Annotation:Cat in the Hopper

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 CAT IN THE HOPPER. AKA and see "Boys in the Gap (2)," "Lord Doneraille," "Laird O' Cockpen," "Straddle the Donkey," American; Jig. USA, New England. G Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. Philippe Varlet finds the tune on an old recording by the Four Provinces Orchestra of Philadelphia who called it "If Ever I Go to a Wedding," however, despite that fact that this Irish band recorded it the tune has no known Irish antecedents except for a printing as "Boys in the Gap (2)" in O'Neill's Music of Ireland (1903), where it is given in the 'airs' section, to be played 'spiritedly'. The source tune appears to be the Scots "Laird o' Cockpen." Source for notated version: Ruthie Dornfeld (Seattle) [Phillips]. Printed sources: Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; p. 69. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), vol. 2, 1995; p. 361. Ryan's Mammoth Collection, 1883; p. 101. Tolman (Nelson Music Collection), 1969; p. 3. Recorded sources: Flying Fish FF-266, Malcolm Dalglish & Grey Larsen - "Thunderhead" (1982). Rounder 0215, James Bryan - "The First of May." Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40126, Rodney Miller - "Choose Your Partners!: Contra Dance & Square Dance Music of New Hampshire" (1999). Varrick VR-038, Yankee Ingenuity - "Heatin' Up the Hall" (1989).

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