Annotation:Old Grey Cat
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OLD GREY CAT. AKA and see "Smuggler's Reel." Scottish, American; Reel. USA; New England, Northwest. E Dorian (Kerr, Lerwick, Martin & Hughes, Phillips, Silberberg, Songer, Sweet): E Minor (Miller & Perron). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Kerr, Martin & Hughes, Silberberg): AABB (Jarman, Lerwick, Miller & Perron, Phillips, Songer, Sweet). A popular tune at North American contra dances, borrowed from Scottish repertoire, although claims have been made for an Irish provenance. Charles Gore identifies 'the old grey cat' as Sean Liath, an Irish cat. He finds Scottish printings only as far back as the 1880's, where it is listed as an Irish tune, and does not find it in the listings of Great Highland Bagpipe repertoire. The first part of the tune is shared with "Night We Made the Match (The)" and an untitled Pennsylvania-collected reel (Bayard, 1981; No. 140 p. 76). Infrequently, selected pizzicato note(s) are used as a variation. See "Cattle in the Cane (1)" for a possible cognate in American old-time tradition. Triple time versions of the tune are the jigs "Rollicking Boys of Tandaragee (The)" and "Hills of Glenorchy (1)," and the Northumbrian air "Wild Hills of Wannie's (The)."
The earliest sound recording of the reel is by Scottish melodeon player Frederick James Cameron (1883-1949, Elgin), who recorded it (as "W.F. Cameron") in January, 1910, as the second tune in a set with "Flowers of Edinburgh (1)" (the title of the recording only mentions "Flowers of Edinburgh").
Source for notated version: Ruthie Dornfeld (Seattle) [Phillips].
Printed sources: Jarman, No. or p. 28. Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 1), c. 1880's; No. 8, p. 28. Lerwick (Kilted Fiddler), 1985; p. 18. Martin & Hughes (Ho-ro-gheallaidh), 1990; p. 23. Miller & Perron (101 Polkas), 1978; No. 91. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes, vol. 1), 1994; p. 171. Silberberg (Tunes I Learned at Tractor Tavern), 2002; p. 110. Songer (Portland Collection), 1997; p. 150. Sweet (Fifer's Delight), 1965/1981; p. 63.
Recorded sources: CCF2, Cape Cod Fiddlers - "Concert Collection II" (1999). Sage Arts 1101. Erin Shrader & Edith Farrar - "Enrichez Vous" (1991). Telarc Records, Ensemble Galilei - "The Emerald Isles" (2006). Topic Records 12T376, W.F. Cameron - "Melodeon Greats." Twin 233/Zonophone-Twin 233, W.F. Cameron (1910. 2nd tune following "Flowers of Edinburgh"). (Boudica - "Heartstone: Back Road to Dublin" (2013).
See also listing at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index for Recorded Sources [1]
See what the Fiddle Folk Family does with the tune on youtube.com [2]