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The Last Chance polka

Also known as Dan O’Leary’s, Des’s.

There are 11 recordings of this tune.

The Last Chance has been added to 19 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Three settings

1
X: 1
T: The Last Chance
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
|: E |A>B cd | ea e>d | cA AB/c/ | dB G2 |
A>B cd | eg e>d | cA BG | A2 A :|
c/d/ |ea e>d | ea e>d | cA AB/c/ | dB G2 |
ea e2 | ea ed | cA BG | A2 Ac/d/ |
e2 e>d | e/f/a e>d | cA A/B/c/A/ | d/d/B G2 |
A>B cd | e/f/g e>d | cA BG | A2 A |]
2
X: 2
T: The Last Chance
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
|: E |A>B cd | ea e>d | cA AB/c/ | dB GB |
A>B cd | ea e>d | cA B^G | A2 A :|
|: z |ea e>c | ea e>d | cA AB/c/ | dB GB |
[1 ea e>c | ea e>d | cA B^G | A2 A2 :|
[2 A>B cd | ea e>d | cA B^G | A2 AE |]
3
X: 3
T: The Last Chance
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Amix
|: E |AA/B/ c>d | ea e2 | cA AB/c/ | dB G>E |
A>B cd | e/f/g e>d | cA B/A/G | A2- A :|
c/d/ |ea e2 | ea e>d | c/B/A AB/c/ | d/e/d/B/ G2 |
ea e>d | e/f/a e2 | cA BG | A2 Ac/d/ |
e2 e/f/e/d/ | ea ed | cA- AB/c/ | dB G>E |
A/A/B c>d | e/f/g e>d | cA BG | A2- A |]

Five comments

"The Last Chance Polka" ~ with lots of relatives on site already

S: “Jimmy Doyle & Dan O’Leary: Traditional Music From The Kingdom Of Kerry”
https://thesession.org/recordings/1247 ~ track 4 (given with some other possibilities)

And no to introduce some of the family:

"Campbell’s Farewell to Redcastle" ~ march
# Added by autumn - December 25th, 2003
https://thesession.org/tunes/2303

"The Boys of Belfast" ~ reel
# Added by Q - October 29th, 2003
https://thesession.org/tunes/2098

"The Galway Belle" ~ polka
# Added by armandaromin - May 28th, 2005
https://thesession.org/tunes/4543

X: 2 "Des’s Polka"

This transcription is adjusted for comparison’s sake from Henrik Norbeck’s notes, found here, under polkas:
http://www.norbeck.nu/abc/index.asp
Z: id:hn-polka-47 (‘NOT’ composed by Desmond Carthy of Dublin)

X: 3 "The Last Chance Polka" in A Mix

A Mixolydian ~ other possibilities…

Q: 132 bpm (1 beat = one crotchet/quarter note)

I have also learned this one direct as well from other living sources and situations where the average tempos varied from 120 to 136 bpm (1 beat = one crotchet/quarter note)…