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The First Of May polka

Also known as The 1st Of May.

There are 4 recordings of a tune by this name.

The First Of May has been added to 15 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Three settings

X: 1
T: The First Of May
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|: B/ |AF F>A | BG G>B | cA Bc | dA/d/ f/e/d/B/ |
AF F>A | BG G>B | .c.A B/c/d/e/ |[1 fd d3/ :|[2 fd d2 ||
|: Af f/4g/4f/e/^d/ | eB B>^A | Bg g>f | e/d/c/B/ A/G/F/G/ |
Af fe/^d/ | eB B>^A | Bg B/^A/B/c/ |[1 ed d2 :|[2 ed d3/ |]
X: 2
T: The First Of May
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|: d>B |AF [AF]>A | BG [BG]>B | cA Bc | dA/d/ f/e/d/B/ |
A[AF] [AF]>A | B[BG] [BG]>B | .c.A B/c/d/e/ |[1 fd :|[2 fd d2 ||
Af f/4g/4f/e/^d/ | eB B>^A | Bg g/a/g/f/ | e/d/c/B/ A/G/F/G/ |
Af fe/^d/ | e[Be] [Be]>[^Ae] | [Be]g B/^A/B/c/ | ed d2 |
[Ad][df] f/4g/4f/e/^d/ | eB B>^A | B[Bg] [Bg]>f | e/d/c/B/ A/G/F/G/ |
Af fe/^d/ | eB B>^A | B[Bg] B/^A/B/c/ | ed |]
X: 3
T: The First Of May
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
R: barndance
M:4/4
|: d>B |A2 F2 F2- F>A | B2 G2 G2- G>B | c2 A2 B2 c2 | d2 A>d (3fec (3dcB |
A2 F>^E F>D (3FGA | B2 G2 G>DG>B | c2 A2 B>cd>e | f2 d2 d2- :|
|: d>B |A2 f2 (3fgf e>^d | e2 B2 B2- B>^A | B2 g2 g2- g>f | e>dc>B A>GF>G |
A2 f2 f2 e>^d | e2 B2 B2 B>^A | B2 g2 B>^AB>c | e2 d2 d2 :|

Nine comments

“The First Of May” ~ from the lovely fiddling of Rose Murphy

"Round the House and Mind the Dresser: Irish Country-House Dance Music"
https://thesession.org/recordings/display/317
Track 7: Rose Murphy, fiddle
"The First of May" / "The Last of June" - Polkas for the Set

Variations for bars 1 - 4 of the B-part, the 3rd also being one of Rose’s ~

|: Af fe/^d/ | eB B2 | Bg g/a/g/f/ | e/d/c/B/ AE/4F/4G/ | ~


You’ll find a basic transcription for the second polka here:

"The Last of June" / "The Jenny Lind"
# Posted on January 15th 2012 by ceolachan
https://thesession.org/tunes/11663/comments

The double-stops she uses are lovely, nicely placed. I’ll try to do them some justice and add transcriptions that include them later.

T: ?!?

I know I also have this in my head with at least one other title, but haven’t managed to pull it out yet. I suspect Nigel and others may know, or be able to access their memories more directly than I can, so I decided to add it here anyway, after doing a search to see if this melody was already on site. Now to throw rocks at Nigel’s window and maybe a few others too. 😉

The First Of May

Sorry, ceolachan, can’t help.

Thanks for checking it out Nigel. I’ve sent a few queries out, but maybe if I leave it alone for a couple of days, and get a little sleep, my own brain will provide more… 😏 😉

“The First of May” ~ looking at it differently

While I fully recognize this polka as 2/4, a couple of friends have suggested giving it a barndance treatment and see if that might dislodge further information in my sleep deprived brain. So here goes a 4/4 take on it just for the fun in it ~


X: 2
T: First Of May, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: barndance
K: Dmaj
|: d>B |\
A2 F2 F2- F>A | B2 G2 G2- G>B | c2 A2 B2 c2 | d2 A>d (3fec (3dcB |
A2 F>^E F>D (3FGA | B2 G2 G>DG>B | c2 A2 B>cd>e | f2 d2 d2- :|
|: d>B |\
A2 f2 (3fgf e>^d | e2 B2 B2- B>^A | B2 g2 g2- g>f | e>dc>B A>GF>G |
A2 f2 f2 e>^d | e2 B2 B2 B>^A | B2 g2 B>^AB>c | e2 d2 d2 :|

“The First Of May” ~ with double-stops

Here’s giving it a go, trying to catch at least some of the double-stops dear Rose used.

X: 3
T: The First of May
S: Rose Murphy, fiddle
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Dmaj
R: polka
|: d>B |\
AF [AF]>A | BG [BG]>B | cA Bc | dA/d/ f/e/d/B/ |
A[AF] [AF]>A | B[BG] [BG]>B | .c.A B/c/d/e/ |[1 fd :|[2 fd d2 ||
Af f/4g/4f/e/^d/ | eB B>^A | Bg g/a/g/f/ | e/d/c/B/ A/G/F/G/ |
Af fe/^d/ | e[Be] [Be]>[^Ae] | [Be]g B/^A/B/c/ | ed d2 |
[Ad][df] f/4g/4f/e/^d/ | eB B>^A | B[Bg] [Bg]>f | e/d/c/B/ A/G/F/G/ |
Af fe/^d/ | eB B>^A | B[Bg] B/^A/B/c/ | ed |]

That’s just an approximation, incorporating things into one transcription. You can choose to use bits and pieces of it or not, take it as you will… Those first two bars of the A-part as just one example of choice here ~

AF F>A | BG G>B |

AF [AF]>A | BG [BG]>B |

A[AF] [AF]>A | B[BG] [BG]>B |