Annotation:Cup of Tea (1) (The)
X:1 T:Cup of Tea [1], The M:C L:1/8 R:Reel B:Stephen Grier music manuscript collection (Book 2, c. 1883, No. 181) B: http://grier.itma.ie/book-two#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=37&z=283.4736%2C301.2192%2C2139.6415%2C925.9929 N:Stephen Grier (c. 1824-1894) was a piper and fiddler from N:Newpark, Bohey, Gortletteragh, south Co. Leitrim. Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:Emin BAGF GEEF|GEBE GEEc|BAGF GABc|dABG FD D2:| F|E2 eg fdec|dBAF BEED|E2 eg fdec|dBAG FDDF| D2 eg fdec|dBAF BE E2|gfef gfge|dBAG FD D2||
CUP OF TEA [1], THE (An Cupán Tae). AKA and see "Unfortunate Cup of Tea," "Green Cup of Tea (The)," "Mayobridge." Irish, Reel. E Dorian ('A' part) & D Major ('B' and 'C' parts): A Minor (Robbins). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (O'Connor): ABB (Breathnach, Feldman & O'Doherty): ABC (O'Neill): ABBCC (Mitchell): AABBCC (Alewine, Mallinson, Miller & Perron): AABB'CC (Harker/Rafferty). "The Cup of Tea" has been a popular reel in Irish sessions for decades. As "Unfortunate Cup of Tea<div class="mw-ext-score noresize" data-midi="/w/images/lilypond/s/v/svir6uc2db7vt0g438hnpsp44lxw2ap/svir6uc2.midi"><img src="/w/images/lilypond/s/v/svir6uc2db7vt0g438hnpsp44lxw2ap/svir6uc2.png" width="663" height="79" alt="
X:1
T:Unfortunate Cup of Tea, The
M:C
L:1/8
K:Emin
BAGF GEBE|GEBE BAGF|BAGF GAB^c|d2 AG (FD) Dz:|
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," a rather truncated version of the melody appears in P.M. Haverty's Three Hundred Irish Airs (New York, 1858–1859), although in modern times the title is usually simply "Cup of Tea" and the tune is greatly developed over the Haverty version. The tune was often played by Seamus Ennis, who called it "The Sweet Cup of Tea" which he said was a code phrase for tea spiked with whiskey or poitin.
County Longford musician Thomas "Blind" Kernan entered the tune under the incorrect title "Woman of the House" in his 1844 music manuscript collection, and County Leitrim fiddler and piper Stephen Grier included a two-part "Cup of Tea" in Book 2 of his large c. 1883 music manuscript collection. It was entered with two parts into the c. 1865 music manuscript collection of the Gunn Family of County Fermanagh. In northern Ireland parts of the tune are played AABBC. See also Canon James Goodman's "Lisburn Lasses (3) (The)," which is the second and third strain of O'Neill's "Cup of Tea" with parts reversed.