Annotation:Jackson's Night Cap
X:1 T:Jackson’s Night Cap O:”Irish” M:6/8 L:1/8 R:Jig B:James Aird – Selection of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs, vol. 3 (Glasgow, 1788, No. 418, p. 161) N:”Humbly dedicated to the Volunteers and Defensive Bands of Great Britain and Ireland” Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:D A|:.d.B.B cAA|TBAG TFED|dBB cAA|dAF EFA| d(ef) B(cd)|ABG FEF|D>ED DFA|AFE (EF)A:| |:d2f3|a2b afd|d2f afa|bge ecA| d2f a(f/g/a/).f/|b(g/a/b/)g/ a2g|fed dfe|dAF EFA:| |:(df).e (df).e|(dA).G (FE).D|(df).e (df).e|(dA).F (EF).A| (de).f (Bc).d|ABG FEF|DED DFA|AFE EFA:|]
JACKSON'S NIGHT CAP. AKA and see "Catholic Boy's (The)," "Fitzpatrick's Jig," "Loosen the belt," "Loosen the belt on her," "Night Dance (The)," "Piper's Welcome (The)," "Rattle the Bottles," "Strike the Gay Harp," "Strike the Young Harp." Irish, Jig (6/8 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCC. A composition credited to the famous 18th century gentleman musician Walker 'Piper' Jackson, of the townland of Lisduan, in the parish of Ballingarry, Limerick. The tune was first published by Samuel Lee in Dublin c. 1774 in Jackson's Celebrated Irish Tunes, a volume reprinted in 1790. It also appears in Brysson's A Curious Selection of Favourite Tunes with Variations (Edinburgh, 1790) to which is appended "Fifty Favourite Irish Airs." Piper O'Farrell also printed "Jackson's Night Cap" in the first decade of the 19th century that is similar, but not identical, to the tune in Jackson's Celebrated Irish Tunes. Under the title "The Nightcap", it can be found in the contemporary publications of James Aird (Glasgow) and Smollet Holden.
It is still in the traditional repertoire. "Catholic Boys (The)" is an alternate title from County Tipperary. The tune was entered into the 1788 music manuscript collection of John and William Pitt Turner, of Norwich, Conn.
In Ireland, versions were entered into the 19th century music manuscript collections of County Cork cleric and uilleann piper James Goodman (c. 1860's) and County Leitrim piper and fiddler Stephen Grier (Book 3, No. 58, c. 1883). Goodman entered the tune twice: Book 2, p. 177[1] and Book 4, p. 3[2].
