The Rambler jig

This tune is also known as father harneys. as far as i know he is the composer and a fine box player too.

An Ceolteoir, if you know a tune by another name, you can add that information by clicking on the link “Do you know this tune by another name?”.

(the link is under “Details” and also above the form where you post comments - you can’t miss it).

Played in G on “Moneymusk”.

For another transcription go here: https://thesession.org/tunes/510

For another transcription go here: https://thesession.org/tunes/3614

The James Morrison recording of this is the one that oiginally caught my attention. It’s great and has some impressive bowing that’s worth hearing. The version is notably different than the one given here.

K: C Major
|: A |
GEG G2 c | AGE G2 g | age cde | dec dcA |
GEG G2 c | AGE G2 g | age cde | dcB c2 :|
|: a |
geg ceg | c‘aa ac’a | g3 age | d^cd GBd |
gee ceg | c‘2 a ac’a | geg age | dcB c2 :|

Here’s a version based on Hammy Hamilton and Paul Smyth’s flute playing:

K: G
E|DED D2G|~E3 D2d|edB GAB|~A3 AGE|
DED D2G|~E3 D2d|edB GAB|AGF G2:|
B|dBA GBd|~g3 ege|ded edB|~A3 ABc|
dBA GBd|~g3 age|dBd edB|AGF G2:|

Teviot Bridge: https://thesession.org/tunes/5467

According to Jerry O’Brien in his Accordion Instructor, this jig was composed by Tommy Sullivan of Springfield, Massachusetts.

X:1
T:Father Hanley’s
C:Tommy Sullivan, Springfield, Mass
S:Jerry O’Brien’s Accordion Instructor (1949)
Z:Nigel Gatherer
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:A
C/E/ | FEC E2A | FEC E2 c/e/ | fec ABc | BAF AFD |
FEC E2A | FEC E2 c/e/ | fec ABc | BAA A2 :|
c/d/ | ece Ace | afa faf | ece fec | BcB Bcd |
ece Ace | afa faf | ece fec | ABA A2 :|

According to Jerry O’Brien in his Accordion Instructor, this jig was composed by Tommy Sullivan of Springfield, Massachusetts.

X:1
T:Father Hanley’s
C:Tommy Sullivan, Springfield, Mass
S:Jerry O’Brien’s Accordion Instructor (1949)
Z:Nigel Gatherer
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:A
C/E/ | FEC E2A | FEC E2 c/e/ | fec ABc | BAF AFD |
FEC E2A | FEC E2 c/e/ | fec ABc | BAA A2 :|
c/d/ | ece Ace | afa faf | ece fec | BcB Bcd |
ece Ace | afa faf | ece fec | ABA A2 :|

Father Hanley’s, and I believe ‘Bit O’ Ginger’ jigs were contributed to the collection. It is doubtful but possible that Tommy Sullivan did compose it. I have never seen it in any older collection. (Bit O Ginger was contributed by Paddy Killoran)

Note how this tune sounds ‘Major’ though there is no g (the 7th) in it…

X: 2
T: Rambler, The
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: CMaj
|: A |\
GEG G2 c | AGE G2 g | age cde | dec dcA |
GEG G2 c | AGE G2 g | age cde | dcB c2 :|
|: a |\
geg ceg | c‘aa ac’a | g3 age | d^cd GB/c/d |
gee ceg | c‘2 a ac’a | ge/f/g age | dcB c2 :|

# Posted on November 29th 2005 by ceolachan

X: 3
T: Rambler, The
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: GMaj
|: E |\
DED D2 G | ~E3 D2 d | edB GAB | ~A3 AGE |
DED D2 G | ~E3 D2 d | edB GAB | AGF G2 :|
|: B |\
dBA GBd | ~g3 ege | ded edB | ~A3 ABc |
dBA GBd | ~g3 age | dBd edB | AGF G2 :|

# Posted on January 26th 2006 by slainte

“It is doubtful but possible that Tommy Sullivan did compose it…”

Why is it doubtful?

Second tune….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SmrPpH04Bk

play video

I wish someone would post sheet music of a version closer to Stephen & Cathal Hayden, Brid Harper. I am not very good at playing by ear.

I found this version and it is very close with just a few obvious changes:
http://www.celticorbis.co.uk/tunerambler.htm

This is a version I learned at a local session from fiddler Billy Henry. He called it The Rover, but I haven’t found it under that title on any recordings, so I’m not adding it as an alternate title at this point (muckin’ up the database and all that).

As heard at sessions in Austin, TX.

I learned this tune as Father Hanleys, but have heard it on several occasions be called the Traveller at local sessions.

From the playing of Sheila White, Joanne Meis, John Bennett, and, John Geggie.

Some variations from the playing of Sheila White, Joanne Meis, John Bennett, and, John Geggie.

This is transcribed as a slide in Johnny Leary’s book #253 (while it was played at a pace a bit slower than some of his jigs). He plays from low ACE for the second triplet, which sounds great! There is another transcription with this name, as a jig: https://thesession.org/tunes/12849 . But the settings here are closer to Johnny Leary’s.

This setting is based on Denis Doody’s playing from https://thesession.org/recordings/1309. It’s ended up in Gmaj after tweaking its pitch. This setting is close to Johnny Leary’s (except Johnny’s setting is in Amaj in his book). It is also close to the Monks of the Screw’s version (also in G, with the low G sounded). They also call it the House in the Glen.
Likely source? Pádraig O‘Keeffe of course. Here are links to the ITMA site which has transcriptions of settings he gave to pupils, in G with the same name. As for dates, the O’Connell manuscript dates from 1931 to 1962, with most in the mid 1940s. So it might predate the O’Brien publication.
https://www.itma.ie/digital-library/score/padraig_okeeffe_oconnell_ms_155
https://www.itma.ie/digital-library/score/padraig-okeeffe-ms-bk-2-4

Setting with chords.

Very much inspired by this YouTube video that plays a setting very similar to the one I always heard in the pub sessions I went:

https://youtu.be/xfMeJvgANzg

play video

The way Liam O’Sullivan plays it

my transcription of De Danann’s version

https://youtu.be/QJiq4SGRcjM

play video