Bloom of Youth (The)

 BLOOM OF YOUTH, THE (Blat Na h-Oige). AKA and see "Tansey's Favourite [1]," "Doctor Taylor," "The Downshire Reel," "Gardiner's Favourite [1]." Irish, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. The reel may have derived from the Scottish "Countess of Sutherland [1]" and "Glasgow Ladies Reel" (Aloys Felischmann). An influential recording was made on 78 RPM for the Decca label by flute player John McKenna in 1934. O'Neill's source (as recorded in his Irish Minstrels and Musicians), Robert Lawson, inherited an exquisite set of uilleann pipes from piper (and Chicago police sergeant) James Early. The pipes had been made by a famous pipe-maker, Egan, and had belonged to a Kerry piper named 'Dan' O'Keeffe (1821-1899). Unfortunately, Lawson was not the best care-taker of the valuable instrument, as he had them stolen from him after he had been fed 'knock-out drops' in a dive in New York City's Bowery section. Source for notated version: piper Robert Lawson [O'Neill]; from a recording by Clare fiddler Bobby Gardiner [O'Malley]. Printed sources: O'Malley (Luke O'Malley's Collection of Irish Music, vol. 1), 1976; No. 44, pg. 22. O'Neill, 1976; p. 99. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903/1979; No. 1215, p. 229. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907/1986; No. 492, p. 94.

X:1 T:Bloom of Youth, The M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel S:O'Neill - Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems (1907), No. 492 Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:G G2 DG EGDF|G2 BG AGEF|G2 DE EGBc|dBcA BGAF|G2 DG EGDF| G2 BG AGEF|G2 DG EGDc|dBAc BG G2||gd (3ddd edcA|BdAc BE E2| gd (3ddd edcA|dcAc BG G2|gd (3ddd edcA|DBAc BE E2|cBcd efge|dBAc BG G2||

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