Annotation:Tailor's Twist (The)
X:1 T:Tailor's Twist, The R:hornpipe S:From Liam O'Flynn M:4/4 L:1/8 K:D A>F|D>AF>D A>Fd>c|B>gf>e e>ba>g|f>dA>F G2g>f|(3efe (3dcB A>GF>E| D>AF>D A>Fd>c|B>gf>e e>ba>g|f>dA>F G>ge>c|d2f2d2:| f>g|a>ga>f d>fg>a|b>ag>f e>Ac>e|g>fg>A (3Bcd e>f|(3gag (3fgf e>gf>e| d>e f/e/d/c/ d>AF>A|B>gf>e e>ba>g|f>dA>F G>ge>c|d2f2d2:||
TAILOR'S TWIST, THE (Casadh an táilliúra). AKA and see "Jolly Butchers (The)," “Spellan the Fiddler.” Irish, Hornpipe (whole time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. It has been suggested that a 'tailor’s twist' refers to thread that is stored by twisting in a figure ‘8’ pattern around two dowels, rather than around a spool. The tune was first recorded by fiddler wikipedia:James_Morrison_(fiddler) (1893-1947) on August 10th, 1935, for Columbia Records, one of a set of two hornpipes (only the second of which, "Flowers of Spring (The)" is named on the label). Morrison was born in Drumfin, near Collooney, south County Sligo and died in New York in 1947. He was a contemporary of Sligo fiddler Michael Coleman, and was nicknamed ‘the Professor’ because of his love of teaching the instrument. The New York connections of the tune continued with the late fiddlers Andy McGann and Paddy Reynolds, who recorded it in the late 1970’s, to the present with Brian Conway’s recording. The tune was also associated with piper Tommy Reck, from whom Brendan Breathnach transcribed the tune for his Ceol Rince na hÉirreann vol. III. In fact, the tune has become an important piece in the modern uilleann pipe repertoire, popularised by not only Reck but Liam O’Flynn and Brian McNamara as well. It appears in the Roche collection under the title “Jolly Butchers (The).”
A story appears in the memoirs of harper Arthur O’Neill (1734-1818) that involves an understandable change in mood of a group of tailors…a tale with a twist, if you will. O’Neill remembered:
In the County of Tyrone I met three brothers, named Ned, Frank and James MacAleer. They all played well but Ned was far the best. He was very comical. He lived upwards of five years in France in the Irish Brigades and would now and then assume the title of ‘The Celebrated Leeriano from Paris’, as poor Ned could speak French very fluently. He was a slave to that pernicious beverage that generally leaves itinerants in that situation that they will either pledge their own or any gentleman’s harp sooner than want it. Pox on you, Carolan! You certainly must have been half mulvadered when you composed your ‘Receipt for Drinking Whiskey’—otherwise I am pretty sure you would never be a composer, as the effects of that cordial had so happy an effect that your ideas floated faster on you than perhaps might have done if there was no such liquor to be had.
At one time when poor Ned MacAleer assumed the name of Leeriano he went to Counsellor Stewart’s of Bailieborough, in the County of '[Cavan], at which time Harry Fitzsimons the harper was there. Leeriano was announced. He was ordered to play in the hall for a specimen (ed: audition). At the time, there were some tailors at work in the hall for the servants, where Leeriano began to play some Irish airs—jigs, reels, etc. Mrs. Stewart after some time came from the parlour to the hall and said she was much disappointed, as some of her own countrymen could excel him. MacAleer, chagrined, started up and exclaimed, ‘Madam, as you were pleased to let me play in the hall I played you tailors’ and servants’ music, which would otherwise be different.’ ‘Damn your soul, you humping rascal!’ says Snip bouncing off the floor, who was going to destroy poor MacAleer with his goose (ed: a pressing iron), and if it was not for some interference he was determined to revenge the mighty insult. Fitzsimons knew MacAleer, who undeceived Mrs. Stewart respecting his foreign descent, and probably was jealous of him being the best performer.
