Kerry Mills’ barndance

This is the first of Germans on Mairead Mooney and Frankie Kennedy’s “Ceol Aduaidh,” though I took the title and the ending of the tune from Harry Bradley and Jesse Smith’s duet playing. Mairead learned this tune from her father Francie Mooney, and according to Harry Bradley another version of the tune was recorded by Paddy Taylor.

Actually, Tap Room Trio version has the acrobatic second part, but I believe that’s Harry B’s fancy variation. Does anybody know the original P. Taylor version?

You may think this is a boring tune, but you’ll be electrified when you listen to Tap Room Trio playing it: http://www.claddaghrecords.com/www/product.asp?pID=1596&cID=17 (Track 9)

P.S. I always think this tune is similar to Neevie Neevie Nick Nack. Should I post that one too? Or is it Dow’s job?

Hi Slainte. Do you mean “Davy Davy Knick Knack”? If so, I would refrain from posting it here - I don’t think it would go down to well 🙂

Yeah, it seems that tune is more widely known as Davy Davy Knick Knack. I’m sometimes tempted to post it but always hold back in the last minute. It’s a lovely tune though not from Ireland.

But, this barndance definitely has a Northumbrian flavour, and why not Davy Davy tune? It’s much more traditional and nicer than any Riverdance tune.

the first two of these ‘germans’ are sometimes played at the cricketers english session in greenwich on tuesday nights and the third,which is a particular fave of mine as it’s a cracking tune is also derived from another english tune,according to martin brown.i like the set.

dow-why would n’t these go down too well? i’ve seen balkan/welsh/godknowswhat tunes posted before now or is it that yr down-under tune purity sorter-out would start fizzing and explode at the mere sight of them?lol!

Davy Nick Nack is maybe a bit overplayed up here in Scotland. It’s frequently used for “Dashing White Sergeant” sets at ceilidhs etc. However, it’s a harmless enough tune and there has been a lot worse posted here.

Me, I have absolutely no problem with Germans. I’m just saying that some of the older folk probably do, and to be aware of that 🙂

Davy Davy Knick Knack *is* Scottish, and it *is* harmless. But it’s that “harmlessness” that people would have a problem with I think. Not me though, I have no shame! LOL

Actually I learned Davy Davy Knick Knack from a Northumbrian box player and have believed it’s a Northumbrian tune. Yeah, it’s a *fierce traditional* tune and not so appealing to may musicians in the 21st century. I may post it in the future when back home drunk from a wee session.

Yamadasan, the fact that you learnt it from a Northumbrian box player doesn’t automatically mean it’s Northumbrian, since people from Northumberland often know more Scottish tunes than tunes from the local repertoire, and play them not even knowing they’re from the other side of the border (the border being more important politically than musically). I’d like it not to be Northumbrian… we have more than our fair share of daggy tunes already! Can someone Scottish please lay claim to it? John come back! 🙂

The following is a quote for Nigel Gatherer’s site re this tune.

"Neevie Neevie Nick Nack

This is a favourite Scottish dance tune and has quite a few different spellings, from “Neevie Neevie Nick Nack” to “Davie Davie Knick Knack” and practically everything in between. I had always assumed it was of relatively recent vintage, similar to Caddam Woods by Adam Rennie. However, last year I came across a tune in a manuscript from the 1830s called Major Duff’s Favourite Quickstep, and it’s no doubt the original from which Neevie Neevie Nick Nack sprang. “neevie neevie nick nack”, incidentally, was a method by which “het” (or “it”) was chosen in children’s games, a bit like one-potato, two-potato…"

A different key and a third part to start the list of differences…

K:C

|:A2|G>EG>C e2 e2|G>EG>c e2 e2|f>ed>c B2 c2|(3ded (3cBA (3GAG (3FED|
G>EG>C e2 e2|G>EG>c e2 e2|f>ed>c B>GA>B|c2 c2 c2:|

|:f2|e>ce>g a2 g2|e>ce>g a2 g2|f>ed>c B2 c2|(3ded (3cBA (3GAG (3FED|
e>ce>g a2 g2|e>ce>g a2 g2|f>ed>c B>GA>B|c2 c2 c2:|

|:G>c|e2 e2 e2 d>c|B>AB>c d>cd>e|f>ef>e f2 (3efe|dcBc dcGc|
e2 e2 e2 d>c|B>AB>c d>cd>e|f2 f2 f2 (3GAB|c2 c2 c2:|

I also play the above in ‘D’, the key this ‘TheSession.Org’ entry has it in:

|:D2|A>FA>d f2 f2|A>FA>d f2 f2|g>fe>d c2 d2|(3ded (3dcB (3GAG (3FED| - etc…

K:D
|:FG|AABA f2 f2|(3ABA BA f2 f2|gfed c2 d2|1 (3efe (3dcB A2:|
2 (3efe dc d2||
|:fg|aaba f2 f2|aaba f2 f2|1 gfed c2 d2|(3efe (3dcB A2:|
2 gfed cABc|(3efe d2 d2|| (or ending - d2 f2 d2||)

|:B|(3ABA BA f2 f2|(3ABA BA f2 f2|gfed c2 d2|(3efe (3dcB (3ABA FG|
(AABA f2 f2|AABA f4|gfed cABc|e2 d2 d3:|
|:f|aaba f2 f2|aaba f2 f2|gfed c2 d2|(3efe (3dcB A2 fg|
a2 ba f2 f2|a2 ba f2 f2|gfed cABc|(3efe (e2 d2 d3:|

alternate endings:
|d2 f2 d3:|
|(3efe d2 d3:|

I looked this up while listening, for the very first time, to Paddy Taylor himself play it, on his Boy in the Gap LP. Paddy’s is much different, some little twists that aren’t in this transcription.
Also this tune is linked to the tune on the LP called Paddy Taylor’s - that’s the jig, not this tune, which is called Hanley’s Delight there.

I heard this (or rather a much subtler and livelier version) played by the Rita Keane and Lucy Farr, who referred to it as a “fling”. A recording of a version played by George Green, a traditional melodeon player from Little Downham in Cambridgeshire (England), appears on the Veteran collection “Heel and Toe” (VT150CD), under the (floating) title “College Hornpipe”. Since Ashley Hutchings recorded it on “Rattlebone and Ploughjack” this has become a (turgid!) favourite at sessions in England, but once again (need I say) George Green’s playing is much livelier (and faster!).

… all these tunes have an underlying similarity to the Northumbrian “Redesdale (aka Underhand) Hornpipe”, attributed to the 19th century Newcastle (tho’ by birth Scottish) fiddler James Hill and popularised in modern times by the late Will Atkinson.

Key signature: G Major
Submitted on September 15th 2004 by jakki S.
https://thesession.org/tunes/3545

I do not see the tie as clear…

Are we back in chicken and egg territory… Nah!

There’s another Kerry Mills Barn Dance which was recorded by Don Messer & His Islanders - Dawn Waltz, Kerry Mills Barn Dance. http://www.tedmcgraw.com/mp3/Messer7.mp3 I’d learned this from a recording of Jehile Kirkhuff - you can hear his version at jehile.com, name is simply “Barn Dance.” Beautiful tune, perhaps someone could write that out (I’m pretty hopeless at it).
Terry Teahan used the Kerry Mills title for the Paddy Taylor’s tune listed here - perhaps he had the Messer recording and lifted its title for this tune?

From the Fiddler’s Companion:

“KERRY MILLS BARN DANCE [1]. Canadian, American; Country Rag. D Major (�A� part) & G Major (�B� part). Standard. AB. Composed by Kerry Mills (1869-1948) in 1908. Mills was a prolific American composer of popular music, including ragtime, marches, cakewalks etc., including the famous tunes �Redwing� (1907) and �Whistling Rufus (1899). The melody was recorded on a wax cylinder in 1908 by the Edison Symphony Orchestra (Ed2 9909). Source for notated version: Glenn Berry [Silberberg]. Silberberg (Tunes I Learned at Tractor Tavern), 2002; pg. 83. Point Records P‑229, Don Messer ‑ ”Canadian Jigs and Reels."

KERRY MILLS (BARN DANCE) [2], THE.� AKA and see �Davy, (Davy,) Knick-Knack/Knick-Knock,� �Paddy Joe Gormley�s,� �Paddy Taylor�s Barndance.� Irish, Barndance. D Major. Standard. AABB. The Kerry Mills title appears to be Terry Teahan�s name for the tune. Globestyle CDORBD 092, Terry Teahan (various artists) � �Happy to Meet Sorry to Part.� �Mairead Mooney and Frankie Kennedy � �Ceol Aduaidh� (untitled first tune of the Germans set, learned from Mairead�s father Francie Mooney).

Ack, I see how the Frank Fallon Orchestra also recorded a Kerry Mills Barn Dance on their LP - nothing more or less than the ol’ Stack of Barley/Minstrel’s Fancy. Albeit the Fancy has a different turn - somewhat like the Paddy Taylor’s tune.

Hear the Edison Symphony Orchestra play the other KMBD at http://www.archive.org/details/EdisonSymphonyOrchestra.
I think I’m done now!

Sometimes tunes associated with a particular dance pick up and carry away the dance’s name, as also happens when lyrics are mated up with a melody…

This is not the Tune James Kelly plays as “Paddy Taylor’s”. You can find his tune by searching “Paddy Taylor’s” amongst the Jigs.

I’ve just heard Paul Brock and Enda Scahill play this tune as a hornpipe called “Maggie’s Lilt,” which is followed by a hornpipe version of “Bird in the Bush.” I haven’t got their album yet, so don’t know the source, but it’s probably an old recording from 1920’s or 30’s.

Where lost barndances go… Lost flings go to seed and become single and double reels… 😉

X: 5
T: German
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: barndance
K: Dmaj
|: FG |
AFAd f2 f2 | AFAd f2 ef | gfed c2 cd | (3efe (3dcB A2 FG |
AFAd f2 f2 | AFAd f2 ef | gfed cABc | d2 f2 d2 :|
|: de |
fgaf d2 d2 | fgaf d2 de | gfed c2 cd | (3efe (3dcB A2 de |
fgaf d2 d2 | fgaf d2 ef | gfed cABc | d2 f2 d2 :|

Transcribed from Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh’s and Frankie Kennedy’s album “Ceol Aduaidh”.There are two Germans in the set,I’ll post the other one tomorrow.

# Posted on October 15th 2007 by dafydd

This one? https://thesession.org/tunes/3376

I think the last one is a version of “If We Hadn’t Any Women in the World.”

# Posted on October 15th 2007 by slainte

I heard piper Tiarnan Duichinn play this tune he called it a German.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV-PWYAAgV4

play video

Flanagan Brothers just called it Old Irish Barn Dance: https://archive.org/details/FlanaganBrothersOldIrishBarnDance1928 Jackie Roche and his Irish Dance Band recorded it as the Kerry Mills in the 50s, which may be where people started using this title; Flanagans recorded the proper KM barndance back when.

Variation similar to that played by Fergal Scahill as well as Dervish

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

play video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2m8ubSA9BY

play video

This is my transcription of Harry Bradley’s setting from the album “The Taproom Trio”, recorded by Harry Bradley, Jesse Smith, and John Blake. In the sixth measure of the B part, there is a rip (glissando) from f up to high d. Since ABC doesn’t have notation for a glissando, I wrote it out as sixteenth notes. It gives the idea, but the timing isn’t really right.

Already here; see: https://thesession.org/tunes/3180
Marin