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Annotation:Shillin' a Jig

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Sheet Music for "Shilling a Gig"Shilling a GigBook: Thompson’s Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, vol. 3 (London, 1773)Transcription: Transcribed and edited by Fynn Titford-Mock, 2007abc’s:AK/Fiddler’s Companion



SHILLIN' A JIG. AKA – “Shilling a Gig.” AKA and see "Irish Pot Stick," "Sheela na Gigg," "Sheela's Kiss," "Sheila's Kiss." English, Slip Jig (9/8 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCC. The melody was published by Charles and Samuel Thompson in their Compleat Collection, vol. 3 (London, 1773). It also appears in the music manuscript collections of Northumbrian musician William Vickers, begun in 1770, and of flute player John Hoff (Lancaster, Pa.), dating to 1797. John Buttery (1784-1854) also entered the tune in his early 19th century music manuscript (called the 'John Fife' manuscript in the EASMES database). He joined the 34th Regiment in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England, in 1797 and served as a fifer until discharged in 1814. His large ms. contains marches, duty calls, dance tunes and airs. The tune is labelled “a Retreat” in his collection, indicating martial use as an evening close-of-duty signal.

Additional notes

Source for notated version: - William Vickers' 1770 music manuscript collection (Northumberland) [Seattle].

Printed sources : - Seattle (Great Northern/William Vickers), 1987, Part 3; No. 482. Thompson (Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, vol. 3), 1773; No. 190.

Recorded sources: -



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