On Paddy Keenan’ latest album, The Long Grazing Acre, track 12 is composed of the two jigs Kitty O’Shea’s and The Kerry Jig.
These seem to be very similar to the Ballintor Jig (track 6 on Poirt an Phiobaire) to my clogged ears.
Both belong to my favourite piping tracks, but are they essentially the same tunes with lots of different variations, or different tunes following a similar structure.
Or does this question expose me as a neophyte yet to fully appreciate that in the swirl and rhythm of the music, imposing the order of a tune is nonsenical? :roll:
Keith, I’m not at home right now, so I can’t verify the tunes you mention, but I thought I might be able to crosscheck the tune names you cited. Interestingly, neither “Ballintor” or a jig named “Kitty O’Shea” are listed anywhere (Fiddler’s Companion, CRÉ, O’Neill’s 1850 or 1001, etc).
The tune name “The Kerry Jig” is a euphemism for, “I don’t know what the damned thing’s called” - similar to the several hundred different tunes all called “The Kerry Polka”.
I find it more interesting that such obscure tune names are being used. I once heard someone speculate that some recording artists do this on purpose to prevent the punters from following them too closely. This may, however, just be a vicious rumour, in which case, pass it on.
Leo Rowsome recorded the medley “The Kerry Jig/The Ballintore Fancy” on his Ri na Piobari LP in the 50s. The Bothy Band recorded both, and Paddy’s recorded the Ballintore three times now, total. Sheez! He’s calling the “Ballintore” the “Kerry” in this case, you see. Having a bit of a brain fart!
The Kerry Jig is in Ceol Rince na Eireann Vol. 3, from Leo’s playing, which was so fast it sounds like a reel. This is how tune types cross barriers sometimes, going from jig to reel or hornpipe to reel.
Kitty O’Neills (not O’Shea) is a different tune from the Ballintor Fancy. I’ve heard Paddy play it a lot, but usually at least twice the speed. I’ve also heard it as a 4 (or 5 or 6, can’t remember) part from fiddlers. If you read the sleeve notes it explains why he recorded the set, unless of course, you burned a copy
Do pardon my beginners’ knowledge, or lack thereof, but I do recall that the track labelled as The Ballintore Jig on Paddy Keenan’s first recording is actually more than one tune and at that, a hornpipe at first. I could be drastically wrong but maybe someone should take a listen? I’ll do it first thing in the morning.
The tune Keenan is calling the “Kerry Jig” on his new record is really called “The Ballintore Fancy,” it comes from Leo Rowsome - Ballintore is the Rowsome homestead in Wexford. Leo played the “Kerry Jig” before the Ballintore Fancy on his LP. It is in O’Neill’s, an old tune.
These are single jigs, for all their speed. They may sound a bit like hornpipes or reels if not accented heavily, or played quickly, and sometimes players forget that a tune is a single jig and just play it as a reel, such as “Molly from Longford,” a jig from the playing of old time piper Brother Gildas (printed in Ceol Rince Eireann Vol 5), who had no name for it - Patsy Touhey’s transcription of it as a reel under that name is in one of O’Neill’s books, and he recorded it on a wax cylinder. There are other examples of this, for instance the very well known reel “The Scholar” is printed in O’Neill’s as a hornpipe, showing its actual origins as a composition of the Newcastle fiddler James Hill; his title was “The South Shore.” Hill also composed the “High Level Hornpipe,” named after a Newcastle bridge.
Thanks folks, as always for a flood of information.
Just some clarification.
Track 12 on The Long Grazing Acre is Kitty O’Neil’s (rather than Kitty O’Shea’s as I stated). Bizarrely, it is documented as Kitty O’Shea’s on the website http://www.paddykeenan.com/grazing/index.htm which I used to look up the details whilst at work (oh the disgrace - using my employers facilities to bugger about with pipe tunes ). That’s also where I got the Ballintor (sic) Jig from.
I’d agree with Jonathon that the first part of Track 6 (Ballintore Jig) on Poirt an Phiobaire is not related - if anyone actually knows what it is I’d be curious to know.
It is some sort of relief to me that Paddy Keenan, piping god, repeats his repetoire with his three recordings of the Ballintore Fancy/Jig, as I sit here desperately trying to get the Gold Ring off pat. There may be hope for me yet.
And finally Alan, how could you imply that I’ve ripped the CDs, as I sit here at home with copious (original) CD sleeve notes! I even went to the trouble to buy yours! (Won’t be making that mistake again!)
Mind you, I have to admit I’m very fond of your cd - any sorry I missed your tour. Are you planning to tour the UK again soon? Whatabout another cd?
). That’s also where I got the Ballintor (sic) Jig from.