Pearl O’Shaughnessy’s barndance

When I first learnt this tune (from my late friend accordion player Simon Knight, Wells, Somerset) he had the title “Con Cassidy’s Barndance” for it. I have since heard it on a Paul Shaughnessy and Paul McGratten album (album name ?), and I seem to remember reading that Paul Shaughnessy got it from his mother (Pearl?). As it has four parts I generally play it on its own as it is a long tune with a few repeats.

Are you sure it is in D and not in G?

also on the smokey chimney. definitely in G.

I think the Davey’s own notation, specifically the ‘^c’ , was trying to tell him the same thing, but we all miss the obvious at times. You can correct the ABCs ‘Mr. Rogers’, including the ending… In the meantime, here’s another slant on this one, and I have several:

K: Gmaj
|: B>c |
d2 d2 d>Be>d | B2 B2 B>AG>B | d2 c2 c>A (3FGA | (3efe d2 B2 B>c |
d2 d2 d>Be>d | B2 B2 B>A (3GAB | d2 c2 A>F (3DEF | G2 B2 G2 :|
|: (3edc |
B2 G2 G>Bd>B | (3cdc A2 A2 c>B | A2 F2 F2 D>F | G>FG>B d>G (3edc |
(3BcB G>F G>Bd>B | c2 A2 A>dc>B | A>GF>E D>E (3FED | G2 g2 G2 :|
|: B>c |
d>Be>d B2 d>g | (3fgf g>e c2 e>g | (3fgf A>B c>de>d | (3BcB A>G B2 B>c |
(3ded e>d B2 g2 | f>eg>e c2 (3efg | (3fgf e>d ^c>de>f | g2 d2 G2 :|
|: (3edc |
d2 b2 b2 c’>b | a2 e2 e2 a>g | (3fgf A>B c>de>d | (3BcB A>G B>c (3edc |
d2 B2 b2 c’>b | (3aba e2 e2 a>g | (3fgf e>d ^c>de>f | g2 b2 g2 :|

This can be played as is, a four parter, or taken as two seperate 32 bar barndances. They’re fun however you take them, given here in two keys, F Major and G Major, and swung. I have never heard these played ‘straight’ but there’s nothing to stop you from ironing it out, but I think it would lose something taken that way…but it might make a nice reel, given a little bit of adjustment here and there…

I found Pearl O’Shaughnessy’s name attached to “The Hills of Tara” barndance, but suspect confusion there:

https://thesession.org/tunes/2998/comments

I’ve also listened to Mary MacNamara’s album and this is the one she does such a beautiful job on, just the one tune for the one track, lovely, relaxed, sweet. If not obvious, I highly recommended it… From Mary MacNamara’s notes:

“I learned this barndance from the playing of fiddle player Pearl O’Shaughnessy - mother of fiddle player Paul O’Shaughnessy ~ . The tune is of Donegal origin but has remained nameless and now seems to have adopted Pearl’s name.”

K: F Major

|: A>B |
c4- c>Ad>c | A3 c A>GF>A | c2 B2 B>GE>G | d2 c2 c>AF>A |
c2 c2 c>Ad>c | A2 A2 A>GF>A | c2 B2 B>GE>G | F4- F2 :|
|: c>B |
A2 F2 F>Ac>A | B2 G2 G2 B>A | G2 E4 C2 | F>EF>A d2 c>B |
A2 F2 F>Ac>A | B2 G2 G2 B>A | G>FE>D C>BA>G | F4- F2 :|
|: A>B |
(3ccc d>c A2 f2 | e>df>d B3 f | (3eee d>c (3eee d>c | (3AAA G>F A2 A>B |
(3ccc d>c A2 f2 | e>df>d B3 f | e2 d>c B>cd>e | f2 a2 f2 :|
|: A>B |
c2 a6 | g2 d4 g>f | (3eee d>c (3eee d>c | (3AAA G>F A2 A>B |
c2 a6 | g2 d4 g>f | (3eee d>c B>cd>e | f2 a2 f2 :|

K: G Major

|: (3DGB |
d2 d2 d>Be>d | B2 B2 B>AG>B | d2 c2 A>FA>c | e2 d2 B>GB>c |
d2 d3 B e>d | B2 B3 A G>B | d2 c2 A>FD>F | G2 B2 G2 :|
|: (3edc |
B2 G2 G>Bd>B | (3cdc A2 A>Bc>B | A2 F2 D2 F2 | G>FG>B e>d^c>d |
B2 G2 G>B (3dcB | (3cdc A2 A3 B | A>GF>E D>cB>A | G2 B2 G2 :|
|: Bc |
(3ded e>d B2 g2 | f>eg>e c2 g2 | (3fgf A>B c>de>d | (3BcB A>G B2 B>c |
d2 e>d B2 g>e | f2 g>e c2 g>e | f2 e>d ^c>de>f | g2 d2 G2 :|
|: (3Bc^c |
d2 b2 b2 a>g | a2 e2 e2 a>g | (3fgf A>B c>de>d | (3BcB A>G B>^A (3Bc^c |
d2 b4 a>g | a2 e4 a>g | f2 (3fed ^c2 (3def | g2 b2 g2 :|

This past Saturday night, 24 March 2007, I asked Pearl if she wrote it and she said “Heaven no! It’s something I learned years ago at a session somewhere. I can’t even remember when. I played it for Macalla and they learned it and had no name for it so they put my name to it.”

I should have made it clearer in my previous comments that I am familiar with these ‘2’ tunes, though I haven’t yet managed to dig up names for them. I knew them as two distinct tunes, which could be played in a set, a few times through one, then a few times through the other. They have been part of American old-time music, probably more so where there was a strong Scandinavian influence, and were played as schottisches, or barndances, accompanying the classic couple dances such tunes were party to.

Thanks for the additional confirmation cocusflute, but it has never been in doubt with me that the tunes predate Pearl O’Shaughnessy, and are probably from the last half of the 1800’s… I would not be surprised if there were dots for them both somewhere in the Library of Congress collections…as well as in libraries this side of the Atlantic, maybe The Cecil Sharp House. Good people who might know of the top of their heads are the ol’ ‘International Concertina Society’ folks in London…

There are other places to find dance collections of note ~ Paris in France and München / Munich in Germany…

This was also recorded by the early ceili bands, and I have it on an old recording, without a name, simply the name of the dance “Siamsa Beirta”, and played the full 4 parts, just this tune… I’ll transcribe it later and add it here…

I’ve originally learned this/these from a 78 rpm recording of Danny O’Donnell. He had the order reversed, and the second one in D:

X:1
T:Pearl O’Shaughnessy’s
S:Danny O’Donnell
M:C|
K:G
Bc|dBed B2g2|fege c3d|f2ed f2ed|B2A2 B2Bc|\
dBed B2g2|fege c3d|f2ed ^cdef|g2b2 g2:|
|:dg|b2b2 bd’c’b|a2e2 e2ag|f2ed f2ed|B2A2 B2Bg|\
b2b2 bd’c’b|a2e2 e2ag|f2ed ^cdef|g2b2 g2:|

X:2
T:Pearl O’Shaughnessy’s
S:Danny O’Donnell
M:C|
K:D
df|a2a2 a^gba|f2f2 fedf|a2g2 e2c2|b2a2 fedf|\
a2a2 a^gba|f2f2 fedf|a2g2 e2ce|d2d2 d2:|
|:ag|f<ad2 dfaf|g<be2 e2gf|edcB Acfe|dAce b2ag|\
f<ad2 dfaf|g<be2 e2gf|(3ege cB Acfe|d2d2 d2:|

To get the dots done and a midi you can go here:

http://www.concertina.net/
http://www.concertina.net/tunes_convert.html

As Jürgen’s and the above contributions cover pretty much the same as the 78 mentioned previously, and since I didn’t manage to access it from archives and digitize it, these contributions will have to do. I still hope to get to it. For now, here are all the above transcriptions given the once over and corrected where needed so they can be cut-and-pasted for submission to Condertina Dot Net’s ABC Convert-A-Matic.

Dartry Céilí Band at the All-Ireland competition

X: 1
T: Pearl Shaughnessy’s
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: barndance
K: Gmaj
“32 bar barndance/schottische”
|: B>c |\
d2 d2 d>Be>d | B2 B2 B>AG>B | d2 c2 c>AF>A | e2 d2 d>BG>B |
d2 d2 d>Be>d | B2 B2 B>AG>B | d2 c2 c>AF>A | G>DB,>D G2 :|
|: d>c |\
B2 G2 G>Bd>B | c2 A2 A2 c>B | A2 F2 F2 D>F | G>FG>B e2 d>c |
B2 G2 G>Bd>B | c2 A2 A2 c>B | A>GF>E D>EF>D | G2 B2 G2 :|
“32 bar barndance/schottische”
|: B>c |\
d>Be>d B2 g2 | f>eg>e c2 e>g | (3fgf e>d (3fgf e>d | (3BcB A>G B2 B>c |
d>Be>d B2 g2 | f>eg>e c2 e>g | (3fgf e>d ^c>de>f | g2 b2 g2 :|
|: B>c |\
d2 b2 b2 c’>b | a2 e2 e2 a>g | (3fgf e>d (3fgf e>d | (3BcB A>G B2 B>c |
d2 b2 b2 c’>b | a2 e2 e2 a>g | (3fgf e>d ^c>de>f | g2 b2 g2 :|

X: 2
T: Pearl Shaughnessy’s
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: barndance
K: Gmaj
“32 bar barndance/schottische”
|: B>c |\
d2 d2 d>Be>d | B2 B2 B>AG>B | d2 c2 c>A (3FGA | (3efe d2 B2 B>c |
d2 d2 d>Be>d | B2 B2 B>A (3GAB | d2 c2 A>F (3DEF | G2 B2 G2 :|
|: (3edc |\
B2 G2 G>Bd>B | (3cdc A2 A2 c>B | A2 F2 F2 D>F | G>FG>B d>G (3edc |
(3BcB G>F G>Bd>B | c2 A2 A>dc>B | A>GF>E D>E (3FED | G2 g2 G2 :|
“32 bar barndance/schottische”
|: B>c |\
d>Be>d B2 d>g | (3fgf g>e c2 e>g | (3fgf A>B c>de>d | (3BcB A>G B2 B>c |
(3ded e>d B2 g2 | f>eg>e c2 (3efg | (3fgf e>d ^c>de>f | g2 d2 G2 :|
|: (3edc |\
d2 b2 b2 c’>b | a2 e2 e2 a>g | (3fgf A>B c>de>d | (3BcB A>G B>c (3edc |
d2 B2 b2 c’>b | (3aba e2 e2 a>g | (3fgf e>d ^c>de>f | g2 b2 g2 :|

X: 31
T: gan ainm
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: barndance
K: F Major
|: A>B |\
c4- c>Ad>c | A3 c A>GF>A | c2 B2 B>GE>G | d2 c2 c>AF>A |
c2 c2 c>Ad>c | A2 A2 A>GF>A | c2 B2 B>GE>G | F4- F2 :|
|: c>B |\
A2 F2 F>Ac>A | B2 G2 G2 B>A | G2 E2- E2 C2 | F>EF>A d2 c>B |
A2 F2 F>Ac>A | B2 G2 G2 B>A | G>FE>D C>BA>G | F4- F2 :|

X: 32
T: gan ainm
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: barndance
K: F Major
|: A>B |\
(3ccc d>c A2 f2 | e>df>d B3 f | (3eee d>c (3eee d>c | (3AAA G>F A2 A>B |
(3ccc d>c A2 f2 | e>df>d B3 f | e2 d>c =B>cd>e | f2 a2 f2 :|
|: A>B |\
c2 a6 | g2 d4 g>f | (3eee d>c (3eee d>c | (3AAA G>F A2 A>B |
c2 a6 | g2 d4 g>f | (3eee d>c B>cd>e | f2 a2 f2 :|

X: 41
T: gan ainm
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: barndance
K: GMaj
|: (3DGB |\
d2 d2 d>Be>d | B2 B2 B>AG>B | d2 c2 A>FA>c | e2 d2 B>GB>c |
d2 d2- d>Be>d | B2 B2- B>AG>B | d2 c2 A>FD>F | G2 B2 G2 :|
|: (3edc |\
B2 G2 G>Bd>B | (3cdc A2 A>Bc>B | A2 F2 D2 F2 | G>FG>B e>d^c>d |
B2 G2- G>B (3dcB | (3cdc A2 A2- A>B | A>GF>E D>cB>A | G2 B2 G2 :|

X: 42
T: gan ainm
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: barndance
K: GMaj
|: B>c |\
(3ded e>d B2 g2 | f>eg>e c2 g2 | (3fgf A>B c>de>d | (3BcB A>G B2 B>c |
d2 e>d B2 g>e | f2 g>e c2 g>e | f2 e>d ^c>de>f | g2 d2 G2 :|
|: (3Bc^c |\
d2 b2 b2 a>g | a2 e2 e2 a>g | (3fgf A>B c>de>d | (3BcB A>G B>^A (3Bc^c |
d2 b2- b2 a>^g | a2 e2- e2 a>g | f2 (3fed ^c2 (3def | g2 b2 g2 :|

X: 5
T: gan ainm
T: Danny O’Donnell’s #1
S: Danny O’Donnell
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: barndance
K: GMaj
|: B>c |\
d>Be>d B2 g2 | f>eg>e c2- c>d | f2 e>d f2 e>d | B2 A2 B2 B>c |
d>Be>d B2 g2 | f>eg>e c2- c>d | f2 e>d ^c>de>f | g2 b2 g2 :|
|: d>g |\
b2 b2 b>d’c’>b | a2 e2 e2 a>g | f2 e>d f2 e>d | B2 A2 B2 B>g |
b2 b2 b>d’c’>b | a2 e2 e2 a>g | f2 e>d ^c>de>f | g2 b2 g2 :|

X: 6
T: gan ainm
T: Danny O’Donnell’s #2
S: Danny O’Donnell
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: barndance
K: DMaj
|: d>f |\
a2 a2 a>^gb>a | f2 f2 f>ed>f |a2 g2 e2 c2 | b2 a2 f>ed>f |
a2 a2 a>^gb>a | f2 f2 f>ed>f | a2 g2 e2 c>e | d2 d2 d2 :|
|: a>g |\
f<a d2 d>fa>f | g<b e2 e2 g>f | e>dc>B A>cf>e | d>Ac>e b2 a>g |
f<a d2 d>fa>f | g<b e2 e2 g>f | (3ege c>B A>cf>e | d2 d2 d2 :|

http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_281_4_dartry_ceili_band/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXJx9Xj2e58

play video

Thanks for all the help, especially ceolachan.
Now at the risk of hijacking my own thread and incurring everyone’s wrath, what exactly is a “Barndance”. Clearly its not the English Barndance. So what qualifies a tune to be a Barndance. From my recollection of Darty’s playing it was a hornpipe rhythm. Well that can’t be the reason can it. Can it?

That’s part of it. Do a search in ‘Discussions’ using ‘Barndance’. Much has been discussed in the past, and there are also links to much of this in my ‘Details’, but you’ll have to scroll down… 😉

I’d realized too late the pick up in the cut-and-paste on the above redo on the transcripts here. The following was supposed to be in the previous, not before X: 1 of the given ABC transcripts ~ 😏

“Dartry Céilí Band at the All-Ireland competition”

Here’s yet another setting of the tune:

K: Gmaj
|:Bc|d2 d2 d^ced|B2 B2 BAGB|d2 c2 cAFA|e2 d2 dcBc|
d2 d2 d^ced|B2 B2 BAGB|d2 c2 cAFA|G2 GF G2:|
|:dc|B2 G2 GBdB|c2 A2 A2 cB|A2 F2 F2 DF|GFGB e2 dc|
B2 G2 GBdB|c2 A2 A2 cB|AGFE DcBA|G2 GF G2:|
|:Bc|d2 ed B2 g2|fege c3g|f2 ed f2 ed|B2 AG B2 Bc|
d2 ed B2 g2|fege c3g|f2 ed ^cdef|g2 b2 g2:|
|:Bc|d2 b2 b2 ag|a2 e2 e2 ag|f2 ed f2 ed|B2 AG B2 Bc|
d2 b2 b2 ag|a2 e2 e2 ag|f2 ed ^cdef|g2 b2 g2:|

It’s mostly based on what Mary MacNamara has recorded.

sounds sound on “ceili” ’s website: http://www.mckenna.dk/musik_dk.htm

# Added by ceolachan 07/02/2013.
https://thesession.org/tunes/12474

In case I hadn’t made it clear previously, “Pearl O’Shaughnessy’s Barndance” is really “Pearl O’Shaughnessy’s Barndances, 1 & 2”, an amalgamation of two 32 bar barndances… It has happened before and it will likely happen again. I’ve known some Scottish musos that do that to everything, never repeating a tune. Naturally, these two barndances also make a nice set together, as two separate tunes.

And yes, it also flow nicely as the 64 bar conglomerate originally submitted here in the wrong key of D… 😏