The Centenary march

Great piece! I heard this played on Olive Hurley’s Complete Ceili Collection CDs… it is used there as the march (or reel) part of the ceili dance known as the Bridge of Athlone.

I hadn’t realized this wasn’t on site, but then tracking marches is not exactly easy. I’m glad it’s on now. There are a couple of names that have attached themselves to this one. I’ve played this for years, repeating the second part. I’ll add a transcription to the comments later and alternate names if I can find them. This is a favourite of mine. I’ll also add a recording that has it on it, beautifully played by the excellent whistle player Tom McHaile.

I think 4/4 is better for the natural phrasing of this march, and as a march the crotchet beat pairing/barring of notes, so probably better filed under hornpipes or reels.

T: The Centenary March
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: March
K: D
P: A
|:DF|A2 A>B AF ED|({e}f3) f {ef}ed BF|A2 A>B AF ED|E2 EF E2 DF|
A2 A>B AF ED|({e}f2) ff ed (3Bcd|~A2 d>e ({e}f)e {de}dc|d2 {e}dc d2:|
P: B
|:Fd|f/a/f/e/ fa Ad fa|(3gag (3fgf e2 fg|af dA F/G/A/F/ G/A/G/F/|E3 F {EF}E2 FG|
{c}AD FA dF Ad|fa {ga}gf ed cB|Aa ^ga {ga}ge cA|{dc}d2 dc d2:|

Since this is in comments, I have thrown in a few variations and ornaments, but mind you, I put this one together quickly using a whistle that generally occupies a space on this over-crowded desk, so the ornaments are adapted for the whistle. If I’ve screwed up on the notation, well, writing out ABC ornaments is pretty new to me. I learned ABC way way back, and it was different than the current standard, so that has taken some getting used to too. Apologies if there’s any problems with this. Marches are great for gaining insight to and getting to grips with rhythm and it’s forms and variations, ‘articulation’, highly recommended in the teaching process. Rhythm is too often one of the things sacraficed for speed and ‘rolling’ tunes into a flat grey mass like asphalt, one of the criticisms often levied on ‘session playing’… Like the mistake of taking ‘polkas’ as simple or easy, there’s more to these tunes than the skeleton of dots.

Olive Hurley, and/or her musicians, reduced and chopped this melody up in order to fit it to their needs, that particular ceili dance. This has, in my estimation, taken something away from the melody. I think it would be better, in my not always humble opinion, if this tune were notated properly and the reduction were in the footnotes, here in the comments.

It is too common that the ‘dance-minded’ put the music second to the dance, as ‘background’ to their activity, often treating the musicians as if they had control knobs on them like a stereo, ‘music-ignorant’, several reasons why dancers aren’t always welcome at a session. Marches were danced to, and not just the ‘official’ ceili dances like ‘Droichead Átha Luain’/’The Bridge of Athlone’, including the sets (quadrilles) and couple dances. I will add at lesat one description for such a dance to either this march or another in the near future.

We play this after singing "Cliffs fo Doneen", almost letting the last note of the song die before kicking off a high-energy version of Centenary March. It never fails to get the crowd going. A great tune.

This march also has a place in a collection I’m happy to recommend, the top of page 44:

"Matt Cunningham’s Dance Music of Ireland"
Dave Mallinson Publications, 1999
ISBN 1-899512-45-4

http://www.mally.com/

I hope you sing all the verses, and with feeling. Where is this strange pub and session? What crowd?

‘Bar’ - you aren’t in Amerikay are yuh?

Part: A
|:DF|A2 A>B AF ED|f3 f ed BF|A2 A>B AF ED|E2 EF E2 DF|
A2 A>B AF ED|ef2 ff ed (3Bcd|A2 d>e fe dc|d2 dc d2:|
Part: B
|:Fd|f/a/f/e/ fa Ad fa|(3gag (3fgf e2 fg|af dA F/G/A/F/ G/A/G/F/|E3 F E2 FG|
AD FA dF Ad|fa gf ed cB|Aa ^ga ge cA|d2 dc d2:|

For you jamie, and others, the few thrown in fru-frus/ornaments {-between curly brackets-} removed ‘from above’:
P:A -
({e}f3) - slur/slide
{ef}ed
({e}f2) - cut
~A2 - short roll
({e}f) - cut
{de}dc
{e}dc - cut

P:B
{EF}E2
{c}AD - cut
{ga}gf
{ga}ge
{dc}d2

Sometimes I need to be reminded when I lose contact with such consideration. If I get all curly bracketed again I’ll try to remember to include a basic transcription as well. Thanks for the reminder.

Damn! - I meant for that one:
({e}f2) - slur/slide - up to the ‘f’ from the ‘e’…

My Grandaddy wrote this tune, Arthur Kearney from Drumquin,County Tryone. I have many more of his and his fathers writings available if wanted. I play the Tin Whistle and am new to this sight. please message back if more songs are wanted.

Yes, and even better if there are tales to tell, like about this tune and the whys and wherefors, the context, the history, and something about the composer? 🙂

Hi, Thanks for messaging back.
My Grandfather wrote the centenary march to commemorate the Christian Brothers having been in Omagh for 100 years. He also wrote "The Centenary Hornpie" for the same reason.

I shall try my best to upload some more of his writings.

I have a large collection of music, poems and ballads written by Arthur and his father, Felix Kearney, who wrote the popular "The Hills Above Drumquin" "The Oul’ Road From Omagh To Dromore" and "The Massrock In The Glen" and many more poems and ballads about the beautifal hillsides of Tyrone and Irish freedom.
I’ll try my best to upload some soon.

Thanks for showing intrest.🙂

X: 3
T: The Centenary March
T: St. Patrick’s March
C: Arthur Kearney, from Drumquin,County Tryone
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: march
K: DMaj
DF |\
A2 A>B AF ED | f2-f>d ed BF | A2 A>B AF ED | E2 E>F EF/E/ DF |
A2- A>B AF ED | f2 fg/f/ ed Bd | AB/A/ de f>e dc | d2 d>c d2 DF |
A2 A>B AF ED | f2 ff ed B/c/d/B/ | A2 A>B AF ED | E2- EF E2 D/E/F/G/ |
A>^G A>B AF D2 | f2- fg/f/ ed B/c/d | A>^G Ad fe dc | d2 d>c d2 ||
Ad |\
f>^e fa Ad fa | g2 f2 e2 f>g | af dA FA GF | E2 E>F E2 FG |
AD FA dF Ad | fa gf ed cB | Aa ^ga =ge cA | d2 d>c d2 Ad |
f/g/f/e/ fa Ad fa | ga/g/ fg/f/ e2 fg | af dA F/G/A/F/ G/A/G/F/ | E2- E>F E2 FG |
AD FA d>F Ad | f>a gf ed cB | Aa ^ga =ge cA | d2 d>c d2 |]
N: commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Christian Brothers in Omagh, Co. Tyrone.

And needing to clean up my previous reduction from ornament ~ 😏

X: 2
T: The Centenary March
T: St. Patrick’s March
C: Arthur Kearney, from Drumquin,County Tryone
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: march
K: DMaj
|: DF |\
A2 A>B AF ED | f3 f ed BF | A2 A>B AF ED | E2 EF E2 DF |
A2 A>B AF ED | f2 ff ed B/c/d | A2 d>e fe dc | d2 dc d2 :|
|: Ad |\
f/a/f/e/ fa Ad fa | ga/g/ fg/f/ e2 fg | af dA F/G/A/F/ G/A/G/F/ | E3 F E2 FG |
AD FA dF Ad | fa gf ed cB | Aa ^ga ge cA | d2 dc d2 :|

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Brothers_Grammar_School,_Omagh

"The school was founded on 14 January 1861, on Mount St. Columba. The building has since went into other use as a retreat. "

Setting as played at the Golden Guinea pub session, Bristol, UK.

Mix, thanks for posting this grand old tune, its one I used to play years ago but had let go
‘onto the back shelf’ as you do when newer tunes come along. Great to be reminded of it.