SERGEANT EARLY'S DREAM (Aisling Maor Maelmoiceirge). AKA - “Sgt. Early’s Dream.” Irish, Reel. D Dorian (Mulvihill): D Dorian/Mixolydian (Flaherty, O'Neill/Krassen): A Mixolydian (O'Neill/1850): A Dorian (O'Neill/DMI). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Mulvihill, O'Neill/1850 & 1001): AA'B (O'Neill/Krassen): AABB (Flaherty). Paul de Grae believes the tune may be a composition of Early's playing partner, fiddler John McFadden. de Grae also notes that the key signature in O'Neill's Music of Ireland (1903) was corrected from major to dorian mode in his next publication, Dance Music of Ireland (1903). A London-based group, Ballet Rambert, performed a folk-ballet with this title in 1986—music for the production was by a group drawn mainly from the then London-based Boyle/McCarthy families, according to Barry Riley.
Additional notes
Source for notated version: - the playing partners of Chicago police Sergeant James Early and John McFadden, a piper and fiddler from adjoining counties in the province of Connaght [O’Neill]; tenor banjo player Tommy Finn (b. 1964, Marlow, Ballymote, Co. Sligo) [Flaherty]; fiddler Brendan Mulvihill (Baltimore, Md.) [Mulvihill].
Printed sources : - Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland vol. 3), 1976; No. 16. Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), 1990; p. 53. Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 199, p. 54. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 135. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1419, p. 263. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 656, p. 117. Songer (Portland Collection, vol. 2), 2005; p. 183.
Recorded sources: -Celtic Music CM005, Shegui (John Skelton, John Coakley, Sean Keane) – “Around the World for Sport” (1980). Cló Iar-Chonnachta, CICD 148, Mick Conneely – “Selkie” (2001). FG 9601, Randall Bays & Joel Bernstein - “Pigtown Fling.” Gael-Linn CEF-068, Seamus Glackin – “An Fhidil: Sraith 1” (1978). Paddy Caney - “Paddy Caney” (1997). Paddy O’Brien - “Paddy O’Brien Collection.” Shegui - “Around the World for Sport.” Mainstream Records PKCD9701, Pat Kirtley - “Irish Guitar” (1997). Mick Coneely – “Selkie.” Kathleen Collins – “Traditional Music of Ireland.” Ensemble Galilei – “From the Isles to the Courts.” Kieran Fahy – “Woman from Tuam.”
See also listing at:
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [1]
Jane Keefer’s Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [2]
