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Contentment Is Wealth jig

Also known as The Sheep In The Meadow.

Contentment Is Wealth appears in 2 other tune collections.

Contentment Is Wealth has been added to 10 tune sets.

Contentment Is Wealth has been added to 78 tunebooks.

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Five settings

1
X: 1
T: Contentment Is Wealth
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Edor
|:F|GFG Eed|BAB EFG|FEF DdB|AFD Def|
gfe edB|BAB dcd|BdB DFA|GED E2:|
|:f|gbe gbe|geg bag|fdd Add|fdf afd|
gfe edB|BAB dcd|BdB DFA|GED E2:|
2
X: 2
T: Contentment Is Wealth
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Edor
|:F|GFG Eed|BAB E2 G|FEF DdB|AFD Def|
gfe edB|BAF d2 B|AFD DFA|GEE E2:|
|:f|gbe gbe|gbb bag|fad fad|faa afd|
gfe edB|BAF d2 B|AFD DFA|GEE E2:|
# Added by Tate .
3
X: 3
T: Contentment Is Wealth
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Edor
|:F|GFG Eed|BAB E2 G|FEF DdB|AFD Def|
gfe edB|BAB dcd|B/c/dB AGF|GEE E2:|
|:f|gbe gbe|gfg bag|fdd Add|fdf afd|
gfe edB|BAB dcd|B/c/dB AGF|GEE E2:|
# Added by Tate .
4
X: 4
T: Contentment Is Wealth
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Emin
|:F|GFG EBA|GFG EFG|FEF DdB|AFD D2 f|
gfe edB|BAF d3|G/A/BG FAF|1 GEE E2:|2 GEE E3||
|:e2e Beg|bge gfe|d2d Adf|afd fed|
e2e Beg|bge gfe|B/c/dB AFA|GEE E3:|
5
X: 5
T: Contentment Is Wealth
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Edor
EF|~G3 Eed|~B3 dBA|~F3 DdB|AFD Dzf|
~g3 edB|BAB dzd|B/2c/2dB DFA|GED EEF|
~G3 Ezd|~B3 EAG|~F3 DdB|AFD Def|
~g3 edB|BAB dzd|B/2c/2dB AGF|GED EEB||
~e3 Beg|bge gfe|ded Adf|afd fed|
eze Beg|bge gfe|B/2c/2dB AGF|GED EEz|
~e3 Beg|bge gfe|ded Adf|~a3 afd|
eze Beg|bge gfe|B/2c/2dB AGF|GED EEF||

Ten comments

Contentment Is Wealth (jig)

There are 2 distinct (or distantly related?) tunes known by this name, but I believe this is the more common one. I picked it up from the playing of Leeds Ceili Band recorded more than 10 years ago. Brian Rooney recorded a very similar version on the box, citing Paddy Killoran as the source.

The other one’s more common in sessions I go to.

Keyboard

If a Cape Bretoner tells you to play the Golden Keyboard, they mean this one.

No. The other “Contentment is Wealth” is the one played as “the Golden Keyboard” in Cape Breton.

Contentment Is Wealth, X:4

Taken from ‘A Fine Selection of Over 200 Irish Traditional Tunes for Sessions’, compiled by David Speers with a Forward by Matt Cranitch. This setting doesn’t have the octave leap in the first bar which, I think, makes those in the third and fourth bars a bit more of a contrast.

Re: Contentment Is Wealth

A lovely jig, very closely related to “The Lumps of Pudding” in the English tradition–used by John Gay as the tune to the last song in “The Beggar’s Opera.

The first jig I’ve really fallen in love with. Joe McKenna does a really great recording on the album “The Irish Low Whistle,” with some nice ornamentation and interesting inversions.

Contentment Is Wealth, X:5

Transcribed from a video of Mary Bergin (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXuGAjaae3M). Transcribed doubled up to show some slight variations.


From video description: Contentment is wealth, jig ; the Mooncoin jig / Mary Bergin, tin whistle. ITMA field recordings of the whistle and flute recital, Willie Clancy Summer School, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare, 8 July 2008. REFNO: 341-ITMA–DVD