I Have A Bonnet Trimmed With Blue polka

From Clare I believe…

I was taught this about a year ago and when I started playing it elsewhere, somebody started singing words. Is this one of those tunes like "Spanish Lady" that has lyrics. I always wonder too. Which came first, the tune or the lyrics?

This is a well known traditional song. I had never heard of it as a polka, but if it´s played in polka rhythm, why not?

catherine mcavoy taught this in her class at friday harbor this spring but in the key of D. she also called it a polka and said it came from a song.

There is a six part version of this tune which might be Scottish. The tune is certainly very well known here and there was a song to the tune called "Let’s have a ceilidh" or "Come to the ceilidh" which the decidely naff Alexander Brothers used to perform. It was very "tartan" and "white heathery" and this put me off playing this tune for a while. Unfortunately, a lot of great Scottish tunes were hijacked in this way and in Ireland too probably.

This used to be a favourite of whistle-player Packie Byrne, who played it more as a barn-dance rather than polka. I think the original Scottish version was a 4-part pipe tune called "The Liberton Police Pipe Band". Don’t know about 6-parts.

Yes, "The Liberton Pipe Band" is much the same tune but I don’t think it had a "police" input. The nearest police station used to be Mayfield—now moved to Howdenhall. There used to be the Edinburgh City Police (Now Lothian and Borders) Pipe band but that was all, I think.

The 6 part tune I described is called "I have a bonnet trimmed with blue" same as the one posted here. I don’t know which is the older tune, though—Liberton Pipe Band or "I have a bonnet".

John

Actually, this was listed on the album as a set dance, but as there is no such rythm listed, I chose polka instead. It fits nicely though.

Does anyone know of any other tunes that have had their "rythm name" changed? Such as Reel to Hornpipe, Slide to Jig, or Strathspey to Reel? I think it’s quite interesting the way the music changes form many times. For example, I’ve listened to Micheal McGoldrick playing a slow reel version of The Golden Hair Hanging Down Her Back—and I’ve heard the same tune played on a Mick Moloney album as a faster hornpipe. I almost could hardly tell it was the same tune because of the different feel a slow reel has as opposed to a hornpipe.

I have a copy of sheet music copyrighted 1952 from Mozart Allen for Liberton Pipe Band (this tune). It is 4 parts as a piano solo, and has the 4-part pipe setting as the last page. It is attributed to Pipe Major D.K. Finlay. The only sheet music I have for Bonnet is in Fiddle Music of the Scottish Highlands and it has no attribution, so I suppose it is traditional.

Scottish country dancers do a dance called Let’s Have a Ceilidh to this music.

This tune was part a published collection by Franz Boehme entitled "Krakovienne," date around 1842.

In the 70’s I wrote down a version called ‘Tie your Bonnets’ from the playing of Reg Hall and The Rakes during a break in a ceildh in Guildford.
It differs in the ‘B’ music as follows:-
M:4/4
L:1/4
g2 e/2f/2g/2e/2 | dG B2 | de/2d/2 cA | GA Bd | g2 e/2f/2g/2e/2 | dG B2 | d e/2d/2 cA | AG G2 :||

Since then another version came my way called ‘Bourton Six’ which I have always associated with English trad. This varies in the ‘A’ music :-
M: 4/4
L: 1/4
F/2G/2A/2B/2 ce | dB B2 | d e/2d/2 cA | GB BG | F/2G/2A/2B/2 ce | dB B2 | d e/2d/2 cA | G2 G :||

sorry about the 4/4 time sig. but that is how I have them written down. they should be 2/4 I know but never mind eh!

The Rakes was formed in the late 50’s in London by musicians who had an empathy with each other and an interest in Trad music through their associations with pubs in Cambden Town and elsewhere in London. I have an LP of theirs produced in 1975 with the line up of:-
Paul Gross and Lucy Farr, fiddles;
Michael Plunkett, flute and Reg Hall, Melodion and Piano.

Here’s another transcription as played on a single ‘D’ row of a melodeon.:

K:Dmaj
|:DE/F/ GB|AD FD|AB/A/ GE|ED F/G/A|
DE/F/ GB|AD FD|AB/A/ GE|ED D2:|
|:AB/c/ dc/B/|AD FD|AB/A/ GE|ED FA|
AB/c/ dc/B/|AD FD|AB/A/ GE|ED D2:|

As happens, with older tunings, older recordings in keeping with that sharper tuning will sound almost a full half step up, ‘D’ sounding as if it were ‘Eb’, ‘G’ sounding as if it were ‘Ab/A’, but sometimes the recordings themselves are sped up, one way to fit more on a 78, so there can be two reasons for that discrepancy.

These set polkas were played at a relaxed tempo, around 120 bpm. That laid back practice wasn’t just in the North - Donegal, Fermanagh, Armagh, etc. - the Southwest had a similar tradition. Speed is pretty much a post World War II obsession, and city led, as is true with exaggerations in the dancing.

http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/POA_PORS.htm#POLISH_POLKA

Michael Turner manuscript, Southern England, from c. 1841-1851…

http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/KISS_KY.htm#KRAKOVIAK

Krakoviak / Krakovienne (Krakow, Poland)

http://www.ifccsa.org/krakowia.html

& a dram of ‘history’:
http://www.usc.edu/dept/polish_music/dance/krakowiak.html

Key signature: G Major
Submitted on December 14th 2007 by ceolachan.
~ /tunes/8043

X: 4
T: I Have a Bonnet Trimmed With Blue
T: Keoghey Keogh
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: G Major
|: E/F/ |\
G>A Be | dG B2 | de/d/ cA | GA BB |
GA Be | dG B2 | de/d/ cA |[1 AG/F/ G :|[2 AG/F/ G2 :|
DE/F/ GF/E/ | DG B2 | de/d/ cA | GA B2 |
DE/F/ GF/E/ | DG B2 | de/d/ cA |[1 AG/F/ G2 :|[2 AG/F/ G |]

https://thesession.org/recordings/display/2011

7.) polkas: "The No. 9" / "Paddy Hearny’s" / "Keoghey Keogh"

"The No. 9" = "Tripping To The Well"
Key signature: G Major ~ & D
Submitted on January 27th 2005 by ceolachan.
https://thesession.org/tunes/4158
https://thesession.org/tunes/4158/comments

"Paddy Hearny’s Polka"
Key signature: Dmajor
Submitted on December 14th 2007 by ceolachan.
https://thesession.org/tunes/8042
https://thesession.org/tunes/8042/comments

There are so many "Blues" it is ~ wonderful… This basic and very popular melody has resulted in a wide variety of related polkas ~ and lyrics… So, where are the lyrics, come on gang, don’t fail me know. My memory does that enough to me to be frustrating, more so for my dear wife… I used to know words for this, maybe even a couple of sets, but there isn’t much coming to mind now. I know, I should have written themdown with everything else… 😏

I’ll be follow up with transcriptions for at least one or two related others…

X: 5
T: I Have a Bonnet Trimmed in Blue
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: D Major
|: F/E/ |\
D>E FB | AD F2 | AB/A/ GE | ED F>E |
DD/E/ FB | AD FD | AB/A/ GE | ED D :|
|: c/B/ |
AB/c/ dc/B/ | AD FD | AB/A/ GE | ED F/G/F/E/ |
A>c dB | AD F2 | A2 GE | ED D :|

X: 6
T: I Have a Bonnet Trimmed With Blue
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: A Major
|: AB/c/ df | eA cA | e2 dB | BA cdcB |
A2 de/f/ | eA c2 | ef/e/ dc/B/ | BA A2 :|
|: ef/g/ a>f | eA cA | e2 dB | BA cdcB |
e2 ag/f/ | eA c2 | ef/e/ dc/B/ | BA A2 :|

It seems to me that this would be a common session tune and a great session tune because with a little bit of listening its so catchy and simple that you’d expect someone to grab at least a piece of the melody… but any time Ive tried it out, its not successful… but then again Im in the USA and almost every session claiming to be "Irish" that Ive experienced is based around sheet music or some prearranged settings of tunes from whatever popular recording…. (Instead of listening) Im not completely against sheet music but more often than not it takes the place of the most important part of music… listening…. Im not knocking any USA sessions, this is just my experience in the particular sessions Ive gone to in the area I happen to have been living. Anyway… at one time this tune had some history in the USA, but my favorite version is from a US fifer and includes a c sharp. For me, this makes the tune and gives it a really nice sound….



T: Alex Dice
X:1
M:2/4
L:1/8
K:G
|: G>A Be | dB B2 |d>e ^cA | GA B2 |
| G>A Be | dB B2 | d>e ^cA | G2 G2:|
|: e>f g/f/e | dB B2 d>e ^cA | GA B2 |
| e>f g/f/e | dB B2 | d>e ^cA | G2 G2 :|

Hmmm, weird sessions! They sound like some English sessions I’ve stumbled across ~ nice people, but the music stands and sheetmusic definitely gets in the way of making music ‘together’, which requires the ears. I have known folks, even in Eire, who won’t believe it is right and proper, the version, unless it is tied to some bit of concrete, like some known collection. If it varies from their expectation they get shirty… "That’s not the way it is supposed to be played!"

I’ve also seen this particular melody in Canadian and Australian collections… It was also one of those that the Fords were familiar with, played by their fiddler… I have a transcription somewhere from near that period, around turn of the 20th Century. I’ll see if I can dig that out for further comparison. Most of my library is not at hand or I’d chase up the Australian and Canadian take on it, but I may have a recording of it by a Cape Breton fiddler…

Sorry MH, good to see another transcription, and one decidedly different, but that ^c don’t do it for me at all, even on the fife… 😉

X: 8
T: Cravovienne Quickstep
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: quickstep
K: G Major
|: FA ce | dB B2 | dd/e/d cA | GB BG |
FA ce | dB B2 | dd/e/d cA | AG G2 :|
|: ce ge | dB B2 | dd/e/d cA | GB BG |
ce ge | dB B2 | dd/e/d cA | AG G2 :|

Here is how they chose to notate bars (A) 3, 7, (B) 11 & 15…
~ | d(3d/e/d/ cA | ~ which I’ve given as ~ | dd/e/d cA | ~

Randy Miller & Jack Perron, New England, 1978, tune #34

Howe’s has an added part but, except for a lead in ~ |: G | ~ , does not differ from the above to start, it then adds this, a C & D part and a key change into C Major ~

P: C
K: C Major
|: G2 Bd | f2 ef | .g.c .B.d | ce/c/ Az |
G2 Bd | f2 ef | .g.c .B.d | c2 z2 :|
P: D
|: A2 cf | aa g^f | ga g^f | g2 ez |
G2 Bd | f2 ef | .g.c .B.d | c2 z2 :|

There ye go MH… This ‘INTERNATIONAL’ melody is also in Bayard somewhere, so open up the book and look?! 😉

The version I posted—- Alex Dice is from Bayard’s book. I forgot to mention that in my intro paragraph. That may be because I also try to give credit to the player that Nayard collected from because these players are often not even mentioned by anyone. I see I didnt mention the player either…

Figures… I should uh guessed… 😉

X: 8
T: Cravovienne Quickstep
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: quickstep
K: G Major
|: FA ce | dB B2 | dd/4e/4d/ cA | GB BG |
FA ce | dB B2 | dd/4e/4d/ cA | AG G2 :|
|: ce ge | dB B2 | dd/4e/4d/ cA | GB BG |
ce ge | dB B2 | dd/4e/4d/ cA | AG G2 :|

X: 378
T: I Have a Bonnet Trimmed With Blue
B: "Irish Tunebook", compiled and edited by John Loesberg
Z: Nigel Gatherer
L: 1/8
M: 2/4
K: G Major
|: GA/B/ ce | dG B2 | de/d/ cA | GB B2 |
GA/B/ ce | dG B2 | de/d/ cA | AG G2 :|
de/d/ Bd | gB d2 | de/d/ cA | ed d2 |
de/d/ Bd | gB d2 | de/d/ cA | AG G2 ||
GB GB | de/d/ B2 | de/d/ cA | GB B2 |
GB GB | de/d/ B2 | de/d/ cA | AG G2 ||
ge eg | de/d/ B2 | de/d/ cA | ed d2 |
ge eg | de/d/ B2 | de/d/ cA | AG G2 |]

Thanks to Nigel for the ABC-ing. My copies of Loesberg’s printed output is not currently within easy reach… 😏

From Nellie Musseau of Newfoundland:
"I got a bonnet trimmed with blue
[I like to?] wear it so I do
I do wear ‘em when I can
When I go to meet my man"

"I have a bonnet trimmed with blue"
"Do you like it?": "Yes I do"
"When do you wear it?": "When I can"
"Going to the Ball with my young man"

Call and response skipping tune (the rope turners sing the questions, the skipper the rest) Lancashire 40s and 50s

From Timmy ‘The Brit’ McCarthy:

I have a bonnet trimmed with blue
Do I wear it? Yes I do
When do I wear it? When I can
Going to the ball with my young man

My young man has gone to sea
When he comes back he’ll marry me
Tip to the heel and tip to the toe
That’s the way the polka goes.

Tagged as "Din Tarrant’s" here:
https://thesession.org/recordings/display/663
and for that reason not linked to this page. I wouldn’t dare adding alternative title, though, there’s enough mess with those titles already! Wonderful playing by Johnny O’Leary.

Here is a version from an 1855 banjo instructor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAiRJxQb3VE&list=PL1xfpJwJr4mxLErni4jJoOqxx7TwZ4xbP&index=12

play video

This is called ‘Country Dance Polka’ and is taken from the hand written manuscript book of George H Watson, of Swanton Abbott in Norfolk. The book is dated c.1880

"I have a bonnet trimmed with blue"
"Do you wear it?" "Yes, I do.
I will wear it when I can,
going to the ball with my young man."

Question and answer

The version we play is in 3 keys, D, A and G. More like Nigel Gatherer’s version of the Liberton Pipe Band as on his own tune site.
The format is:
First section in D - repeated
Second section in A - repeated
Third section in D - same as first section - repeated
Fourth section in G - repeated
Fifth section in G - different from 4th - repeated
Sixth section in D - same as first - repeated
So, although I have listed 6 sections, it is only actually 4 tune variants.