Annotation:Return to Camden Town
Back to Return to Camden Town
RETURN TO CAMDEN TOWN. Irish, Reel. A Minor. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. Caoimhin Mac Aoidh associates this tune with the playing of Brendan McGlinchey in London in the 1970’s, although it was popularized by Joe Burke who recorded the tune in the 1960’s after a visit to that city. Camden Town is in the north of London and was a hotbed of Irish music driven by Irish émigrés in the mid-20th century. The tune has been attributed to Clare fiddler Bobby Casey by older musicians in the area, and it has also been said to be a composition by accordion player Raymond Rowland. Return to Camden Town is also now the name of a famous week-long Irish music and heritage festival sponsored by the London Irish Center at Camden Square [1].
Source for notated version: fiddler Jim McHugh [Bulmer & Sharpley].
Printed sources: Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland, vol. 3); 1976; No. 41. Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 224 (appears as unknown reel).
Recorded sources: Joe Burke – “Galway’s Own Joe Burke.” Green Linnet SIF 1043, Gerald Trimble – “First Flight” (1983). Green Linnet SIF 3075, Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick – “Skin & Bones.” Shanachie 78015, James Keane – “With Friends Like These” (1998). Tara Records 4008, “Josephine Marsh” (1996). Brian McNeill & Tom McDonagh - "Horses for Courses" (1994). Tim O'Shea - "Fair Dawning" (1999). Maeve Donnelly & Tony McManus - "Flame on the Banks" (2008).
See also listing at:
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info []
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [2]
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recordings Index [3]