition, 2006; p. 105. Mitchell (Dance Music of Willie Clancy), 1993; No. 121, p. 99. Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 3, p. 1. O’Brien (Jerry O’Brien’s Accordion Instructor), Boston, 1949. O’Malley (Luke O’Malley’s Collection of Irish Music, vol. 1), 1976; No. 25, p. 13. Sullivan (Session Tunes vol. 2), n.d.; No. 8, p. 4. Tubridy (Irish Traditional Music, Book Two), 1999; p. 25.
Recorded sources: -Decca 12077A (78 RPM), Paddy Killoran (1936) backed with “Malloy’s Favorite”. Folkways FG 3575, Barry, Gorman, Ennis, and Heaney "Irish Music in London Pubs." Folkways FW 8876, Kevin Burke "Sweeney's Dream." Green Linnet 1009, Eire Og Ceili Band "Irish Music: The Living Tradition." Green Linnet SIF 1162, Kevin Crawford - "The D Flute Album." LOCH 1237, Craobh Rua - "No Matter how Cold and Wet You Are as Long as You're Warm and Dry." Outlet 1031, Sean McGuire "Ireland's Champion Traditional Fiddler." The Lahawns - "Live at Winkles." Paddy Killoran - “Paddy Killoran’s Back in Town.”
See also listings at:
Alan Snyder’s Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index [ ]
Jane Keefer’s Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [ ]
Alan Ng’s Irishtune.info [ ]
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