Bonnie Kate (1)

 BONNIE KATE [1] (Cait Deas). AKA - "Bonny Kate." AKA and see "Boys of Limerick (The)," "Bonny Lass of Fisherrow (The)/Fishirron," "Cait Bhoidheach." Irish, English, Canadian; Reel. Canada; Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island, Ontario. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Breathnach, Kerr, O'Neill): ABB' (Moylan): AABB (Brody, Allan, Cole, Phillips): AA'BB' (Miller & Perron, Perlman): ABCD (Breathnach, Miller). The tune, which appears to have been adapted in Ireland from the Perthshire, Scotland, composer Daniel (sometimes Donald) Dow's C Major reel "The Bonnie Lass of Fisherrow" (published in his Complete Repository, vol. 3, c. 1773), was popularised by the famous Irish-American fiddler Michael Coleman whose setting has become a classic (paired with "Jenny's Chickens"). Daniel Michael Collins (in notes to Shanachie 29009) opines: "The reel has a great potential for creating boredom because of the fact that it contains phrases that are repeated over and over again. It is only through the use of variation and good presentation of rolls and triplets can any musician make the tunes in anyway interesting." Regarding Coleman's variation sets, Reg Hall (1995) says the London fiddler Michael Gorman, a second cousin of Coleman's, "attributed the Coleman 'Bonnie Kate' setting to his teacher, Jamesey Gannon (born c. 1840) of Crimlin, Chaffpool, County Sligo, while Lad O'Beirne, son of Philip O'Beirne from Bunninadan, attributed them to John O'Dowd." An untitled setting appears in Joyce's Old Irish Folk Music and Song (1909), No. 126. O'Neill prints the melody as "Boys of Limerick (The)," and there is a County Leitrim version in the local Kiernan manuscript (1844-46) under the title "Sporting Kate." The tune was picked up by Texas-style fiddler Benny Thomasson, perhaps from Ryan's Mammoth/Cole's 1000, or perhaps from the 1929 recording of 'K. Scanlon', whom Reg Hall identifies as a rather mysterious fiddler, likely from County Sligo, recorded a set of reels (entitled "Medley of Old Time Fiddling Reels") for a label whose audience was for American old-time music. Sources for notated versions: Chicago Police Sergeant James O'Neill, a fiddler originally from County Down and Francis O'Neill's collaborator [O'Neill]; Kevin Burke (London/Co. Clare/Oregon) [Brody]; Benny Thomasson (Texas) [Phillips]; accordion player Johnny O'Leary (Sliabh Luachra region of the Cork-Kerry border), recorded at Na Píobairí Uilleann, October, 1984 [Moylan]; Kenny Chaisson (b. 1947, Bear River, North-East Kings County, Prince Edward Island, now resident of Rollo Bay) [Perlman]; piper Seán Potts (1871-1956) and fiddler Tommy Potts (Ireland) [Breathnach]; fiddler Dawson Girdwood (Perth, Ottawa Valley, Ontario) [Begin]; fiddler Seán Ryan [Miller & Perron]. Printed sources: Allan's Irish Fiddler, No. 44, p. 11. Begin (Fiddle Music from the Ottawa Valley), 1985; No. 65, p. 75. Breathnach (CRÉ I), 1963; No. 174-176, pgs. 68-69 {three versions}. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; p. 53. Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; p. 6 (appears as "Bonnie Kate's"). Kennedy (Fiddlers' Tune Book), vol. 1, 1951; No. 37, p. 19 (appears as "Bonny Kate"). Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 4; No. 41, p. 7. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 1977; vol. 3, No. 19. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 2nd Edition, 2006; pp. 49-51 (two versions). Moylan (Johnny O'Leary), 1994; No. 141, p. 83. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903/1979; No. 1277, p. 240. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907/1986; No. 545, p. 101. Perlman (The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; p. 78. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), vol. 1, 1994; p. 34. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; p. 160. Roche Collection (two settings), 1982; vol. I, p. 70, #'s 182 and 183. Ryan's Mammoth Collection, 1883; p. 28. Recorded sources: Avoca 139, Sean Maguire--"Music of Ireland." Breton Books and Music BOC 1HO, Winston "Scotty" Fitzgerald - "Classic Cuts" (reissue of Celtic Records CX17). Cló Iar-Chonnachta CICD 173, Brian Conway - "Consider the Source" (2008). Copley Records EP9-20 (45 RPM), Paddy O'Brien (195?). Edison 50604 (78 RPM), John H. Kimmel, 1918 (appears as first tune of "Bonnie Kate Medley Reels"). Folkways FW 8876, Kevin Burke- "Sweeney's Dream." Folkways FG 3531, Jean Carignan- "Old Time Fiddle Tunes" (1968). Gael-Linn Records 78 RPM, Tommy Reck (c. 1957). Legacy 120, Jean Carignan- "French Canadian Fiddle Songs." Shanachie 29009, "Andy McGann & Paul Brady." Shanachie 33004, James Morrison- "The Pure Genius of James Morrison." Topic TSCD 602, K. Scanlon - "Irish Dance Music" (1995. A reissue of the 1929 original). Viva W103, Sean McGuire - "Irish Jigs and Reels" (c. 1960's, a reissue of "Sean Maguire Plays," the first recording of McGuire that Josephine Keegan accompanied on piano). See also listings at: Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index, Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources , Alan Ng's Irishtune.info

X:1 T:Bonnie Kate [1] R:reel M:C L:1/8 K:D dB|AFdB ABAF|DFAF E2 EB|AFAd cde/f/d|cABc dcdB| AFdB ABAF|DFAF E2 EB|AFAd ((3Bcd) ((3efd)|cABc defg|| a2 fd fafd|fafd e2 ef|gfef gbag|fedc defg| a2 fd fafd|gabg fgaf|gfef gbag|1 fedc dcdB:|2 fedc d2 d2||

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