The Bridal jig

This is a transcription of the first time through the Bridal Jig using John Williams’s rocking setting off his CD “Steam”. He plays it followed by Handsome Young Maidens and then the (Donegal) Lancers.

A slightly more standard setting follows by John Chambers, in the two most common keys:

K: G
“D7”D \
| “G”G2G BGB | “D7”def “G”gfg | “C”ecA “G”dBG | “D7”FAG FED \
| “G”G2G BGB | “D7”def “G”gfg | “C”ecA “G”dBG | “D7”cAF “G”G2 :|
K: Em
|: B \
| “Em”B2e edB | “D”def “Em”g2a | bag “D”agf | “Em”e2e edB \
| “Em”B2e edB | “D”def “Em”g2a | bag “D”agf |1 “Em”e2e e2 :|2 “Em “e3 “D7”d2 |]

Splendid tune.

I know this tune by several other and slightly different settings. The Priest’s Leap as written on the stave in the book ‘The Trip to Sligo’, and Saddle the Pony an English setting for the tune.

I play the Priest’s Leap which is an Irish setting as opposed to the Bridal, a more Scottish setting.

Well, I know the Bridal Jig and Saddle the Pony as two similar but also very distinct tunes. And “The Priest’s Leap” as merely an alternate title to Saddle the Pony. I don’t think The Bridal is the same tune as these latter two Susie mentions, though they’re close enough to warrant not running them together in a set.

To clarify the differences between the Bridal and Saddle the Pony, I’ll go ahead and post the Bridal as we play it here in Helena, thanks to Mick Cavanaugh, whistle player extradordinaire. Mick learned it off a recording, but I’m not sure which.

T: The Bridal Jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: G maj
|:~G3 BGB|def gdB|ecA dBG|FAG FED|
|~G3 BGB|def gdB|ecA dBG|1 AGF G2 D:|2 AGF G2 A||
|Bee edB|def g2 a|bgb afa|geg fdB|
|Bee edB|def g2 a|bgb afa|1 gee e2 A:|2 gee e2 B||

What a nice tune this is, and it makes a nice change from Saddle The Pony which is more common in my neck of the woods. I especially like that B-part. My version’s a bit like Will’s, i.e. based on the setting in O’Neill’s:

T: The Bridal Jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: G maj
|:~G3 BGB|def ~g3|ecA dBG|FAG FED|
~G3 BGB|def ~g3|ecA dBG|1 FEF G2D:|2 FEF G2A||
|:Bee edB|def g2a|bgb afa|~g3 fdA|
Bee edB|def g2a|bgb afa|1 ged e2A:|2 ged edB||

- a slight variant:
https://thesession.org/tunes/3901

This tune was also recorded by Paddy Killoran and his Pride of Erin Orchestra as part of a medley called Jerry Donovan’s Favorite and he also recorded it solo as McPaddin’s Favorite

This tune appears in the Francis Reynolds MS, c.1880s, of Gaigue, Ballinamuck, Co. Longford as “The Leinster Lasses”. In O’Neill’s publication Waifs and Strays (1922) he noted that he sourced this tune entitled “Kennedy’s Bridal Jig” from James Kennedy a fiddle player of Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim. Interestingly, the two versions of this tune are identical to one another, note for note. The only difference is that compared to O’Neill/Kennedy, the Reynold’s version doesn’t return to the first part for the repeat of the 2nd part.

As played by John Williams on “Steam”

The Angels of the North use the Bridal Jig in a mixed set for the opening Circassian Circle of wedding ceilidhs. We Start with the classic Southern English Haste to the Wedding, but up the game by moving into bridal Jig with its punchy minor B part and then segue into March Nuptial de Berry. We don’t do a lot of french tunes but this one works as the skip step becomes faster through the dance. Wedding audiences understandably like the idea of bringing things together from different sources to make something that is more than the sum of its parts.

On the Pride of New York cd, there’s a slip jig set beginning with “Redican’s Mother” and the second tune is known as “The Bridal” but I know for a fact that it’s not this tune. Does anyone know where I can find information for this slip jig? (It’s one of my favorites).

TheWanderer asked about an unrelated slip jig. It’s a very old tune known in Scotland as “Come Let’s A’ To the Bridal” or “Fy Let Us A’ to the Wedding” or “The Blythsome Bridal’ published in 1733 (Orpheus Caledonius) and later in Aird’s Selection (1782) and Gow’s Complete Repository (c1799). The song version was published in the Scots Musical Museum in 1787.:

Come Fy, let us a’ to the wedding,
For there’ll be lilting there,
For Jock’ll be married to Maggie,
The lass wi’ the golden hair.

For some reason O’Neill included in his collections as “I’m The Boy for Bewitching Them” (although in Waifs and Strays (1922) he credits Aird and uses the title “Come to the Bridal”. Have a look here:

https://thesession.org/tunes/5995

for other settings.

The B part nearly-minor shift is one of the charms of this jig. I add The Priest In His Boots next in set, which starts almost as a continuation but is actually in D. That makes for a nice surprise. Try these together on Clive Williams’ ABC player/editor:
T: Bridal and Priest in His Boots
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:G2G BGB|def g2f|eAA dBG|FAG FED|
G2G BGB|def g2f|eAA dBG|FAF G2D:|
|:E2e edB|def g2a|b2g agf|ggg fdB|
e2e edB|def g2a|bag agf|gee e3:|
K: Dmaj
c/d/|e2e e2e|e>fd cBA|d>ed fed|cAc e3|
e2e e2e|efd cBA|ded fga|gec d2:||
f/g/|a2f g2e|f2d cBA|d>ed fed|cAc efg|
a2f g2e|f2d cBA|d>ed fga|gec d2:||