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The Dancing Tailor jig

There is 1 recording of this tune.

The Dancing Tailor has been added to 15 tunebooks.

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One setting

X: 1
T: The Dancing Tailor
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|: A/G/ | FEF GFG | ABc dcd | Bcd efd | cdB ABG |
FEF GFG | ABc dcd | Bcd Adf | edc d2 :|
|: A | dcd fed | cBc ecA | dcd fed | Bcd efg | a3 fed |
[1 Bcd ecA | GAB Adf | edc d2 :|2 ged cBA | GAB Adf | edc d2 ||

Five comments

The Dancing Tailor

I was reminded of this charming little jig recently by some obscure process of lateral thought. I haven’t heard it in a session for a very long time. I had it a long time ago from the late Pat Neilly, a wonderful man and excellent fiddle player, who was originally from the Glens of Antrim, but who moved to work in England, and lived in Humberston, in the North of Lincolnshire, for many years. He taught, encouraged and enthused many players during that time.
I cannot remember Pat Neilly ever saying where he had this tune from, but others who knew him may recall him telling them. He played it reasonably often, always in a set followed by O’Carolan’s Fancy (https://thesession.org/tunes/10316 ).
The version I have posted here is the way Pat would have played the tune first time through, before variations.
Alistair Anderson learned this tune, and O’Carolan’s Fancy, from Pat Neilly, and played them both on his 1974 recording (https://thesession.org/recordings/display/3600 ), though in slightly different settings.
Personally, I prefer Pat’s settings, though that may only be through familiarity. I’ll add a comment to O’Carolan’s Fancy on this site with Pat’s setting of that, too.
Miller’s book apparently attributes both tunes as compositions of Joseph M Crofts, the Dublin composer and arranger who wrote the song "The Irish Rover". I have no independent or authoritative confirmation of this..

This is a great tune, Jerry. Like you, I haven’t heard for a long time. Thanks for reminding me of it.

"The Dancing Tailor" & "O’Carolan’s Fancy" - C: Joseph M. Crofts

Submitted on March 3rd 2010 by ceolachan.
https://thesession.org/tunes/10316

I’ve not only found my notes, I’ve found my copies of Joseph Crofts’ several publications, including -

"Walton’s Irish Dance Music: Including Original Tunes by J.M. Crofts A.D.C.M., Part Three"
Dublin - no dates given but the paper has aged to a dark tan…

Page 4: "Galloping Hogan"/"Dancing Tailor"/"O’Carolan’s Fancy"

All three of these double jigs are listed as compositions by Joseph M. Crofts