Annotation:Gold Ring (3) (The)

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 GOLD RING [3], THE. AKA and see "Fáinn Óir Ort," "Old Gold Ring (The)," "Sligo Gold Ring (The)." Irish, Jig. D Major (Flaherty, Mulvihill): D Mixolydian (Breathnach). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCCDD. A fairly common jig, not related to the one in O'Neill's. Seán Keane says the melody "evolved into jig metre from a martial air." Breathnach called it "Fáinne Óir Ort" (A gold ring on you) to avoid confusion with O'Neill's "Gold Ring (1) (The)," but said his source Sonny Brogan called it "The Gold Ring." This may be the four-part tune of this name which is the composition of the great Co. Mayo/New York fiddler John McGrath (1900-1955). Paul de Grae remarks, "All the old fiddlers in Arfert (North Kerry) used to play it," and says their version was similar to that printed by Breathnach. This tune appears as an untitled tune in The Northern Fiddler (1978) at the top of p. 232. Sligo fiddler Paddy Killoran, from Ballymote, recorded this version of the "Gold Ring" tune in Novemeber, 1937 (paired with "Haste to the Wedding (1)"). Fiddler Seán Ryan's (d. 1985) jig "Nimble Fingers" is the last two parts of "The Gold Ring [3]."  Sources for notated versions: fiddler Philip Duffy (b. 1966, London, now residing in Dublin) [Flaherty]; accordion player Sonny Brogan (County Sligo/Dublin, Ireland) [Breathnach]; Brendan Mulvihill (Baltimore, Md.) [Mulvihill]; fiddler John McKeown [Feldman & O'Doherty]; Seamus MacBride, 1978 [Miller].  Printed sources: Breathnach (CRÉ I), 1963; No. 47, p. 19. Feldman & O'Doherty (The Northern Fiddler), 1978; p. 232 (appears as first "Untitled Jig" on page). Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), 1990; p. 24. Miller (Fiddler's Throne), 2004; No. 50, p. 41. Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 101, p. 86.  Recorded sources: Claddagh Records CC17, Seán Keane - "Gusty's Frolics" (1975). Decca 12145 (78 RPM), Paddy Killoran (1937). Shanachie 29009, "Andy McGann & Paul Brady." Shanachie 78034, John Carty - "Yeh, That's All It Is" (2001). Seamus Creagh & Aidan Coffey - "Traditional Music from Ireland."  See also listing at: Alan Ng's Irishtune.info Hear Paddy Killoran's 1937 recording at the Internet Archive

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