Annotation:Fisherman's Lilt (1)

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 FISHERMAN'S LILT [1] (Streancán an Iascaire). AKA and see "Banks of the Inverness," "Cunningham's Fancy," "Funny Eye(s)," "Halligan's Fancy," "Kerryman's Daughter (1) (The)," "Michael Coleman's Dream," "Molly What Ails You?" "Pretty Girls of the Village (The)," "Siege of Ennis (1) (The)," "You're Right My Love." Irish, Reel. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. Also played in C major. Breathnach finds the 'B' part of "Fisherman's Lilt" to be the same as that of "Old John's Jig" (Port Shean tSeáin), and thinks the reel was derived from the jig. The 'A' part of "Fisherman's Lilt" is similar to the 'B' part of "Lady Mary Lindsay" printed by Glen, who reprinted it from John Riddell's collection of 1766. See also the related "Siege of Ennis (1) (The)." "Funny Eye" is the title for the melody from a music broadsheet published by Hime in Dublin about 1810, while the "Pretty Girls of the Village (The)" title comes from Boston button-accordion player Jerry O'Brien's Irish Folk Dance Music (178). O'Neill printed the tune as "Molly What Ails You," among other titles. County Sligo fiddle great Michael Coleman recorded the melody on a 78 RPM in New York (as "Kerryman's Daughter (1) (The)"), as did Sligo fiddler James Morrison in 1928 (as "Fisherman's Lilt"). See also the related "Berkshire Heights" and the second strain of "Old Joe's Jig."  Source for notated version: fiddler George Rowley/Seoirse Ó Roghallaigh (Ireland) [Breathnach]; piper Willie Clancy (1918-1973, Miltown Malbay, West Clare) [Mitchell].  Printed sources: Breathnach (CRÉ I), 1963; No. 126, p. 51. Giblin (Collection of Traditional Irish Dance Music), 1928; 5. Lyth (Bowing Styles in Irish Fiddle Playing), 1981; 25 & 77. Mitchell (Dance Music of Willie Clancy), 1993; No. 10, p. 34.  Recorded sources: Green Linnet GLCD 3013, Bothy Band - "Out of the Wind into the Sun" (1985). Shanachie 29012, Andy McGann, Joe Burke & Felix Dolan - "The Funny Reel" (1979). Shanachie 33004, James Morrison - "The Pure Genius of James Morrison" (1978). Shanachie 97011, Dan Ar Bras - "Irish Reels, Jigs, Airs and Hornpipes" (1990). Tara CD4011, Frankie Gavin - "Fierce Traditional" (2001).  See also listings at: Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources Alan Ng's Irishtune.info

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