Annotation:Seamus Ennis's Jig

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X: 1 T:Seamus Ennis's R:jig H:A version of a tune called "The Hare in the Corn" or "The Absent-Minded Man" D:Matt Molloy & Sean Keane: Contentment is Wealth Z:id:hn-jig-164 M:6/8 K:G BGB def|gdc BAB|GBd gdB|ecA ABc| BGB def|gdc BAB|GBd gdc|1 BGF G2c:|2 BGF G2B|| dBd ~G3|dBd GFG|ece ~A3|ece ~A3| d2B e2B|dcB edc|def gdc|1 BGF G2B:|2 BGF G2c||



SEAMUS ENNIS'S JIG. AKA and see "Fox Chase (2) (The)." Irish, Jig (6/8 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AA'BB'. The jig is a member of the "Absent Minded Man (The)"//"Hare in the Corn (3)" tune family. Seamus Ennis (1919-1982) was a famous Irish traditional music collector, storyteller and Uileann piper born in Jamestown, County Dublin. His father James was considered one of the finest pipers of his generation. Ennis was one of the exponents of the tight style of piping, along with Bro. Gildas, John Potts and Andy Conroy.

Seamus Ennis

Mark Johnson relates the story of Seamus Ennis and the bodhran player:

There are many great stories about Seamus Ennis, and many have to do with his less than enthusiastic reception of bodhran players seeking to accompany his playing. I heard this story from Joe Burke, who says that he witnessed the event personally. It was during one of the great music festivals, and Seamus Ennis was holding court, playing solo sets in the back room of one of the pubs. Many great musicians had crowded into the small place to hear Seamus play, and he was in great form, knocking out one great tune after another, and all was right with the world. After a brief intermission in the loo, Seamus returned to find that a bodhran player had installed himself in the chair immediately to Seamus's right, with the obvious intention of providing some rhythmic accompaniment to his tunes. Well, the craic level dropped precipitously, and after one or two more desultory tunes (with bodhran backup), Seamus packed up his pipes. As he was packing to leave, one of the other musicians in the room asked Seamus if he knew the fellow that had been playing the bodhran. "No," Seamus answered, "but you can be damned sure that he's tried everything else."


Additional notes

Source for notated version: -

Printed sources : -

Recorded sources: -Green Linnet Records SIF 1058, Matt Molloy & Sean Keane "Contentment is Wealth" (1985).



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