Annotation:Seán sa Cheo
X:1 T:Seán sa Cheo T:John in the Fog T:Séan in the Fog R:reel H:Also played in Gmix N:Similar to #303. See also #519 D:Vinnie Kilduff D:Paul McGrattan: The Frost Is All Over D:Laurence Nugent Z:id:hn-reel-313 Z:transcribed by henrik.norbeck@mailbox.swipnet.se M:C| K:Amix (3Bcd|e2df eABd|~e3c d2BA|Beed eggd|(3Bcd ge dG (3Bcd| e2df eA (3Bcd|~e3c d2Ba|beed eggd|(3Bcd ge dG (3Bcd|| cA~A2 cA (3Bcd|cA~A2 dG (3Bcd|cA~A2 EAcA|(3Bcd gd BG (3Bcd|cA~A2 cA (3Bcd|cA~A2 d3d|cA~A2 eA~A2|(3Bcd ge defg|| |:a2c'a bac'a|~a2c'a ~e3f|1 g2bg agbg|~g2bg efge:|2 ~g3b agef|feed ed||
SEÁN SA CHEO (Jack/John in the Fog). AKA - "Seán sa Ceo." AKA and see "Chancy Cherry Reel," "Chancy Cheory," "Jack in the Fog," “John in the Fog," "John in the Mist,” "Jack and Jill," "Seán is Sinéad," "Tullaghan Lassies." Irish, Reel. A Mixolydian (Vallely): G Mixolydian (O’Malley). Standard tuning (fiddle). AA’B (Vallely): ABC (Flaherty, O’Malley). A popular reel in County Donegal. See also the variants "Tullaghan Lassies," “Jackson's Reel” and "Lough Island Castle." Several writers have mentioned “Seán sa Ceo’s” melodic relatedness to “Jenny's Chickens” and the Scottish reel parent-tune "Sleepy Maggy/Sleepy Maggie." Caoimhin Mac Aoidh (Between the Jigs and Reels, 1994) states it was long in the repertoires of Donegal fiddlers Neilly Boyle (who said he had it from his mother) and the Doherty brothers, who said it was an old family tune. Nevertheless, it has sometimes been attributed by others to County Mayo/New York fiddler and accordion player John McGrath (1900-1955. Several tunes have been attributed to McGrath, an influential teacher in New York, although he is actually only ascertained to have contributed one melody to the tradition – “John McGrath’s Tune”). Mac Aoidh further elucidates that “Séan sa Cheo,” or ‘Jack in the Fog’, is a reference to the enchantment of mortals who sometimes become disoriented while walking fairy paths, sometimes finding themselves lost in a deep mist. The solution, from those who know about such things, is to turn your jacket inside out and put it back on again, which breaks the spell. The tune has become popular with Northside, Cape Breton, fiddlers after being popularized by Johnny Wilmot and is currently being played by Robert and Brenda Stubbert. The second part is played in either 2nd or 3rd position on the fiddle.