The Humours Of Glendart jig

This is a very jolly little jig. It’s got a lovely lilting rhythm to it. It’s almost impossible not to tap your foot along with this one.

There’s one unusual thing about this tune: there isn’t a G note to found in it. This little piece of information could be useful to remember when you’re trying to memorise the tune.

I’ve been noticing any number of different interpretations of the “basic melody” on this one. Might as well catalogue them here.

Some folks drop all the way to D in bars 1 and 3 of the A part:

BAF AFD|FEF DFA|BAF AFD|FEE E2 A|
BAF AFD|FEF DFA|dcB AFE|FDD D2 A:||

But some people hang on the E:

BAF AFE|FEF DFA|BAF AFE|FEE E2 A|
BAF AFE|FEF DFA|dcB AFE|FDD D2 A:||

Common differences in the B part are relatively minor.

Fluters like to roll the As in bars 2 and 6:

def d2 B|~A3 AFA|def d2 f|ede fdB|
def d2 B|~A3 ABc|dcB AFE|FDD D2 A:||

Fiddlers tend to fill in with various intervals:

def d2 B|ABA ABc|….
or
def d2 B|AFA ABc|
or
def d2 B|ABA AFA|

In bar 3 of the B part, |def def| is a common twist.

this tune is listed in the Northern Fiddler under Johnny Doherty as “Darby Gallagher’s”

It is also called “The Bohola Jig” on Bohola’s 3rd album it is the second tune in track 7.

Make that track 8.

A nice jig indeed. But it’s not on Bohola’s third album. The Bohola Jig is slightly different: https://thesession.org/tunes/2111

or played like this, good for a bit of cut, tap and roll practice…

X: 1
T: Humours Of Glendart, The
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmaj
|:BAF ADD|FEF DFA|BAF ADD|FEE E2A|BAF ADD|FEF DFA|
dcB AFE|FDD D2D:|def d2B|ABA AFD|def d2d|
ede fdB|def d2B|dBA ABc|dcB AFE|FDD D2A:|

Robbie Hannan
Traditional Irish Music played on the Uilleann Pipes
Claddagh Records Ltd

An awsome video of Bobby Gardiner playing this and Swallow’s Tail …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhOj9vCR0cQ

play video

This is another tune called Saddle The Pony, I got it from Levey’s Dance Music of Ireland, no.43. The abc I’ve uploaded shows where I play some triplets not in Levey’s dots. I’ll upload the guitar tab to my website shortly, watch this space.

Does anyone know if there are any recordings of this tune?

This tune looks very like Humours of Glendart with the A and B parts reversed. Saddle the Pony is a different jig altogether which interestingly is often played in a set following the Humours of Glendart.

I would agree Bannerman. This is just a version on Humours of Glendart and is not related to Saddle the Pony.

I assume that fact it is called Saddle The Pony in Levey’s means at least one person in the 1850’s when his book was put together knew the tune by that name? Either that or it is a misprint.

Great video of them playing this live:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=rgzBGeCAO1U

play video

This tune can be found in Joyce’s ‘Old Irish Music’ (1909) as “The Housemaid”:

X: 1
T: Housemaid, The
S: Joyce, Old Irish Music, 1909
Z: Nigel Gatherer
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
BAF ADD | FDD ADD | BAF ADD | FEE EFA |
BAF ADD | FDF ABd | edB BAF | BEE EFA :|
dfe d2B | AFA A2B | dfe def | gfe fdB |
dfe d2B | AFA ABd | fed BAF | AFE E2z :|

Submitted on May 25th 2001 by Jeremy.
https://thesession.org/tunes/45

& this turned around to that ~

X: 2
T: Humours of Glendart, The
T: Saddle The Pony
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmaj
|: BF/F/F AD/D/D | FEF AFD | BF/F/F ADA | AFD EFA |
BF/F/F AD/D/D | FEF AFD | gg/f/e fdB | AFD DFA :|
|: d>ef ddB | AFA AFA | def ddA | Be/e/e edB |
d>ef ddB | AFA AFA | gg/f/e fdB | AFD DFA :|

Submitted on June 28th 2008 by Mike Floorstand.
https://thesession.org/tunes/8665

I prefer this tune to the Eponymous*: ‘Saddle the Pony’:
https://thesession.org/tunes/307

I prefer this tune to the Eponymous*: ‘Saddle the Pony’:
https://thesession.org/tunes/307

*Funnily enough Epona was the goddess of horses!

*Funnily enough Epona was the goddess of horses!

Surely not also known as Irishman’s Heart to the Ladies or, for that matter, hardly any of the other titles? I know it’s a mark of excellence to purport not to know any of your tunes’ names, but this is gone on to another level of lunacy.

~ /tunes/11100
Submitted on March 4th 2011 by jaychoons.
https://thesession.org/members/54884

X: 5
T: Curraig Diamuid Do’n Capall Beg
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmaj
|: BAF ADD | FED ADD | BAF ADD | FEE EFA |
BAF ADD | FED ADD | dfe dcB | AFE EFA :|
|: dfe dcB | ABA AFA | dfe d2 f | ede fdB |
dfe dcB | ABA ABd | efg fdB | AFE EFA :|

I found this one under the above title in “Petrie’s Complete Irish Music” (#1,120). He had it transcribed in the key he most likely HEARD the tune in (F Major), but I decided to put it in the more common key of “D” (it works in “G” as well, there’s just a stretch up to a high c natural in the second part of the tune if you play it in that key). The best I could come up with for a translation of the title is “Dermot’s Little Horse Is Here” or something to that effect (sorry in advance to any Gaelic speakers out there; Google Translate isn’t exactly perfect…).

# Posted on March 4th 2011 by jaychoons

This tune can also be heard in the 7th Harry Potter Movie (part 1) for the wedding of Bill and Fleur Weasley scene. It is also played along with another jig called ave A Drink With Me.

Here is the scene….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSJ0MvxWG4Y

play video

*Have A Drink With Me is the name of the second jig in G major in the film

Submitted on August 30th 2003 by pjmacd.
https://thesession.org/tunes/1922

Jimmy O’Brien-Moran plays the X:5 setting on his Take Me Tender CD, which is music from the old Galway piper Paddy Connelly, don’t have the Petrie book handy but I’d imagine this setting is from him. Great CD, wonderful pipes and piping.

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

play video

My note-for-note transcription of Jimmy O’Brien-Moran’s recording on track 3 of his “Take Me Tender” CD. He makes some interesting small variations in the A part, so I wrote it all out both times instead of using repeats. The B part is repeated pretty much the same both times so I used repeats there.

Here’s a slightly different, delightfully buoyant version by Wendy MacIsaac – as played on her album “That’s What You Get.” ( https://thesession.org/recordings/1027 )

She plays it as the center jig in a set bookended by the Cmaj “Short Grass” ( https://thesession.org/tunes/3058 ) and the popular Cape Breton Dmaj jig “Miss Campbell.”

I especially enjoy the lift achieved by Wendy as she hovers around a higher, sparkling range for the B part. From the perspective of a C#/D box-er, I seem to play this one more when I want to get my taps to the outer (C#) row in better condition.

From Alan Snyder’s Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index:
http://www.cbfiddle.com/rx/tune/t451.html

As played on the Comhaltas Foinn Seisiún Volume 1. These are my go-to recordings for initial learning of most tunes - not particular inspiring, but they seem like a good base (but I’m relatively new at Irish music so I’d be happy to be corrected).

The way this tune is written gives it no lift whatsoever The first and fourth note in a 6 note bar should be held. It is a good tune but not played like this

Hi Robert. I’ve always felt that playing dance music strictly as notated leads to trouble. There is no substitute for listening and experience. You might look at, say, “East at Glendart” but you wouldn’t play it as written; you would play it with the usual jig “lift” without thinking about it. The notation - and the computer generated audio here - can’t replace listening to real musicians, but can only - to coin a phrase - give you the “bare bones” of a tune.

x:4 is more fun than the plainer versions.