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Harper’s Frolic polka

Also known as The Harper’s Frolic.

There are 2 recordings of this tune.

Harper’s Frolic has been added to 11 tune sets.

Harper's Frolic has been added to 64 tunebooks.

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Two settings

1
X: 1
T: Harper's Frolic
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
A/G/|:FA DA/G/|F/G/A Dd|cd ec|d/c/d/e/ fA/G/|
FA DA/G/|F/G/A Dd|cd ec|1 d2 dA/G/:|2 d2 dd/e/||
|:fd df|ge eg|fd df|e/d/c/B/ Ad/e/|
fd df|ge eg|fd ec|1 d2 dd/e/:|2 d2 d2||
2
X: 2
T: Harper's Frolic
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:A|FADA|FADd|cdec|d/c/d/e/ dA|FADA|FADd|cd ed/c/|d3:|
|:g|f d2 e/f/|g e2 g|f d2 f|e/d/c/B/ A>g|f d2 e/f/|g e2 g|fd ed/c/|d3:|

Nine comments

Harper’s Frolic

A lively polka that is often played at one of my sessions, usually at the beginning as a warm-up by the concertina player. We pair it with an entirely different version of Bonnie Kate, which I’ll submit soon.
Trevor

The tune as submitted is as transcribed from a recent tape of the session.
Trevor

Harper’s Frolic

Correction. It’s not really a polka - it gets allocated into that category because it happens to be in 2/4. A box player at a session the other night, who is well into folk music of the British Isles in general, believes Harper’s Frolic is a very old tune, possibly 17th century.
Trevor

The above mentioneD set was recorded by the New Victory Band a long time ago. I have not the all the names of the members in my head but there were Pete Coe (melodeon), Chris Coe (Hammond Dulcimer), Roger Watson Meldondeon), Helen Watson harmonium etc.,there was a tuba and a trombone in the Band as well. Great Album!1

Posted by .

What am I writing!!!!!!!!!???????? Hammered Dulcimer of course

Posted by .

Found in the “Ashover Book” of tunes and dances dated the latter half of the 18th Cent.

A cracking tune especially when played on a one row melodeon

Posted by .

Origin of Harper’s Frolic

This tune appears in Thompson’s Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances. Vol 3 ca 1773. I have yet to discover its origin. It’s at least 18th century and possibly older. A great tune. Makes you feel happy.

Version from Thompson’s

here it is

T: The Harper’s Frolic
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Dmaj
|:A|FADA|FADd|cdec|d/c/d/e/ dA|FADA|FADd|cd ed/c/|d3:|
|:g|f d2 e/f/|g e2 g|f d2 f|e/d/c/B/ A>g|f d2 e/f/|g e2 g|fd ed/c/|d3:|

Re: Harper’s Frolic

A frolic was also a 18th/19th C word for a small stream. One of my ancestors lived at “The Frolic(k)” in Montgomeryshire.
Therefore the name could have been related to a stream or brook on somebody’s land.

Here is a reference c1839, courtesy of Google:
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=eiQGAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA248&lpg=PA248&dq=frolic+stream&source=bl&ots=ObUz0T1_VA&sig=36MJKu4Eh4XDlcXNgK3XWDGyz4w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiZ5NP0gPDcAhUJI8AKHXt7B84Q6AEwFXoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=frolic%20stream&f=false