The Teetotaler’s reel

This tune starts off with same first phrase as “The Sally Gardens” which can be quite confusing. It’s probably not a good idea to play both tunes in one set.

The first part starts and ends with a fairly long G which could be nicely ornamented with a roll.

Apart from that, the tune is fairly straightforward and a lot of fun to play, especially as part of a set of fast reels at sessions. Try following this tune with a good, fast reel in D.

In our sessions we have found this tune goes well with The Scholar.
The origin of the word “teetotaler” apparently goes back to a British parliamentary debate in the 19th century when the subject of abstinence (from alcohol) was being discussed. One of the speakers was advocating total abstinence, but, because he had a slight speech impediment it came out as “t-total abstinence”. Hence the word “teetotal”.

trevor

I find the bit about the speech impediment highly unlikely, Trevor. Stuff like anecdotal accounts and acronyms used to explain the origin of words almost always get made up after the event and then become fact just because people repeat what they heard from someone else. The “T-” is more likely just for emphasis.

Found this on the internet, so it MUST be true…

“There is general agreement that the first use of “teetotal” in reference to abstention from alcohol was in a speech to an English temperance society by a man named Richard Turner in 1833. Whereas some of his contemporaries drew a moral distinction between beer and hard liquor, Turner urged his listeners to abstain totally from all alcohol.

Contrary to popular legend, there is no evidence that Turner recommended “tea” as an alternative to alcohol, or that his listeners were urged to mark the letter “T” for “Total Abstinence” on their pledge cards at the meeting. The “tee” tacked onto the front of “total” was just a common way, at that time, of giving extra emphasis to a word, a process linguists call “reduplication.” (And yes, the term “reduplication” has always struck me as weirdly redundant.) The use of “teetotal” to mean “absolutely, totally” is well-documented in other, non-alcoholic writings of the day. For instance, one author, writing in 1885, had occasion to write, “I hope I may be tee-totally ruinated, if I’d take eight hundred dollars for him.” “

I agree with Dow: acronymic origins of words are suspect and unlikely. Take the Australian example of the common name for an emigrant from the Mother Country: POMMIE. It is often asserted that the derivation is from convict days:Prisoner Of Mother England. Unlikely, in my opinion. If one considers the complexion and “funny” accent of the “New Chum” then much more appealing is the idea that the childish chant and sarcastic association of: “Immigrant….Pomegranate!; Immigrant….Pomegranate!”, (despite the disparity of syllables) is much more likely. Pomegranates, the fruit with the red,rosy sunburnt appearance, grow well in the antipodes. The names of Irish tunes are most likely to be based on the simplest origins. It is food for thought in another posting that there is a wonderful lack of religiosity in Irish tune names. Apart from the occasional Father Whosit’s Fancy the music remains secular.

Sorry, that was meant to be “……….acronymic origins of TUNE NAMES………..”

here’s Aly Bain flying through it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqYr_VwpfZA

play video

Plays a good version here http://youtu.be/5RCOIvf7NY4?t=4m53s

play video

http://youtu.be/c_1Pdg50gS8

play video

..followed by “St. Anne’s”.

Watch Dylan Foley and Fr. Charlie Coen play the reels: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdNWJVA2efk

play video

https://soundcloud.com/tim-cornell-2/temperance

Frank Quinn (1893-1964) of Greagh, Drumlish, Co. Longford recorded a version of this tune on the accordion in the key of D entitled “Casey at the Party” in September, 1922.

Apologies, typo there, Quinn recorded it under the title “The Bowl of Coffee”

I stumbled across the Teetotallers recently here and thought, gee that sounds familiar but not by that name. After some digging I found the following tune, identified as Paddy on the Turnpike, in “The Fiddler’s Fake Book”:
X:1
T:Paddy On The Turnpike (G Dorian).tef
C:
N:version 1A from Fiddlers Fake Book
L:1/8
Q:150
M:4/4
K:F
z6 GF |: DG GF G2 GA | BG dG eG dG | DF FE F2 FG | AF cF dF cF | DG GF G2 GA | \
BA GA Bc de | fe fd cA FA |1 BG AF G2 GF :|2 BG AF G2 Bc |: dg gf g2 ga | ba ga bg af | \
cf fe f2 fg | ag fg af gf | dg gf gf ga | ba gf dc de | fe fd cA FA |1 BG AF G2 Bc :|2 BG AF G4 | \
W:Created with TablEdit http://www.tabledit.com/

I also found Paddy on the Turnpike here on The Session, but the above sounds more like The Teetotallers than the versions of PotT here. So, I guess my question is are all these tunes really variations on the same tune?

(my first post on The Session - cheers to all)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lVENzI1Yts

play video

I’ve never heard this alternate title—not sure if it was a mistake by someone or? Has anyone here ever heard of Temperance Reel also being called “Devil in Georgia?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrdiymfrvHY

play video

From the playing of Tickle Harbour.

Frank Quinn, Bowl Of Coffee:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwvpo3Pr5mM

play video

From the playing of Jerome Cole.

Where is mention of the Temperence reel?

See under ‘Speling misstakes’.

Little fast for my old guitar! Lol

My transcription of the Dubliners version on “At Home with the Dubliners”, following the Scholar.

my transcription of De Danann’s version