When The Cock Crows It Is Day jig

ANother great tune from the Mulcahy Family album. An interesting jig with some lovely long notes in it. Possibly originlally a piping tune? I’m no expert so wouldn,t know but its a great tune to play ina great set.

It is a great little piping tune, Seamus Ennis played this one on his 40yrs of Irish piping album. He also mentions it in his piping tutor.
I’ve heard it sung (In Irish) by Sean Cannon on one of the Dubliners albums.

Apparently, a version of this fine tune can be found in one of O’Farrels publications.

Here’s the version I picked up from a piper in a session:

K: Gmaj
D|GAB BAG|d3 d2B|GAB BAG|A3 ABA|
GAB BAG|c2d ege|dBG AGE|G3 G2:|
d|gdd gdd|c3 c2d|gdd gdB|A3 ABd|
gdd gdB|c2d ege|dBG AGE|G3 G2:|

The one posted above is actually WIllie Clancy’s version of it, htere’s a recording of Willie first playing the tune as an air, followed buy the jig. Also on the Aengus lp but there played by Jackie Small.

Seamus Ennis’ version of it, as Slainte gives it, would be the more common one.

Key signature: D Major
Submitted on June 7th 2007 by Maryland-Highlander.
https://thesession.org/tunes/7324

Very distinct, but you can just hear the words going to either melody… 😏

Also did this one on ‘A Tribute To Derek Bell’, which I find sounds awesome on those D small pipes.

I might not be any good at ABC, but I have my uses
each verse is sung once for the A part, then higher for the B part. Really a pretty fun song:

Tá an coileach ag fógairt an lae
Tá an coileach ag fógairt an lae
Tá an mhuc ag an doras
ag iarraidh é a oscailt
Tá an coileach ag fógairt an lae

Tá an coileach ag fógairt an lae
Tá an coileach ag fógairt an lae
Tá an chearc is a hál
ina gcodladh go sámh
Tá an coileach ag fógairt an lae

Tá an coileach ag fógairt an lae
Tá an coileach ag fógairt an lae
Tá an chaora is na huain
ina dtoirchim suain
Tá an coileach ag fógairt an lae

Tá an coileach ag fógairt an lae
Tá an coileach ag fógairt an lae
Tá na mná ina suí
Is na fir ag éirí
Tá an coileach ag fógairt an lae

Unfortunately I’ve heard this one 1/2 a million times -and it was irritating only after the 3rd time! Funnily enough now I’m beginning to like it again, in a kind of tongue-in-chick way.
Can you hear the clucking in the second part? (very effective on the pipes if you pop those notes)

actually, the poping works better in this here version of the second part:
_gbd’ ||g’d’b g’d’b|c._cbd’|g’db g’db|a._ etc ||
if you know what I mean (sorry this is not proper ABC, I have yet to learn it)

On their album, Edel Fox and Ronan O’Flaherty pair this with the well-known slide Patsy Geary’s and list both as “slides.” However they clearly do not play them as slides, but as double jigs. I’ve tried to play this as a slide should be played but it just doesn’t work. I wasn’t surprised then to find it listed as a jig on here and that all other recordings, such as Seamus Ennis’, pair it with other jigs. But I would be surprised if Edel and Ronan would call it a slide if there was no precedent - has anyone heard a slide variation of this tune?

I’m not sure, but check Tim Edey’s (box) playing what sounds like a crazy variation of this as first tune here (backed on guitar by McGoldrick !) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tQt8zC0DnQ&t=5m57s

play video

Yeah, that’s it, at the beginning of a medley, but anyone unfamiliar with the tune might think that Taoir Dom Do Lamh (or however it’s spelled, I’m not Irish-literate) on flute at the beginning might be it.

The usual translations of the title of this tune are poor. Tá an Coileach ag Fógairt an Lae has a very simple and direct translation: The Cock is Announcing the Day.

The lyrics given above by Dubhghaill can be translated as follows, a mixture of the nonsensical and a charming early morning rural word picture:

The Cock is Announcing the Day
The Cock is Announcing the Day
The Pig’s at the Door
Trying to Force its Way In
The Cock is Announcing the Day

The Cock is Announcing the Day
The Cock is Announcing the Day
The Hen and Her Brood
Are Peacefully Asleep
The Cock is Announcing the Day

The Cock is Announcing the Day
The Cock is Announcing the Day
The sheep and Her Lamb
Are in a Deep Sleep
The Cock is Announcing the Day

The Cock is Announcing the Day
The Cock is Announcing the Day
The Women are Up
The Men are Arising
The Cock is Announcing the Day

“Call the Set III”
https://thesession.org/recordings/5713

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNjNFFc0wzc

play video

Pipes version following Seamus Ennis

One a wonderful video published by Linda Crisp, Julia Clifford plays a tune identified as When The Cock Crows It Is Day. The video is titled: Julia Clifford: The Surviving Tradition of The Kerry Fiddlers’ It has text of an interview rolling while music is playing and also some interview with Julia. The viideo runs about twenty minutes and the tune plays starting at about 10:40. It does not sound like When The Cock Crows It is Day at first, not the simple versions that I had learned and which I see posted here. Apart from a discussion of this tune, I would recommend the video to anyone with an interest in Kerry fiddling. It is wonderful stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OttSTAgBNLM

play video