Annotation:College Grove (The)
X:1 T:College Grove, The L:1/8 M:C| R:Reel S:O'Neill - Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems (1907), No. 485 Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:D D2 (3FED AD (3FED|Ec (3cBc edcA|D2 (3FED Eddc|ABGF EDCE| D2 (3FED AD (3FED|Ec (3cBc edcA|DEFG Addc ABGE ED D2|| fedc Acdf|edcd efge|fedc dcdf|eaag ed d2|(3fgf df (3fgf df|(3efe ce (3efe ce| dfeg fagb|afge fd d2||faag fddf|efgf eccg|faag fddB|cAGE ED D2| faag fddf|efgf ecce|dfeg fagb|afge fd d2||(3fgf df (3fgf df|(3efe ce (3efe ce| (3fgf df (3fgf dB|cAGE ED D2|(3fgf df dfdf|(3efe ce cece|dfeg fagb|afge fd d2||
COLLEGE GROVE(S), THE {"Doire An Colaiste" or "Garrán an Choláiste"}. AKA and see "Cailín Fionn (An)" (The Fairhaired Girl), "Cavan Reel (1) (The)," "Connacht Reel (1) (The)," "Green Jacket (The)," "Millstone (1) (The)," "Milestone (1) (The)," "New Demense (1) (The)," "New Domain (The)," "Old Locks and Quays of Galway," "Reel (58)," "Whiskey in the Jar/Jug." Irish, Reel. D Major (Brody, O'Neill/1001): D Mixolydian (Miller & O'Neill/Krassen). Standard tuning (fiddle). ABCD (Miller & Perron/2006, O'Neill/1001): AABBCCDD (Brody): AABB'CC'D (Miller & Perron/1977). See also the related "Green Jacket (The)" and the 18th century Scottish "Miss Corbett's Reel"--"College Groves" may have been adapted from the latter, according to O'Neill. O’Neill also transcribed a two- part version of "College Grove" in Chicago from County Leitrim native James Kennedy, learned from his father Peter Kennedy (Ballinamore). Another 19th century County Leitrim musician, biography:Stephen Grier (c. 1824-1894), a piper and fiddler, included a version of the tune as an untitled reel (see "Reel (58)") in Book 2 of his c. 1883 music manuscript collection.
The melody was recorded in the 78 RPM era by south County Sligo fiddler James Morrison in New York in 1926 under the title "Millstone (1) (The)." The reel was associated with the playing of West Clare fiddler Bobby Casey.
Paul Cranford says the tune is a favorite of Northside (Cape Breton) fiddler Bobby Stubbert, and Fr. John Quinn finds "Duncan MacQuarrie Strathspey (A)" to be a comparable (and perhaps related) tune.