Crane's Leg (The)

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 Theme code Index    5454 1115L
 Also known as    Crane Skin Bag (The), Glen of Aherlow (2) (The), Lafferty's, Woman I Never Forgot (The)
 Composer/Core Source    
 Region    Ireland
 Genre/Style    Irish
 Meter/Rhythm    Reel (single/double)
 Key/Tonic of    E
 Accidental    2 sharps
 Mode    Dorian
 Time signature    4/4
 History    
 Structure    AABB
 Editor/Compiler    Biography:Bernard Flaherty
 Book/Manuscript title    Book:Trip to Sligo
 Tune and/or Page number    p. 40
 Year of publication/Date of MS    1990
 Artist    
 Title of recording    
 Record label/Catalogue nr.    
 Year recorded    
 Media    
 Score   ()   


CRANE'S LEG, THE. AKA and see "Crane Skin Bag (The)," "Glen of Aherlow (2) (The)," "Lafferty's," "Woman I Never Forgot (The)." Irish, Reel. E Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The tune was named "Crane's Leg (The)" in Bernard Flaherty's 1990 volume, although it was originally a Sean Ryan composition called "Glen of Aherlow (2) (The)." The "Lafferty's" title comes from Kevin Burke (recorded on "Promenade"), also used by Martin Byrnes on his album "Paddy in the Smoke." Fiddle player Vincent Campbell, of Meenahalla near Glenties, Donegal, maintained that older fiddlers would place a portion of crane or heron leg inside the fiddle to act as an extra soundpost (!?). Supposedly Campbell's brother Jimmy (also a fiddler) claims to have a collection of crane legs still in his possession. The veracity of the practice may be in doubt, but it's a good story and a parallel perhaps to the American custom of inserting rattlesnake rattles inside fiddles.

Source for notated version: fiddler Jimmy Murphy (b. 1938, Meelick, near Swinford, Co. Sligo) [Flaherty].

Printed source: Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), 1990; p. 40.


X:1
T:Crane's Leg
M:C|
L:1/8
R:Reel
K:Edor
B2AF BFAF | ~E3 F EDB,D | B2AF BFAF | DFAF FE E2 | ...


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