Kerry Mills barndance

Posted as a hornpipe, but it may be more of a barn dance. “De Danann” appeared at Dundee University in 1978, when Tim Lyons was a member. He started off a set with this tune on the box, and I’ve never come across anyone else with it yet. I think it may be in Johnny Leary’s book. Needs to be better known.
I’m sure “Ptarmigan” was there that night too.

Yes, I remember that memorable night very well Kenny. Thanks for bringing this one out of the cupboard.

I don’t see it in J L’s book, at least not under that name.
Must go & run my fingers over this one again.

Note that the version of “Kerry Mills” on Rod Stradling’s album is different than that given here on the audio file and sheet music.

I like this tune and am playing it as a Schottishe. Has anyone any knowledge of a dance suitable for this tune? The ‘C’ music is reminiscent of those dances for two couples which have a dance on sequence to another couple.

This isn’t in the Johnny O‘Leary tunebook…or at least I haven’t been able to find it there. This also isn’t either the Terry Teahan barndance, as recorded on 78, that he called “Kerry Mills’” / “The Kerry Mills”, nor is it the Kerry Mills composition I also know as “Kerry Mills Barn Dance/Barndance”. I am familiar with various recordings of both of these particular melodies…

The Terry Teahan version ~
https://thesession.org/tunes/3180

But the composer, Kerry Mills, 1869-1948, whose tunes I quite enjoy ~
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_Mills ~ composed a number of songs and dance tunes that take his name. Here follow a few of his once very popular tunes. I still enjoy them…:

“Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis” (song)
“At a Georgia Camp Meeting” (two-step/march/polka/cakewalk)
“Whistling Rufus” (two-step/march/polka/cakewalk/rag)
http://parentseyes.arizona.edu/msw/aframer/marches.html
“”Whistling Rufus“ is an African-American song composed by Frederick A. ”Kerry“ Mills in 1899. It is typically described as a march, and can be used effectively as a two-step, polka or cakewalk. An example of its popularity is given on the first page of the music sheet: ”No cakewalk given in the Black Belt district of Alabama was considered worth while attending unless ‘Whistling Rufus’ was engaged to furnish the music."
“A Georgia Barn Dance”
“Kerry Mills’ Barn Dance”
“Kerry Mills’ Ragtime Dance”
“Redwing: An Indian Fable” (~ that song that includes bawdy lyrics too!)

You are right about the category for this one: barndance / German / schottische…

Here’s more on related issues, and some links for your listening pleasure:

"The March, to the Cakewalk, to Ragtime, to the Fox Trot:
The Evolution from the Quadrille, March to Ragtime"
http://www.basinstreet.com/
http://www.basinstreet.com/Programs/TheMarch/index.htm

http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/featured.php
Includes recordings of John J. Kimmel

& for something altogether different ~ w/sound effects ~
Title: Kerry Mills’ barn dance
Performer: Edison Symphony Orchestra.
Issue Number/Label: 9909: Edison Gold Moulded Record
Year of Release: [1908]

Very short memory jogs ~
“At a Georgia Camp Meeting”
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~wolff/mechmusic/Samples/GCMSample.mp3
http://www2t.biglobe.ne.jp/~BokerTov/music/midi_s/sq_campm.mid
“Whistling Rufus”
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~wolff/mechmusic/Samples/RufusSample.mp3

http://www.trachtman.org/
http://www.trachtman.org/rollscans/RollListing.php?
http://www.trachtman.org/rollscans/RollListing.php?showpage=14&sortby=composer

Kerry Mills
Whistling Rufus
Kerry Mills Turkey Trot
At A Georgia Camp Meeting
Red Wing

There are couple dances, round dances, circle and Sicilian, which could be danced to this melody. Any barndance / German / Schottische would work and there are numerous choices as far as formations. If you link to my ‘details’ there are some links to dance descriptions I’ve already put on site here, and I suspect more will follow. I have another take on this particular tune and I’ll likely be back with that and may include a dance description or two too…

My suspicion is that the name, ‘Kerry Mills’, moved over to some tunes not actually of his composition but similar and used for the same dance or dances. Here is a different take on the transcription given here, with swing and in the higher register for G Major and as a 24 bar tune, A(8)-B(8)-C(8):

K: G Major
(3GFE |
D2 D2 B2 B2 | A2 GA B<d d2 | e>fg>e d2 B2 | A>GA>B A2 (3GFE |
D3 G B>^AB>G | (3ABA G>A B>dd>B | e>f (3gfe d2 B>G | A2 G2 G4 ||
g2 g>a b2 d2 | d>ed>B d2 (3Bcd | g>fg>a b2 d>B | d>e (3dcB A2 (3def |
G<dg>a b>d (3ddd | d2 (3BcB A2 (3def | (3gag F2 (3efe d2 | (3cdc B2 (3Aba G>D ||
G3 B d>ed>B | (3cdc B2 (3ABA G>D | G2 G>B d2 (3Bcd | (3efg a>f g>ed>B |
G>D (3GAB d>GB>d | c2 (3BcB A2 (3DEF | G>DG>B d2 B>d | e<ga>f g2 ||
G2 ||

I also have a very different relative of this but haven’t yet been able to move beyond the first part (16 bars), not where I’m happy with it. I haven’t been able to find notes on it yet and it is that similar to a certain highland fling that I keep slipping into that instead. But I will keep looking. I suspect I’ll wake up in the middle of the night dancing to it, but in the meantime I’ll write a few acquaintances and see if the A-part swings any bells for them… And I’m still looking for a particular dance I may add here later…

Just been listening to the first recording by “Danu”. They recorded this tune but didn’t have a name for it - it’s Track 6 on the CD, titled as “Barndance”.

This is yet another posting of the old banjo tune the Darkie’s Dream: https://thesession.org/tunes/9613 In D instead of G and with a simplified melody.

Got curious about all this after working out a very nice barndance Kimmel recorded a century ago and wanted to see if it was here already, doesn’t seem to be the case, will post that and also the bona fide real honest to gosh Kerry Mills’s Barn Dance, the one composed by the man himself, which is a beautiful tune as well.

Orla and Brogan………….

https://youtu.be/oUmXG6HAVGE

play video

Source recording : https://youtu.be/YYTfCUusJ18

play video