Peggy’s jig

I learned this lovely little jig off Hammy Hamilton’s solo album. I thought it’s already on this site, but it wasn’t.

It’s known as simply Cape Breton jig through “Music at Matt Molloy’s,” but Hammy Hamilton informs us that it’s a recent composition by Cape Breton fiddler Mike MacDougall. I think he is the one who wrote Andy de Jerlis and Ingonish.

I really love this version of the tune though it may not be the standard one. Simpler, the better. If you play this tune regularly in the session, please post your version in this comment space.

And, if you know any other Mike MacDougall’s composition which isn’t on this site yet, please post it. All of his tunes I know are very lovely tunes, and some of them are very flute-friendly unlike other fiddlers’ compositions.

I think I’m really in love with this tune. If you are looking for a rather uncommon but nice tune, this is the one. Try this set: Tobbin’s Favourite/ Peggy’s jig/ Willie Coleman’s

Highly recommended and available from Paul Cranford and co.:

http://www.cranfordpub.com/

There was a recent ‘discussion’ asking about our ‘heros’. Mike is one of mine… I’ll add a transcription for this tune later, and maybe try to convey something of the soul and spirit of the man…

|:c|
BdB GBd|cec E2 G|FAF DFA|GBG D2 c|
BdB GBd|cec E2 G|FED AFD|G3 G2:|
|:/B/c|
ded dBd|gbg d2 g|faf A2 B|cdc B2 d|
ded dBd|gbg d2 g|1 fed cAF|G3 G2:|
2 fed afd|g3 g2||

Cheers for another version of the tune. I think Hammy Hamilton’s version is interestingly different from the original. By the way, who is Peggy? Mike’s doughter or wife?

Wife!

- at least that’s what remains in my rocky memory. I’ll add a bit of history sometime in the near future, something about the man. One of the recent discussions was asking if we had any heroes, well, Mike is definitely one of mine…

Lovely tune a.k.a. Peggy’s, but it was posted here last year: https://thesession.org/tunes/3088.

Why didn’t the advanced search function find it then?

Because the versions have lots of little differences spread out throughout the tune. Take a look:

Your version:
|:BAB GBd|cBc E2G|FED cAF|GFG D2c|
BAB GBd|cBc E2G|FED cAF|GAG G3:|
|:dBd def|gfg d2g|fef A2c|Bdd GBc|
dBd def|gfg d2g|fed cAF|GAG G3:|

Existing version:
BdB GBd|cBA E2G|FEF DFA|GBG D2c|
BdB GBd|cBA E2G|FEF AGF|G3 G3:|
ded def|gfg b2g|fef A2B|c3 B2c|
ded def|gfg b2g|fed cAF|G3 G3:|

Any full measure you search for, except the penultimate one, will fail to match any measure of the other version. And yet they’re obviously the same tune!

Mike MacDougall’s Jig
https://thesession.org/tunes/4684

Mike MacDougall’s Jig
https://thesession.org/tunes/4688

Memories of Father Angus MacDonnell - march
https://thesession.org/tunes/1796

Mary Ann MacDougall’s March
https://thesession.org/tunes/5036

Father Eugene’s Welcome To Cape North - march
https://thesession.org/tunes/5047

Composed by the late Cape Breton fiddle Mike MacDougal.

Key signature: G Major
Submitted on September 26th 2005 by dafydd.
https://thesession.org/tunes/5007

Key signature: G Major
Submitted on May 29th 2004 by slainte.
https://thesession.org/tunes/3088

You’ll find some notes there…

Ingonish Beach, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

The following excerpts are from this valued and recommended book:

“The Cape Breton Fiddler” ~ Allister MacGillivray
College of Cape Breton Press, Sydney, 1981
ISBN 0-920336-12-4

“Mike’s father, Dan Rory, and his grandfather, Rory, were accomplished on both pipes and violin. ~ (starting at 8 years of age) By age sixteen Mike was entertaining at dances and concerts in Cape North, Dingwall and Ingonish.” (In the forties, with his brother Tim, the pair played regularly for dances at St. Peters Parish Hall in Ingonish Beach.)

“Mike developes an interesting way of holding the violin, keeping the instrument tucked in close to him. This style was derived from early involvement at ‘kitchen rackets’. At such affairs there wasn’t much space for fiddlers once the dancers got going, so the musicians would huddle close together, often having todefend themselves with solid shoves when flying bodies came dangerously near. Whatever the conditions, Mike’s music, pipe-flavoured and foot tapping, remained consistently good and thankfully abundant.”

Note: ‘pipping’ on Cape Breton island was for dancers and unlike anything I have heard elsewhere, it made you want to dance. It was not verbose with ornamentation and twiddles as for competitions… It was magic, as was Mike’s playing… For more, and worth the chase, you’ll have to get the book… Mike remains one of my favourite fiddlers, amongst several from the Canadian Maritimes that have never produced a commercial recording, though Paul Cranford, bless his soul and bow, still sells the one tape Mike made, very worth having in your collection…

|: c |
BdB GBd | cec E3 | FAF DFA | GBG D3 |
B/c/dB GBd | cec E2 G | FED AFD | G3- G2 :|
|: B/c/ |
ded dBd | gbg d2 g | faf A3 | c>dc B2 c |
ded dB/c/d | gbg d2 g |1 fed cAF | G3 G2 :|
2 fed afd | g3- g2 ||

B-part, measures 1 & 5 can also be played:

~ | dB/c/d dB/c/d | ~ and of course there are other choices elsewhere here. This is another great tune for the developing wind instrument player… 😉

i pLAY THIS VERSION

BdB GBd|cBc E2 G|~F3 DFA|GBe d2c|
BdB GBd|cBc E2 G|~F3 DFA|AGF G2:||
ded def|gbg d2 g|fed ABd|cBc A2c|
ded def|gbg d2 g|fed cAF|AGF G2:||

FOLLOWED BY CHARLIE HUNTERS AND THE CATS MEAOW.

X: 1
T: Rolls Jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Gmaj
BAB GBd|cBc E2G|FEF AGF|GBG D2c|
BAB GBd|cBc E2G|FEF AGF|GAG G3:|
ded def|gfg b2g|fed A2B|c3 B2c|
ded def|gfg b2g|fed cAF|GAG G3:|

Got this down in Clare - obviously a variant of Peggy’s

I’ve just tried this tune out with “Miners of Wicklow” purely because the latter just happened to be in front of me. At a moderate but highly danceable pace they go so well together and the transition from one tune to the other, in either direction, is so easy and smooth.
https://thesession.org/tunes/6497

A wonderful tune…sandwiched between Charlie Hunters and McGurks on Track 2 of Music at Matt Molloy’s. I think these ABC’s are closer to the tune setting as played by the whistler on that CD:

T:Cape Breton Jig #2
M:6/8
L:1/8
Q:1/4=180
R:jig
K:G

B2 B GBd|cec E2 E|F2 F DFA|GBe d2 c|!
ABB GBd|cec E2 E|EFF DFA|[1GBA G3:|[2GBA G2 A/2c/2||!
d2 d def|gbg d2 g|f2 f A2 B|cec B2 c|!
d>e^c def|gbg d2 g|fed cAF|[1AGF G2 B/2c/2:|[2AGF G2 B||!

From Live at Matt Molloy’s
Breda Smyth
Track 2. Middle tune from the set
Charlie Hunter
Gan Ainm
McGurk’s

I left out articulations (as this is my first try at abc).

Tune pal didn’t come up with anything close.

Anyone know what it is?

Bobby McLeods. Sorry for posting a tune already here.

Actually, Christopher, the tune you posted is called “Peggy’s Jig” (https://thesession.org/tunes/3088) and was composed by the late Cape Breton fiddler Mike MacDougall, more famous for “Memories of Father Angus MacDonnell” (https://thesession.org/tunes/1796).

The first jig, “Charlie Hunter” (https://thesession.org/tunes/809) was composed by Bobby MacLeod of Mull, which may have led to the confusion.