Annotation:Temperance Reel

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X:1 T:Temperance Reel M:2/4 L:1/8 R:Reel S:Ryan’s Mammoth Collection (1883) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G (3D/E/F/ |: "G"G{A}G/F/ G/A/B/c/ | d/B/g/e/ "D/F#"d/B/A/c/ | "Em"B/E/{F}E/D/ E/F/G/A/ | B/G/A/F/ "D7"G/F/E/D/ | "G"G{A}G/F/ G/A/B/c/ | d/B/g/e/ "D/F#"d/B/A/c/ |"Em"B/E/{F}E/D/ E/F/G/A/ | "D7"B/d/A/F/ "G"G :| |: B | "Em"B/e/e/d/ e>f | g/e/a/f/ "A7"g/f/e/d/ | "D"B/d/d/e/ d>e | g/e/a/f/ "Bm"g/f/e/d/ | "Em"B/e/e/d/ e>f | g/e/a/f/ g/f/e/d/ | B/E/{F}E/D/ E/FG/A/ |1 "D7"B/d/A/F/ "G"G :|2 "D7"B/G/A/F/ "G"G/F/E/D/ ||

TEMPERANCE REEL. AKA and see "Devil in Georgia (1) (The)" (Doc Roberts title), "Gigue du père Lauzon," "Gol Grier," "Kingsport," "O'Connell's Welcome to Clare," “Oh My Foot,” "Old Tiddley-Toe," "Road to Newbridge (The)," “Rocky Road to Denver,” “Six Hand Reel,” "Teetotaler's Reel," “Where's My Other Foot?” Irish, American; Reel. USA; New England, Michigan, West Virginia. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The popular reel is widely disseminated throughout Australia, Ireland, Great Britain and North America under either the "Temperence Reel" or "Teetotaler's Reel" titles, and dates to the 19th century. North American musicians most often call it by the "Temperance" name, but it appears to have an Irish provenance. Ken Perlman (1979) is of the opinion the tune is related to a Co. Kerry polka entitled "Pigtown" (which also goes by several other names including "Pigtown Fling", "Stoney Point (1)" and others). Ford prints a version under the title “Six Hand Reel,” presumably collected in Missouri, as were many of his tunes, however, other Missouri titles include “Rocky Road to Denver” (Roy Wooliver/Gene Goforth) and “Where is My Other Foot?” (Lonnie Robertson).

See also Quebec fiddler Isidore Soucy's "Gigue du père Lauzon," an irregular version with parts reversed. See also "Road to Newbridge (The)", a version of the tune from Kerry fiddler Padraig O'Keeffe. Elsewhere in Canada, Peter Corfield (2024) maintains the tune has been played in New Brunswick since "at least the late 1800's", and notes that as a boy Fidel Martin (1891-1976) heard Angus MacDonald of Chatham, New Brunswick, play this tune^[1]

The earliest American recording of the tune is by Joseph Samuels in 1919 (Meade), however Brooklyn accordion player John "Dutch" Kimmel recorded it in a medley with "Cuckoo's Nest" and "Mason's Apron" in 1915. Fiddler William B. Houchens recorded it in 1924 (released on Silvertone 4056-B) played as the first tune in a set, paired with "Reilly's Reel." Ted Sharp, Hinman & Sharp recorded the reel in 1933 (Champion 45182) under the title "Where's My Other Foot?".

Additional notes

Printed sources : - Brody (Fiddler’s Fakebook), 1983; p. 274. Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; p. 9 (also appears on p. 16 as "Teetotaler's Reel"). Corfield (Tunes from New Brunswick), 2024; p. 121. Ford (Tradtional Music in America), 1940; p. 92 (appears as “Six Hand Reel”). McDermott (Allan's Irish Fiddler), c. 1920's; No. 51, p. 13 (appears as "The Teetotaller"). Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes, vol. 1), 1994; p. 238. Ruth (Pioneer Western Folk Tunes), 1948; No. 121, p. 42. Ryan’s Mammoth Collection, 1883; pp. 32 & 39. Spadaro (10 Cents a Dance), 1980; p. 28. Sweet (Fifer’s Delight), 1965/1981; p. 63.

Recorded sources : - Alcazar Dance Series ALC-201, Jerry Robichaud - "Maritime Dance Party" (1978). Arhoolie C-334, Seamus Connolly - "Masters of the Folk Violin" (1989). Folkways FA 2381, "The Hammered Dulcimer as played by Chet Parker" (1966). Fretless 201, Jerry Robichaud - "Maritime Dance Party." Front Hall 01, Fennigs All Stars - "The Hammered Dulcimer." Front Hall FHR-017, Michael & McCreesh - "Dance Like a Wave of the Sea" (1978). Rounder 7008, "Jerry Holland." June Appal 014, John McCutcheon - "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" (1977. Learned from W. Frank George, Princeton, W.Va.). Rounder 0085, "Tony Rice." Rounder Select 82161-0476-2, “The Wind That Shakes the Barley: Hammered Dulcimer Music” (reissues, orig. released 1977).

See also listing at :
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [1]
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [2]
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recordings Index [3]

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↑ See Andrew Kuntz's book of Fidel Martin transcriptions at https://tunearch.org/wiki/File:Fidel_Martin.pdf. "Temperence/Teetotaler's Reel" is tune No. 49.

[1] See Andrew Kuntz's book of Fidel Martin transcriptions at https://tunearch.org/wiki/File:Fidel_Martin.pdf. "Temperence/Teetotaler's Reel" is tune No. 49.

[1]