Annotation:Pop Corn (The)
X:1 T:Popcorn Reel R:Reel M:2/4 L:1/16 Z:Transcribed by Bruce Osborne K:E c|B2GB EBGB|EBGB cFFc|B2GB EBGB|Bcef geec| B2GB EBGB|EBGB cFFc|B2GB EBGB|Bcef gee:| |:e|Bege bege|bege aff2|Bege bege|Bcef gee2| Bege bege|bege aff2|gbfg e2ec|Bcef gee:|]
POP CORN, THE. AKA and see “Boyne Hunt (1),” "Dance du pop-corn," "Highland Skip (2)," "Niel Gow's Reel (1)," “Niel Gow's,” “Perth Hunt (The),” "Perthshire Hunt,” “Popcorn (The),” “Richmond Hill (2),” “Sailor's Trip to Liverpool," "Smyth's Reel." Canadian, Reel. E Major (Messer): D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB: AABB. "The Pop Corn" is a Canadian name for the widespread reel (originally Scottish) usually known as “Boyne Hunt” in Ireland, and “Perthshire Hunt” in Scotland, although there are several titles in this tune family. The tune under the "Pop Corn" title was popularized by Canadian radio and TV fiddler Don Messer and his band The Islanders, and was advertised in a CBC program announcement for Don Messer's Jubilee:
Dec 12, 1960 - With Don Messer and the Islanders, vocals by Marg Osburne and Charlie Chamberlain, and emcee Don Tremaine. Today, Marg Osburne sings "A Child's Christmas Prayer" and "Go Tell it on the Mountain." Charlie Chamberlain renders "Christmas in Killarney," then the two singers will team up for "The Holy Child." "The Carnival Hornpipe" and "The Pop Corn Reel" will be played by the orchestra, and the Buchta Dancers will perform the "Maple Leaf Two-Step" and "Goose Feathers." Dance director Gunter Buchta will dance to "Irish Washerwoman."
"Pop Corn" was later associated with the playing of Ontario fiddler Graham Townsend, who recorded it in 1963, at which time he and his father Fred (a dance caller) were guest artists on Messer's "Jubilee".
