The Handsome Young Maidens jig

On John Skelton’s album, he calls this tune "The New York Jig." I play it in D, but it is often played in A, as well.

John Harvey

I posted this version in Amajor because that is the most common setting. Though I play it in D (that’s how I got it). Here’s the version I play:

X:1
T:The Handsome Young Maidens
M:6/8
L:1/8
S:John Skelton, One At A Time
R:Jig
N:Skelton remembers the name of this tune only as The New York Jig,
N:but others have reported it as a Charlie Lennon composition called
N: The Handsome Young Maidens or The Handsome Young Lasses
D:John Skelton, One At A Time (PAN 146CD)
K:D
dAG FAE|DFA dcd|eAA GAA|EAA edc
|dAG FAE|DFA dcd|eAA GAA|1 edc d3:|2 edc dAG||
F2 A FAF|G2 B BAG|FGA dAF|EBA BAG|
F2 A FAF|G2 B BAG|AFA dAF|FEc d3:|

John Harvey
Rhodeirish.net

I think your memory must be going - you already posted your "D major" setting of this tune last month.

Sigh…

I wish I could blame it on age or drink, but I’m only 33 and quite sober. I used to worry about having senior moments…now I spend more time hoping for junior moments.

It’s a fun tune, in any case. The vesion in A also appears on Marc Bernier’s solo album, "Always Wecome," (not a typo) available on Empty Pockets Records at http://www.skiphealy.com.

John Harvey
Rhodeirish.net

Charlie Lennon Of Co Lietrim wrote this one. He plays it in A but Since I learned it from John I play it in D as well.

Box player John Williams recorded this as the middle tune in a set of three jigs on the album "Steam". He plays it in A major.

Often played after another of his compositions, "The Smiling Bride." His son Sean came to the SF Bay Area and taught these two tunes in a workshop sometime in the 90’s.

Key signature: Dmajor
Submitted on March 8th 2005 by Dow.
https://thesession.org/tunes/4290

Key signature: Dmajor
Submitted on March 8th 2005 by Dow.
https://thesession.org/tunes/4290

These two are boon companions…

Love ‘em.

Put both versions together (the D one and then the A one), and it comes out nicely.

X: 1
T: Handsome Young Maidens, The
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Gmaj
|:gdc BcA|GBd gfg|add cdd|Add agf|
gdc BcA|GBd gfg|afd cAD|AGF G2f:||
|:B2G DGB|cee edc|Bcd gdB|Aee edc|
B2G DGB|cee edc|Bcd gdB|cAd G2A:||

Another Charlie Lennon tune, this one quite jolly, and a few minor other ways with it in A… ;-)

Third tune of the set. Starts at 3m30s.
https://youtu.be/mi9PZ8b_myw?t=3m30s

play video

This is transcribed directly from the playing of Charlie Lennon on the album Musical Memories. It’s significantly different from the other settings here which is why I’m uploading it.

This setting is based on how I used to play the tune some years ago - don’t know what the source was - with some influence from Zoe Conway’s version. If you’re playing a tin whistle, it’s worthwhile to check if cross fingering works for the high g, in particular for the last bar!