Also known as Siffering Ducks.
There are 2 recordings of this tune.
The Suffering Ducks has been added to 1 tune set.
The Suffering Ducks has been added to 4 tunebooks.
From Harry Bradley and Michael Clarkson’s album The Pleasures of Hope (2009). I don’t have the sleeve, but I think this tune was described as a march, although it’s very polka-like. Also, I think it’s played in C dorian on the recording, but it makes sense to me in Ador.
From the sleeve notes :
“Both Harry and Michael learned The Suffering Ducks from their great friend Sam Murray. He learned this tune from his father who played in the Soprani accordion band in Belfast’s Docks or ”Sailortown“ district. It served as the theme tune for ”The Suffering Ducks“ flute band from the nearby York Road and often helped them on their way through the increasingly choppy waters of Belfast’s demographic changes in the early 1920s , until that is, they could suffer no more and moved out in 1921”.
I’m not sure which came first, but there is a song which I think the MacPeake family were known for singing called “The Suffering Ducks Of Magherafelt”. I assume the tune and song are related.
This was played by myself and at least one other flute player in Aberdeen for a while after the CD came out, but it’s been forgotten about. Must bring it back, when I can get to a session. We did play it in Ador as Nigel suggests, and it is indeed , very much a march.
The audio playback is far too fast, you’d break a leg marching at that speed.
Thanks, Kenny.