menu
Log in or Sign up

John Clifford’s polka

Also known as The Four Cross Roads, The Four Crossroads, Johnny Leary’s, Johnny O’Leary’s.

There are 9 recordings of this tune.

John Clifford’s has been added to 3 tune sets.

John Clifford's has been added to 28 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Four settings

1
X: 1
T: John Clifford's
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|: B/c/ |d>c df | B2 B2 | c/B/A/B/ ce | A2 A2 |B/c/d ef |
g2 ga/g/ |[1 fe fd | a2 a :|[2 fe ac | d2- dB/c/ ||
|: dc/d/ f/e/d/B/ | Af fe/f/ | Be ed/e/ | Ad dA |
dc/d/ f/e/d/B/ | Af fe/f/ | Be ec |[1 d2 dA :|[2 d2- d |]
2
X: 2
T: John Clifford's
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:d>c da | B3 d | c/B/A/B/ c/d/e | A2 FA |B/c/d ef |
g3 e |[1 fe fd | a2 AB/c/ :|[2 fe af | d2 AB/c/ ||
|: d/c/d/e/ f/e/d/B/ | Af f2 | Be eB | Ad dB/c/ |
d/c/d/e/ f/e/d/B/ | Af f2 | Be ef | d2 d2 :|
3
X: 3
T: John Clifford's
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
d>c df | B3 B | c/B/A/B/ ce | A3 A |
B/c/d ef | g3 f/g/ |[1 fe fd | a3 :|[2 fe ac | d3 ||
dA/d/ f/e/d/B/ | Af fe/f/ | Be e^d/e/ | Ad dA |
dc/d/ f/e/d/B/ | Af fe/f/ | Be ec | d3 :|
G>F GB | E2 E2 | F/E/D/E/ FA | D2 D2 |
E/F/G AB | c2 c2 |[1 BA BG | d2 d :|[2 BA dF | G3 ||
4
X: 4
T: John Clifford's
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
A |:d>c df | B2 B2 | c>d ec | A2 A2 |
B/c/d ef | g2- g2 |[1 f/4g/4f/e fg | a2 a2 :|[2 fe af | d2 d2 ||
|: e>f e/d/c/B/ | Af f2 | Be ec/B/ | Ad d2 |
e>f e/d/c/B/ | Af f2 | Bc eB/c/ |[1 d2 d2 :|[2 d2 d |]

Thirteen comments

The Four Cross Roads

3rd tune on the 7th track of the CD ‘Made in Cork’ recorded by Patrick Street. The other two tunes preceeding this are: "Where Lilies Bloom" & "The Village Tavern"

Posted by .

Thanks hetty, I’ll have to put that one on for a listen to how they take it…

From Denis Liddy

Denis Liddy recorded this tune as a solo track on "Waifs and Strays". The liner notes say he got it from a recording of the band "Any Old Time". I’ve searched for it here but didn’t find it. Unfortunately, the title is a very generic one.

Despite that, it is a very nice tune to play. I prefer it at a steady pace with very little ornamentation of variation (I’m playing it on whistle at the moment).

I think I’ve got my ABCs correct. There are some minute details which I would have liked to add. Denis holds some notes and followed them with a succession of staccato triplets but I don’t know how to put it into ABC. And, to be honest, I don’t know how to explain the little variations in writing, so just listen to the recording if you have it.

Hope you enjoy this one 🙂

Paddy

Crossing by Any Old Time

This is the album containing Johnny O’Leary’s polkas. May there be as many as stars in the sky.

https://thesession.org/recordings/2535

Track 4 is listed as Johnny O’Leary’s Polkas. According to the liner notes, the first is listed as Julia Clifford’s and the second fulfills the polka tradition by not having a name.

Posted by .

"John Clifford’s Polka" ~ I said I’d be back! 😉

I was sure I had at least one other name for this than ‘gan ainm’. Sorry I’m late returning. Here’s another source for a transcription, more of the good works of Mr. Moylan ~

"Johnny O’Leary of Sliabh Luachra:
Dance Music from the Cork-Kerry Border"
edited by Terry Moylan
The Lilliput Press, 1994
ISBN: 1-874675-42-2

Pages 191 - 192, tune #339: "John Clifford’s" (2)

There are no specific notes for this except to give the tempo of the recording transcribed from as 1/4 = 146 bpm

"John Clifford’s Polka" ~ another take and possibilities

Aside from playing it in G, A or C ~ here it is in the key already given with some other ways with it. Frankly, I love it down low… The transcription just mentioned, of Johnny O’Leary, is also in D.

X: 2
T: John Clifford’s
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Dmaj
|: B/c/ |\
d>c df | B3 B | c/B/A/B/ ce | A3 A |
B/c/d ef | g3 f/g/ |[1 fe fd | a3 :|[2 fe ac | d3 ||
|: A/4B/4c/ |\
dA/d/ f/e/d/B/ | Af fe/f/ | Be e^d/e/ | Ad dA |
dc/d/ f/e/d/B/ | Af fe/f/ | Be ec | d3 :|

& just as a taster ~
K: Gmaj
|: D |\
G>F GB | E2 E2 | F/E/D/E/ FA | D2 D2 |
E/F/G AB | c2 c2 |[1 BA BG | d2 d :|[2 BA dF | G3 ||

John Clifford’s Polka

ceolachan - your transcription is showing as G major, not the D major you wrote it in. Perhaps because your ‘taster’ is in G?

X: 2 "The Four Cross Roads"

S: "Patrick Street: Made in Cork", track 7, the 3rd polka of three

A little late dear Hetty, but not for the first time, this old computer and this old mind…