Annotation:Foxhunter's Jig (1) (The)

Back to 

 FOXHUNTER'S JIG [1], THE (Port Fiaguide an Sionaig). AKA - "Nead na Lachan sa mBúta." AKA and see "Jolly Foxhunters (The)." Irish, Slip Jig. Ireland, County Donegal. G Major (Barnes, Kennedy, Roche): D Major (Howe, Huntington, O'Neill, Tubridy). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (most versions): AABBCCDD (Martin & Hughes, O'Neill/1001, Tubridy). This melody appears at the end of "Fox Chase (The)" AKA "Irish Fox Hunt (The)" as printed by O'Farrell in his Pocket Companion for the Irish or Union Pipes (c. 1806). The tune is a popular slip jig in County Donegal. It was played by the incomparable uilleann piper from County Kerry, James Gandsey (1769-1857), as recorded by Crofton Croker, who witnessed it being rendered "with all its wild witchery" (Breathnach, The Man and His Music, 1997, p. 36). The title appears in a list of tunes in his repertoire brought by Philip Goodman, the last professional and traditional piper in Farney, Louth, to the Feis Ceoil in Belfast in 1898 (Breathnach, 1997). It appears under the title "[[Dublin Gigg a Jigg" in the Ellis Knowles manuscript, a Lancashire (England) musician's chapbook from the year 1847. Famed County Sligo fiddler Michael Coleman (1891-1945) recorded a two-part version in New York in 1925, the first tune in a medley paired with "Comb Your Hair and Curl It." See also the related "Humours of Derrycrossane." An English 9/8 jig called "Long Room of Scarborough (The)" has a few bars of melodic material in the second part that is similar to "Foxhunter's Jig," however, whether it is ancestral is conjectural. See also Québec fiddler Louis Boudrealt's "Le casse-reel d'Idas Boudrealt" which may be a version of "The Foxhunter's."   Source for notated version:   Printed sources: Barnes (English Country Dance Tunes, vol. 2), 2005; p. 46. Cotter (Traditional Irish Tin Whistle Tutor), 1989; 15. Cranitch (Irish Fiddle Book), 1996; No. 34, p. 138. Cranitch (Irish Session Tunes: Red Book), 2000; 34. Howe (Musician's Omnibus), No. 2, p. 105. Howe (1000 Jigs and Reels), c. 1867; p. 27. Huntington (William Litten's), 1977; p. 31. Jordan (Whistle and Sing), 1975; 30. Kennedy (Fiddler's Tune-Book: Slip Jigs and Waltzes), 1999; No. 22, p. 6. Levey (The Dance Music of Ireland), No. 64. Martin & Hughes (Ho-ro-ghedllaedh), 1990; p. 46. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 2nd Edition, 2006; pg. 46. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 422, p. 83. Robbins Collection, p. 4. Roche (Collection of Irish Traditional Music), vol. 2, 1913; No. 265, p. 27. Ryan's Mammoth Collection, 1883; p. 86. Tubridy (Irish Traditional Music, vol. 1), 1999; p. 37.  Recorded sources: Folk Legacy FSI-74, Howard Bursen - "Cider in the Kitchen" (1980. Learned from the High Level Ranters and Louis Killen).   See also listings at: Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources  Alan Ng's Irishtune.info

Back to