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The Handsome Young Maidens jig

Also known as The Handsome Young Lasses, Handsome Young Maid, The Handsome Young Maiden, The Handsome Young Maids, The New York.

There are 43 recordings of a tune by this name.

A tune by this name has been recorded together with The Smiling Bride (lots of times), Aaron’s Key (a few times), The Bridal (a few times), The Lisnagun (a few times) and My Darling Asleep (a few times).

The Handsome Young Maidens has been added to 31 tune sets.

The Handsome Young Maidens has been added to 223 tunebooks.

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Eight settings

X: 1
T: The Handsome Young Maidens
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
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:|
X: 2
T: The Handsome Young Maidens
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
g | aed cdB | Ace aga | bee dee | bee bag |
aed cdB | Ace aga | bge dBG | BAG A2 :|
B | c2 A EAc | dff fed | cde aec | Bff fed |
c2 A EAc | dff fed | cde aec | dBe A2 B |
c2 A EAc | dff fed | cde aec | Bff fed |
cAA eAA | dAA fed | ece fdf | gfg a3 ||
X: 3
T: The Handsome Young Maidens
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
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:|
X: 4
T: The Handsome Young Maidens
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
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:||
# Added by JACKB .
X: 5
T: The Handsome Young Maidens
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
|: g |aed cdB | Ace aga | bee dee | Bee bag |
aed c2 B | Ac/d/e aga | bee dBG | BAG A2 :|
|: B |c2 A EAc | dff fed | cde aec | Bff fed |
[1 cAE EA/B/c | dff fed | c2 e aec | dBG A2 :|
[2 cAA eAA | dAd fed | eAe fAf | gAg a2 |]
X: 6
T: The Handsome Young Maidens
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
aed cdB | Ace aga | bee dee | bee dee | Bee bag |
aed cdB | Ace aga | bee dee |1 BAG A2g :|2 BAG A2 B |
|:c3 ABc | dfe f3 | efa fec | B2f fed |
c2A EAc | dfe f3 |1 efe fec | BAG A2B :|2 efe fef | gfg bag |
# Added by Naomi .
X: 7
T: The Handsome Young Maidens
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
|: g |aed cdB | Ace a3 | bee dee | Bee bag |
aed cdB | Ace aga | bee dee | BAG A2 :|
|: B |c2 A EAc | d2d fed | c2e aec | B2B fed |
c2A EAc | d2d fed [1 ece aec | dBG A2 :|
[2 ede fef | gfg a2 |]
X: 8
T: The Handsome Young Maidens
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
|: g |aed cdB | Ace a3 | bee dee | Bee bag |
aed cdB | Ace aga | bee dBe | ABA A2 :|
|: B |c2 A EAc | d2f fed | cde aec | Bff fed |c2A EAc |
d2f fed |[1 cde aec | dBG A2 :|[2 ece fdf | geg ba |]ga6||

Sixteen comments

New York 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

Handsome Young Maidens

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

Your D version

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

My D Version

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

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.

John Williams

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.

It is indeed a Charlie Lennon Composition

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.

Both of them

Love ‘em.

Posted by .

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

G Major

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:||

Posted by .

X: 2 ~ “The Handsome Young Maidens” ~ C: Charlie Lennon

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

The Handsome Young Maidens, X:7

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.

The Handsome Young Maidens, X:8

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!