Annotation:Farewell to Ireland (1)
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FAREWELL TO IRELAND [1]. AKA- "Farewell To Erin," "Farewell to Eireann," "Highlander's Farewell to Ireland (1) (The)." Irish, Reel. A Mixolydian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCCD (Brody): ABCD (O'Neill): ABAABBCCDD (Cowdery, Mallinson, Miller & Perron, Vallely): AABB'CC'DD (Alewine). Cowdery (1990) identifies this reel as one of "Boyne Water (1)" family: "The second strain...can be seen as a version of the 'Ballydesmond Polka (1)' strain that has been stretched out like an accordion, leaving room to drop to A halfway through, but otherwise providing a much-elaborated but still recognizable version of our four ('Boyne Water') phrases." Caoimhin Mac Aoidh remarks that though "Farewell to Ireland" is considered one of the great reels in Irish tradition, it is really a Scots strathspey originally called "Highlander's Farewell to Ireland (1) (The)." The melody is not the "Farewell to Ireland" tune recorded by Coleman and Morrison; for that, see "Farewell to Erin (2)."
Sources for notated versions: Boys of the Lough (Ireland/Scotland) [Brody]; a 1969 recording of County Galway fiddler Máirtín Byrnes [Miller & Perron].
Printed sources: Alewine (Maid that Cut Off the Chicken's Lips), 1987; p. 16. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; pp. 101-102. Cowdery (The Melodic Tradition of Ireland), 1990; Ex. 44, p. 117 (appears as "Farewell to Erin"). Mallinson (100 Essential), 1995; No. 12, p. 5. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 2nd Edition, 2006; p. 69. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 805, p. 139. Vallely (Learn to Play the Fiddle with Armagh Pipers Club), 1982; No. 55, p. 47.
Recorded sources: Claddagh CC17, Sean Keane- "Gusty's Frolicks" (1975. Appears as "Farewell To Erin"). Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Éireann CL13, "Tommy Peoples" (1976). Green Linnet 1009, Pat Burke and Mick Maloney- "Irish Music- The Living Tradition" (appears as "Farewell To Erin"). Green Linnet SIF 1058, Matt Molloy & Sean Keane - "Contentment is Wealth" (1985). Green Linnet SIF 3005, Bothy Band - "Old Hag You Have Killed Me" (1981. A reissue of the 1976 Mulligan LP). Leader LEA 2004, Martin Byrnes. Mulligan LUN 030, The Bothy Band (with fiddler Kevin Burke)- "Afterhours" (1976. Appears as "Farewell To Erin"). Mulligan LUN 007, The Bothy Band- "Old Hag You Have Killed Me" (appears as "Farewell To Erin"). Philo 1031, Boys of the Lough- "Lochaber No More." Shanachie 29003, Tommy Peoples and Paul Brady- "The High Part of the Road."
See also listings at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [2]
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index [3]
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