Annotation:Sterling Tom

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X:1 T:Sterling Tom M:C L:1/8 R:Reel S:Rev. Luke Donnellan – “Oriel Songs and Dances", S:Journal of the County Louth Archaeological Society (vol. II, No. 2, 1909; No. 13) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:F g|fcAc FcAc|EgcG EGGc|fcAc FcAc|defg agfe| fcAc FcAc|EGcG EGGc|FAcf agfe|fcAc F2 FA|| dcde fefg|agab agfe|dcde fefg|afed dcBA| cAeA fAgA|aAfa (3gab ag|fedc dBAG|FdEc D2 D2||



STERLING TOM. AKA and see "Fancy Clog Hornpipe," "Miss Hamilton's Reel," "Virginia Hornpipe (1)." Irish, Reel or Hornpipe (whole time). F Major ('A' part) & D Minor ('B' part). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. "Sterling Tom" is contained in the music manuscript collection of curate and fiddler biography:Rev. Luke Donnellan (1878-1952), Oriel region, south Ulster[1]. Fr. John Quinn finds cognate melodies printed in both Coes Album of Jigs and Reels (1876) and Köhler's Violin Repository (1881-1885) as "Fancy Clog Hornpipe," and in P.M. Haverty's One Hundred Irish Airs vol. 2 (1858) as "Miss Hamilton's Reel." Fr. Quinn also remarks that another version appears in Canadian repertory as “annotation:Set américain 2ième partie (Duguay)."


Additional notes
Source for notated version : - Rev. Luke Donnellan music manuscript collection [O'Connor].

Printed sources : - Rev. Luke Donnellan, “Oriel Songs and Dances” (Journal of the County Louth Archeological Society, vol. II), No. 2, 1909; No. 13. O’Connor (The Rose in the Gap), 2018; No. 158, p. 86.






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  1. Donnellan researcher Gerry O'Connor came to believe the ms. is not the work of the curate but rather was originally compiled by an unknown but able fiddler over the course of a playing lifetime, probably in the late 19th century. The ms. later came into the possession of Donnellan, who was also a fiddler.