Annotation:Macdougall's Polka

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X:1 T:Macdougall's Polka R:Polka M:4/4 L:1/8 Z:Transcribed by Bruce Osborne K:A E2|AAEA c2Ac|eece a3e|g2f2 fede|f2e2 edcB| AAEA c2Ac|eece a3e|g2f2 edcB|A2c2 A2:| K:E GA|B2g2 g3B|A2f2 f3e|e2d2 d2A2|c2B2 BAGA| B2g2 g3B|A2f2 f3e|e2d2 a2d2|e4 e2:|



MACDOUGALLS (POLKA), THE. AKA and see "Westville Polka." Canadian, Polka. A Major ('A' part) & E Major ('B' part). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. A well-traveled polka melody that appears in a variety of genres, however,it was composed by John Willie MacDougall of Westville (near Antigonish), Nova Scotia. MacDougall was a coal miner who was almost blinded in a mine explosion, but became a champion fiddler of Nova Scotia, He died in the mid 1950's at the age of 96, although some say he was older.

The tune was played by fiddler Ben Guillemette (Sanford, Maine) in John Bishop's movie "New England Fiddles" (1984), and it was in the repertoire of Pennsylvania fiddler Jehile Kirkhuff, who called it "Westville Polka." The tune was also recorded as "Westville Polka" by Canadian pianist Waldo Monroe.


Additional notes



Printed sources : - Corfield (Tunes from New Brunswick), 2024; p. 72. Messer (Way Down East), 1948; No. 58.

Recorded sources : - Fretless Records 132, "Ron West: Vermont Fiddler." Point Records P-313, Waldo Monroe - "The Old-Time Piano." RCA Victor 55-3277, Ned Landry and his New Brunswick Lumberjacks. Victor LCP 1001, Ned Landry and his New Brunswick Lumberjacks - "Bowing the Strings with Ned Landry."




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