Charles d'AlbertKING PIPPIN POLKA [1]. AKA and see "King's Polka (2)," "I'll Tell Me Ma," "My Auntie Jean," "Polka (21)," "Sister Jean (2)," "Tommy Beadle's." English, Polka (cut time). England, Dorset. G Major (Kerr): D Major (Barber, Roche, Trim). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Roche): AABB (Barber, Kerr, Trim). The melody was composed by Charles D'Albert (1864–1932), a Glasgow-born pianist and composer who was a student of Franz Liszt. D'Albert became a naturalized German citizen (he was the son of a French/Italian father and an English mother, never spoke English fluently, and considered himself to be German) and composed 21 operas, a symphony, two piano concerti, and numerous lesser works. Peter Kennedy says children sing words to the tune, beginning: "My mother says I never should play with gipsies in the wood." See also D'Albert's "Sweetheart's Waltz." The first strain of the polka is popular in Ireland as the first strain of the air for the song "I'll Tell Me Ma", recorded by the group Cherish the Ladies and others, which is also used as a polka. The first part of D'Albert's tune also appears as the second part of the English "Percy Brown's Polka."
Additional notes
Printed sources : - Barber (Nick Barber's English Choice), 2002; No. 67, p. 29 (as "King's Polka"). Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 4), c. 1880's; No. 408, p. 45.
McDermott (Allan's Ballroom Companion), c. 1920's; p. 9.
Roche (Collection of Traditional Irish Music, vol. 2), 1912; No. 304 (appears as untitled tune in "Old 'Set' Tunes" section).
Trim (Musical Heritage of Thomas Hardy), 1990; No. 77.
Recorded sources : - DMPCD 0204, Nick & Mary Barber with Huw Jones - "Lovely Nancy" (2002).
