Annotation:Teetotaler's Reel

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X:1 T:Teetotaller’s Reel, The M:2/4 L:1/8 R:Reel or Hornpipe Q:"Quick" B:R.M. Levey – First Collection of the Dance Music of Ireland (1858, No. 41, pp. 16-17) N:”The Name of this Tune would stamp it as of Modern Construction, N:but I fancy it has been re-christened, as I certainly heard it played many N:years before the date of the movement to which it alludes.” Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G (3D/E/F/|G{A}G/F/ G/A/B/c/|de/c/ d/B/A/(c/|B/)E/(E/D/) (E/F/)G/A/|B/(G/A/)(F/ G/)F/E/D/| D/G/{A}G/F/ G/A/B/c/|de/c/ (d/B/A/)c/|B/E/{F}E/D/ E/F/G/A/|B/(c/A/)(F/ G):| |:B|(B/e/){f}e/d/ (e>f)|g/(e/a/)(f/ g/)(f/e/)d/|B/e/{f}e/d/ e>f|g/(e/a/)(f/ g/)(f/e/)d/| B/e/{f}e/d/ e>f|g/(e/a/)(f/ g/)(f/e/)d/|B/E/{F}E/D/ E/F/G/A/|B/(c/A/)(F/|G):|]



The picture depicts the first reported Teetotal Procession in the world which took place on Whit Monday, June 3rd 1833. Richard Turner is carrying the flag, Thomas Swindlehurst riding the white horse and Joseph Livesey is riding in the carriage The procession is seen passing the old Town Hall. (The History of Shotton - Deeside & The Atkinson Family History:Caption courtesy of Middle Ford Miss)

TEETOTALER('S REEL). AKA and see "Temperance Reel," "Bowl of Coffee (The)," "O'Connell's Welcome to Clare,” "Kingsport," “Oh My Foot,” "Old Tiddley-Toe,” “Rocky Road to Denver,” “Where is My other Foot?” Also called "Devil in Georgia (1) (The)" by Doc Roberts (Ky.). AKA – “Teetotaler’s Fancy.” Irish, American; Reel (cut or 2/4 time). G Major ('A' part) & E Minor ('B' part). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (O'Neill): AABB (most versions). The word teetotaler has nothing to do with any meaning built around "total" and "tea" to signify temperance, but rather is said to come about from the stammered pronunciation of "total" by a Richard Turner of Preston, England, in 1832. In that year a society in the town was formed, pledged to abstain from intoxicating liquors. There were many who urged that temperance did not mean total abstinence, when an emotional Turner piped up that half-and-half measures were of no use, and that “nothing but te-te-total would do.”

An early version of the tune with the “Teetotaler’s Reel” title appears in the mid-19th century music manuscript collection of County Cork uilleann piper and Church of Ireland cleric James Goodman . Taylor (1992) thinks the version in Frank Roche collection (No. 80) uses "curious notation which suggests perhaps a Scottish origin." See also the great Kerry fiddler Padraig O’Keeffe’s version of the tune called “Road to Newbridge (The).” The melody appears as “Peeler's Jacket (3)” in the American collections of White and Robbins and Bayard’s Dance to the Fiddle (1981), although the “Peeler’s” title is usually given for another tune in Irish tradition. Other American titles include “Oh My Foot,” “Where is My other Foot?” and “Rocky Road to Denver.”


Additional notes
Source for notated version : - Frank George (W.Va.) [Krassen]; Kenny Baker [Devil's Box, Phillips].

Printed sources : - The Devil's Box, vol. 23, #2, Summer 1989; p. 13. Krassen (Appalachian Fiddle), 1973; p. 62. Jarman (Old Time Fiddlin' Tunes); No. or p. 22. Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 1), c. 1880; No. 12, p. 35. R.M. Levey (First Collection of the Dance Music of Ireland), 1858; No. 41, pp. 16-17. Miller & Perron (New England Fiddler’s Repertoire), 1983; No. 88. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 795, p. 138 (appears as "Teetotaler's Fancy"). Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), 1994; p. 238. Robbins Music Corp. (The Robbins collection of 200 jigs, reels and country dances), New York, 1933; No. 48, p. 16. Roche (Collection of Traditional Irish Music, vol. 1), 1912; No. 155, p. 61. Roche (Collection of Traditional Irish Music, vol. 3), 1927; No. 80, p. 24. Ryan’s Mammoth Collection, 1883; p. 39. Taylor (Through the Half-door), 1992; No. 49, p. 34.

Recorded sources : - -Columbia C 33397, Dave Bromberg Band "Midnight on the Water" (1975). County 785, Kenny Baker "Highlights." F&W Records 2, "F&W String Band 2". Edison 50500 (78 RPM), Patrick J. Scanlon (middle tune in "Medley of Irish Reels"). Fretless 103, "Clem Myers: Northeast Regional Fiddle Champion 1967 & 1970." Fretless 201, Jerry Robichaud "Maritime Dance Party." Front Hall 01, Bill Spence and Fennig's All Stars "The Hammered Dulcimer." Rounder Records 7010, Tommy Doucet - " Down East Star" (1979 and 1955). Shaskeen - "Shaskeen Live." Pibroch MacKenzie – “The Mull Fiddler” (1969). Topic TSCD 602, Michael J. Grogan – “Irish Dance Music” (1995. A reissue of the 1946 original).




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