Multiple Names for Same Tune

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Sat Oct 26, 2002 1:34 pm

Boy, you Irish are tricky! How often do you come across the same tune with multiple names? I'm told tunes are often named for a person who you heard it from. I came across "Rita Keane's Jig" in a tunebook today and then played it; it's exactly a tune I know and play as "Ryan's Jig" aka "The Lilting Banshee."

Interesting too are those subtle differences, like a G roll instead of a G quarter followed by an A eighth.

I love it!

Regards,

Philo

blackhawk · Post by **blackhawk** » Sat Oct 26, 2002 2:46 pm

I love that about Irish music. Frieze Britches is also known as I Buried My Wife And Danced On Her Grave. I prefer the latter title.

Mark_J · Post by **Mark_J** » Sat Oct 26, 2002 3:31 pm

Just to make one think perfectly unclear, I am collecting the names for that jig. Here they are, starting with the names you gave.

On 2002-10-26 15:34, PhilO wrote:
. . .How often do you come across the same tune with multiple names? I came across "Rita Keane's Jig" in a tunebook today and then played it; it's exactly a tune I know and play as "Ryan's Jig" aka "The Lilting Banshee."

The Lilting Banshee
a.k.a. Rita Keane's Jig
a.k.a. Ryan's Jig
a.k.a. The Miller of Glenmeyer
a.k.a. The Butcher's March
a.k.a. The Maids of Glenroe
a.k.a. Buttermilk Mary
a.k.a. The Bohola Jig
a.k.a. John Conroy's Jig

Paddy O'Brien plays another jig by the name of Buttermilk Mary that is not the same tune as the one in question.

colomon · Post by **colomon** » Sat Oct 26, 2002 8:45 pm

On 2002-10-26 15:34, PhilO wrote:
Interesting too are those subtle differences, like a G roll instead of a G quarter followed by an A eighth.

While there may be a tradition of playing the tune a certain way which matches the names in questions, it's very normal to have differences like that in a single tune, even in a single playing of it. So I wouldn't read too much into that.

colomon · Post by **colomon** » Sat Oct 26, 2002 8:50 pm

According to the Fiddler's Companion (http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc/), other names for the Lilting Banshee include "Ballinasloe Fair" and "Killaloe Boat".

And the "Butcher's March" I know is a different (but sort of vaguely similar) tune...

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Sun Oct 27, 2002 2:23 am

Frieze Breeches is not the same as I buried My Wife and danced on top of her. There are several versions of the FB actually called FB, IBMWetc is obviously a variant but not one also known as FB.
Same for the Lilting Banshee, the Killaloe Boat is one of Junior Crehan's variants composed on the air Anachuin, but also a variant of a version of the Lilting Banshee he played. Which he called the Tenpenny Bit.

Anyhow, often variants of tunes take on different names. Many tunes though, especially the popular ones, take on loads of names, Breandan Breathnach found over 80 names for the Merry Blacksmith [Paddy on the turnpike]. Seamus Ennis claimed though he never found an alternative name for Colonel Fraser.

blackhawk · Post by **blackhawk** » Sun Oct 27, 2002 4:11 am

On 2002-10-27 03:23, Peter Laban wrote:
Frieze Breeches is not the same as I buried My Wife and danced on top of her. There are several versions of the FB actually called FB, IBMWetc is obviously a variant but not one also known as FB.

O'Neil's 1001 lists them as the same tune. I looked up IBMWetc and it referred me to Frieze Britches.

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Sun Oct 27, 2002 4:15 am

You're right. The two part tune usually called I buried my wife and danced on top of her, the one I was referring to, is obviously a version of the FB but generally taken as a separate tune but I never noticed the name swap i nO Neill.