Annotation:Gladstone's Bill (1)

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X:1 T:Gladstone’s Bill M:C L:1/8 R:Reel B:Stephen Grier music manuscript collection (Book 2, c. 1883, No. 125, p. 27) B: http://grier.itma.ie/book-two#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=26&z=-396.0259%2C370.414%2C3336.1259%2C1594.3287 N:Stephen Grier (c. 1824-1894) was a piper and fiddler from N:Newpark, Bohey, Gortletteragh, south Co. Leitrim. Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:A fg|eAcA GABd|eAcA g2fg|eAcA GABc|dBGB d2:| cd|ea a2 ef g2|eaaf g2 ed|ea a2 efge|dBGB d2d2| ea a2 ef g2|eaaf g2 ga|bgaf gfed|edef g2||

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GLADSTONE'S BILL. AKA and see "Grand Gates of Annesbrook (The)/Geataí Móra Annesbrook." Irish, Reel. A Mixolydian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The title refers to British Liberal politician William Gladstone [1] (1809-1898), who championed Irish home rule and with two separate bills in Parliament, twenty years apart. He was also instrumental in the Disestablishment of the Church of Ireland (Anglican).

William Gladstone

"Gladstone's Bill" is to be found in two versions, both having the same first strain and differing second parts. "Gladstone's Bill (1)" appears in the biography:Stephen Grier (1883) and Sutherland music manuscripts from County Leitrim, while the other appears in (a perhaps lost) manuscript from Larry Smith/Smyth (Abbeylaragh, Co. Longford) [Brian McNamara]. See "Gladstone's Bill (2)" for the Smyth version.

Fr. John Quinn (Gortletteragh Co. Leitrim) has sorted out the two versions. First, he finds a nearly identical version of the Grier melody, albeit set in dorian mode, in Breathnach/Small CRE IV as "Grand Gates of Annesbrook (The)/Geataí Móra Annesbrook," from the playing of Drogheda, County Louth, piper Pat Ward (1847-1928), via Jack Wade's (County Monaghan) early-mid 20th century collection. He also finds the first strain of the County Leitrim collected "Cut the Sod" (from the album "Leitrim's Hidden Treasures") to be cognate with the first strain of "Gladstone's Bill (1)." See note for "Annotation:Gladstone's Bill (2)" for Rev. Quinn's further findings.