Annotation:Mrs. Kenny

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MRS. KENNY('S). AKA and see "Exhibition (The)," "Kelso Hiring Fair," "Speaking (The)," "Victoria Waltz." Irish, Waltz. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The tune is named in honor of Mrs. Bridget Kenny, dubbed by Chief O'Neill as the "Queen of Irish Fiddlers." Taylor (1992) reports that as well as being an outstanding musician, this daughter of renowned 19th century piper John McDonough (Co. Galway) was the mother of 13 children. Her husband, John Kenny, also a fiddler, contributed “Good Woman's Lament for O'Connell (The)” to the 1897 Feis Ceóil Association of Dublin and was published in their collection of 1914. “Mrs. Kenny's” was recorded on 78 RPM by the Irish fiddle master Michael Coleman in 1934 in a medley with "Men of the West (1)," which tune is perhaps better known today as "Rosin the Beau" or "Old Rosin the Beau." See note for "annotation:Mrs. Kenny's Barn Dance" for more on her.

While it is identified as 'Irish' for this version, the provenance is not from that country as it was published in Köhler's Violin Repository, Book One (1881) as "Victoria Valse."

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 1977; vol. 2, No. 68. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 2nd Edition, 2006; p. 146. Taylor (Crossroads Dance), 1992; No. 64, p. 49.

Recorded sources: Ace of Hearts AH 95, "Irish Dance Party." Shaskeen - "My Love is in America" (1990).

See also listing at:
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [1]




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