Barney Brannigan slip jig

Source: Mcgann/Reynolds : “Fiddle Duets”
Transcription: Gian marco Pietrasanta

I like to play this one right after tha Altan tune, The Snowy Path:

https://thesession.org/tunes/104

The opening phrase is similar and I find they flow together nicely.

“The Roche Collection of Traditional Irish Music, Volume II”, 1912
“Hop Jigs” ~ pages 24 – 28

X: 2
T: Barney Brallaghan
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
R: slip jig
K: Dmaj
|: F2 A ABA ABA | F2 A ABA d2 f |
F2 A ABA ABA |[1 B2 B e2 d cBA :|[2 B2 B Bcd ecA ||
|: f2 a f2 a f2 d | f2 a f2 a gfe |
f2 a f2 a f2 d | g2 f e2 d cBA :|
|: f3 a3 d3 | g2 f e2 d cBA |
[1 f2 d e2 c d2 B | A2 B A2 G FED :|
[2 fga e2 f d2 B | AFA dAG FED |]

http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/index.html
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/BARN_BB.htm#BARNEY_BRALLAGHAN

X: 3
T: Barney Brallaghan
S: “White’s Unique Collection”, 1896, page 84, #17
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
R: slip jig
K: Dmaj
|: F2 A ABA ABA | F2 A ABc def | F2 A ABA ABA | Bcd efd cBA :|
|: f2 a f2 a gfe | f2 a f2 a g2 e | f2 a f2 a gfe | cde efd cBA :|
|: f2 z a2 z d2 z | g2 f e2 d cBA | f2 z e2 z d2 z | B2 B A2 G FED :|

X: 4
T: Master Tailor’s Irish Lilt
S: from a manuscript book that belonged to the Thomas Hardy family
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
R: slip jig
K: FMaj
|: A2 c cdc cdc | A2 c cdc f2 a | A2 c cdc cdc | d2 d def gec :|
|: A2 c A2 c AGF | A2 c A2 c BAG | A2 c A2 c AGF | d2 d def gec :|
|: a3 g3 f3 | d2 d def gec | a3 g3 f3 | d2 d c2 B AGF :|

The ‘manuscript book’ the above transcription was taken from was compiled by a James Hook, Junior, containing over 200 melodies of various types, and was given to Thomas Hardy’s father around 1820. I believe that said manuscript is now in The Dorset County Museum collection…

Included in the collection “Hamilton’s Universal Tune Book” (Glasgow, 1844) under the title “Blewitt’s Jig”. The notes say, “This favourite jig, to which Mr Hudson’s song of “Barny Brallaghan’s Courtship” is sung, is printed by the kind permission of the composer, Mr I Blewitt.”

X:5 from a 1933 Leo Rowsome 78. Leo first played the Drops of Brandy, necessarily having to keep a lightning pace at it to match the 2nd tune. Interestingly enough I have a home recording of Leo and Larry Redican where they play this same medley in reverse, with Larry playing the usual setting of BB, resulting in a bit of a mismatch, and giving up to let Leo solo on the Ds of B. Obviously he considered these tunes a pair. I’ve always much favored his setting here, it makes for a great piping jig.

Setting as played at the Golden Guinea pub session, Bristol (UK).

Here is a published version from 1830
http://contentdm.baylor.edu/cdm/ref/collection/fa-spnc/id/6452

Heard this version on New Road’s album “Stone Walls and Street Lights”. They play it in C, though, and call it “John Kelly’s Hop”.

My take

Cameron’s Selection of Violin Music (Glasgow 1859) calls it Blewitt’s Jig and gives the composer as J Blewitt. There is a Wikipedia entry for Jonathan Blewitt (19 July 1782 – 4 September 1853) which says he was a London born composer of light music who worked in Ireland from 1811 to 1820 and after that successfully composed music for the London theatres but died in poverty.

Barney Brallaghan is a song. https://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/sites/default/files/collection-pdfs/levy-046-023.pdf .