Captain White’s jig

You may hear this tune referred to as “The Trip to Bangor” by 40-something musicians from the north of Ireland because of it’s melodic similarity to the song of the same name. Learned from Gary Hastings and Ciaran Curran, I haven’t heard or played this tune for years.

Nice tune. It sounds nice to play the G as a G# in the 6th and 10th bar of rhe B part.

Sorry that’s bars 2 and 6 of the C part.

This is a curious melody, some have it as AABBCC, while others have it as AABCC, AABC, ABC, and as

given here - AABBC…

X: 2
T: Captian Wyke’s Dance
T: Captian Wyke
T: Captain White
T: Captain Wyake
T: Rockeby
S: from a manuscript book that belonged to the Thomas Hardy family
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: single jig / country dance
K: DMaj
|: D |\
DFA d2 f | edc B2 d | A2 d B2 F | GFG E2 E |
DFA d2 f | edc B2 d | A2 d A2 F| EDE D2 :|
|: e |\
e^de a2 e | e^de A2 e | efe dcB | A2 c A2 e |
e^de a2 e | e^de A2 e | efe dcB | A3 A2 :|
z |\
D2 f fef | d2 A ABA | D2 f fgf | gfe cBA |
D2 f fef | d2 A A2 A | Bcd cde | BAG FE |]

I have tried the chase up the ‘country dance’ that this was attached to, as in “Maurice Hime’s New Collection of Country Dances”, Dublin, 1814. I’d also love to have any kind of copy of this particular publication, but so far no luck…

X: 3
T: Captain White
B: “Kerr’s First Collection of Merry Melodies”, 1870-75?, page 28, tune #9
N: Under the heading “Tunes for Flirtations, Country Dances, &c”
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: country dance / single jig
K: DMaj
A/F/ |\
DFA d2 f | edc B2 d | A2 d F2 B | AGF E2 F |
DFA d2 f | edc B2 d | A2 d F2 B | ABc d2 ||
f |\
e^de A2 f | e^de a2 f | efe dcB | A2 B c2 f |
e^de A2 f | e^de a2 f | efe dcB | ABA GFE ||
D2 f fef | d2 A A2 A | A2 f fef | g2 e e2 e |
A2 f fef | d2 A A2 A | Bcd edc | BAG FGE |]

Pushing the envelope or not - which could mean up to d’ for example - this has also been and can be played in G Major…

X: 4
T: Captian Wyke’s
T: Captain White’s
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: single jig / country dance
K: DMaj
|: F |\
DFA d2 f | edc Bcd | A2 d F2 B | AGF E2 F |
DE/F/A d2 f | edc Bcd | A2 d F2 B| ABc d2 :|
f |\
e^de A2 f | e^de a2 f | efe dcB | A2 B c2 f |
e^de a2 f | e^de A2 f | efe dcB | ABG FGE ||
D2 f f^ef | d2 A A^GA | D2 f f^ef | g2 e e^de |
A2 f f^ef | d2 A A^GA | BB/c/d edc | dcB A2 |]

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…

I only have rough transcriptions, so any mistakes, as I’ve not the original to refer to, are on my head… 😉

Could someone explain the discrepancies in the first setting. For instance in the first part the lead in completes the total notes of 6 since two beats at the end of 1st part. However on the second part should the F be considered part of the first part rather than part of the second (its actually in a block on its own so i dot know whats going on there?)

Cos on the second times around it wouldnt add up if its were added in again.

When repeating the ‘A’ part, play the first lead in note (an A). When you are going from the ‘A’ part to the ‘B’ part, play the F# instead.

So first time round, the last bar is: ABc d2A

Second time round (on your way to the ‘B’ part) play: ABc d2f

Thanks.

What do those numbers mean not been able to figure it out and why some in capitals and some not?

Also I was just looking at other jigs and most of the time they end on a crotchet don’t they. Does this not necessarily have to be the case? Ie is this transcription wrong or it is right but just uncommon that they don’t end in a crotchet?

Tommy and Siobhán Peoples playing it G. First tune here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qAH2ravRrU

play video

This is a great bouncy jig for contra dancing. I learned it from my bandmate, Bob Hubbach, a great dulcimer player.

The Fiddler’s Tune-Book Vol 1, edited by Peter Kennedy and published by Hargail Music Press, New York, includes a version called Captain White, played AABC that is similar in some parts to version 4 above.

The Siobhan & Tommy Peoples version shown above is paired with The Bank of Turf (D Major) see /tunes/1819
a rough transcription of the Peoples version is
X:1
T:Captain White’s
R:jig
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:Gmaj
G,B,D ~G2 B|AGF E2 G|DCB, CDE|DB,G, ~A,2 B,|
G,B,D ~G2 B|AGF E2 G|DCB, CDE|DEF G2 D:|
||:ABA DFB|ABA |~d2 B|ABA GFE|DFA AdB|
ABA DFB|ABA ~d2 B|1ABA fec|~d3 dcB:||
|2ABA GFE|DED CB,A,||:G,2 B BAB|~G2 D DB,C|
D2 B BAB|~c2A AGE|D2 B BAB|~G2 D DB,D|~E2G AGF|GDC B,CA,:||