Around The Fairy Fort barndance

More like a March really, picked up at the Scoil

On disk 1 of the Wooden Flute Obsession (WFO) album, John Skelton plays a set with The Fire in the Hearth (an air), followed by Around the Fairy Fort (a barndance). It’s a really lovely set that was recorded live, and as of the printing of the WFO, is not released on any other recordings. To get more info on the WFO album, go to www.worldtrad.org.

I just checked, and Around the Fairy Fort was mistakenly posted as “Around the Fairy Port” on the listing for WFO: disk 1 on this site. That would explain why WFO did not appear on the details for this tune.

I learned it from my teacher who got it from the harper Michael Rooney and two other musicians he was playing with at the time; a flute player and box player, I think.. She says it’s a barndance.

Yeah, it’s definitely a barndance. Andee, did you learn it from Kathy, or was it somebody else? I only ask that because I learned it from Dennis at the Next Generation gathering about a year ago. I specifically remember him saying that he was teaching the tune because it was a barndance, and that most of us could probably use some more barndances in our repertoire.

Hi Jason! Yeah, got it from Kathy, and the band I’m thinking of with Michael Rooney on harp, the flute player and box player is called Sean Duchas. They did at concert at Kathy and Dennis’ house and then a workshop afterwards about 2 years ago. The other barndance they played with it is called The New Broom. I don’t know if it’s already posted, but if not I will try to.

We learnt it with the New Broom, which is indeed in the database. Wish I could remember the name of the guy who taught us.

Martin

composed by Flute Player Vincent Broderick.

Another great Barn Dance - This together with the New Broom (another great Vincent Broderick composiion) are now regularly played at our sessions.

I heard played by a french band “Broken String” after solo flute playing The parting of friends. It sounds very nice together.

Tony Smith probably taught it with the New Broom, they’re on his cassette that he recorded in Cape Breton.

These two are a very popular set in Cincinnati as well. Although I’m not sue how the two came together as a set. John Skelton likes to put it with the slow air, “The Fire in the Hearth.”

Key signature: G Major
Submitted on June 5th 2003 by paul95.
https://thesession.org/tunes/1726

Key signature: G Major
Submitted on November 23rd 2005 by the wounded hussar.
https://thesession.org/tunes/5227

X: 2
T: Around The Fairy Fort
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: barndance
K: D Major
|: D>E |
F2 F2 F>ED>F | A2 A2 A2 F>A | B2 B2 A>FD>E | F2 E2 E3 A |
F>^EF>=E F2 (3DEF | A>^GA>B (3ABA (3F=GA | d2 (3cBA B>A (3GFE | (3FGF D2 D2 :|
|: (3ABc |
d2 d2 d2 c>d | e2 e2 e2 f>e | d2 (3efg a2 (3gfe | (3fgf B>^A B>=A (3FGA |
d2 d>c d>A (3Bcd | (3efe e>^d e2 (3gfe | (3ded c>A B>AF>E | F2 D2 D2 :|
|: G2 |
F2 D>F A2 F>A | B2 F>B A3 G | F2 D>F A2 F>A | B2 E2 E3 G |
(3FGF (3DEF (3ABA (3FGA | B2 d>B A3 c | d2 (3cBA B>AF>E | F>D (3DDD D2 :|

In The Turoe Stone, the book that gives transcriptions of many of Vincent’s tunes, they were printed together on page 14, and Vincent and company indeed played them as a set on the accompanying recording (track 12).

I was just given some music for the band to play for an upcoming Ceili. Tune two of “the three tunes” is Leslie’s Hornpipe. In the process of sight singing it to myself, I suddenly realized that it bears an eerie resemblance to Around the Fairy Fort. An old English tune transmogrified through a great musical brain?

Submitted on February 3rd 2004 by Aidan Crossey.
https://thesession.org/tunes/2468