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The Holly Bush jig

Also known as An Scrobarnaċ Cuilinn, The Bellharbour, Chris Droney’s, Three Little Drummers, The Three Little Drummers.

There are 33 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

The Holly Bush appears in 1 other tune collection.

The Holly Bush has been added to 25 tune sets.

The Holly Bush has been added to 132 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Eight settings

1
X: 1
T: The Holly Bush
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
BAG GDG|GDG ABc|BAG edc|BdB cBA|
BAG GDG|GDG ABc|BAG edB|def g3:|
|:gdd gdd|gdd dcB|Acc Acc|Acc cBA|
~B3 ~c3|BAG Adc|BAG edB|def g3:|
2
X: 2
T: The Holly Bush
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
BAG GDG|GDG ABc|~B3 edc|BdB cBA|
BAG GDG|GDG ABc|~B3 edc|1 def g2d:|2 def g2f||
|:gdd gdd|gdd dcB|Acc Acc|Acc c2c|
~B3 ~c3|d2d ABc|~B3 edc|1 def g3f:|2 def g2d||
3
X: 3
T: The Holly Bush
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
A|BAG GDG|GDG ABc|~B3 edc|BdB cBA|
BAG GDG|GDG ABc|~B3 edc|def g2:|
|:f|gdd gdd|gdd dcB|Acc AcA|~c3 cBA|
~B3 cBc|dBG Fdc|~B3 edc|def g2:|
4
X: 4
T: The Holly Bush
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
aee aee|aee {a}edc|Bdd Bdd|Bdd {e}dcB|
cBc ded|~cBA Bed|~cBA {g}fec|efg a2 z:|
cBA {d}BAE|AEA Bcd|~cBA {g}fed|cec dcB|
cBA {d}BAE|AEA Bcd|~cBA {g}fed|efg a2 z:|
5
X: 5
T: The Holly Bush
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
BAG g2d|ge/f/g abc'|bag edc|B/c/dB cBA|
BAG g2d|ge/f/g abc'|bag edB|def g3:|
6
X: 6
T: The Holly Bush
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
D|:BAG G2D|GFG ABc|BAG edc|B/c/dB cBA|
BAG G2D|G2 G ABc|BAG edB|def g2d:|
|:gdd gdd|gdd dcB|Acc Acc|Acc cBA|
B2 B cdc|BAG Fdc|BAG edB|1 def g2d:|2 def g2D|
7
X: 7
T: The Holly Bush
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
A|:FED c2A|dcd efg|fed BAG|F/G/AF GFE|
FED c2A|d2 d efg|fed BAF|ABc d2A:|
|:daa daa|daa agf|egg egg|egg gfe|
f2 f gfg|fed cAG|FED BAF|1 ABc d2A:|2 ABc d2A|
8
X: 8
T: The Holly Bush
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
|:cBA BAE|AEA Bcd|cBA fed|cec dcB|
cBA BAE|AEA Bcd|cBA fed|efg a2 z:|
|:aee aee|aee edc|Bdd Bdd|Bdd dcB|
cBc ded|cBA Bed|cBA fec|efg a2 z:|

Twelve comments

Dow- something amazing just happened. I can read ABCs! My life has changed for ever…..

I think it might be cos I already play this tune but ye never know….

The Holly Bush

From Matt Molloy & Sean Keane’s "Contentment Is Wealth". Also recorded as The Three Little Drummers on Chris Droney’s "Fertile Rock" and Tola Custy & Cyril O’Donoghue’s "Setting Free". The version on Setting Free is as follows:

X: 1
T: The Three Little Drummers
T: Holly Bush, The
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Gmaj
BAG GDG|GDG ABc|~B3 edc|BdB cBA|
BAG GDG|GDG ABc|~B3 edc|1 def g2d:|2 def g2f||
|:gdd gdd|gdd dcB|Acc Acc|Acc c2c|
~B3 ~c3|d2d ABc|~B3 edc|1 def g3f:|2 def g2d||

It’s also on the first Trouble in the Kitchen ep, from when they were all little tackers and they had the elusive Dan Gordon playing flute with them

So it is. Ado has a different version again:

X: 1
T: Holly Bush, The
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Gmaj
A|BAG GDG|GDG ABc|~B3 edc|BdB cBA|
BAG GDG|GDG ABc|~B3 edc|def g2:|
|:f|gdd gdd|gdd dcB|Acc AcA|~c3 cBA|
~B3 cBc|dBG Fdc|~B3 edc|def g2:|

Ahhh thank you.
Lovely

I believe this little jig appears on Solas’ 3rd album as Chris Droney’s.

A variation

heard in a friend’s kitchen (parts reversed and transposed to A - cleverly identified by Phantom Button):

X:1
T: The Three Little Drummers
T: Holly Bush, The
M:6/8
L:1/8
R:jig
K:Amaj
aee aee | aee {a}edc | Bdd Bdd | Bdd {e}dcB |
cBc ded | ~cBA Bed | ~cBA {g}fec | efg a2 z :|
cBA {d}BAE | AEA Bcd | ~cBA {g}fed | cec dcB |
cBA {d}BAE | AEA Bcd | ~cBA {g}fed | efg a2 z :|

The Holly Bush - alternative A-part

I learned this alternative A-part from Clare concertina player Flo Fahy. She says she learned it from Chris Droney’s playing and names the tune Three Little Drummers. The extended range is easy on the concertina, maybe not-so-easy on other instruments. The B-part is the same as the other versions here.

BAG g2d|ge/f/g abc’|bag edc|B/c/dB cBA|
BAG g2d|ge/f/g abc’|bag edB|def g3:|

The Holly Bush, X:6

This setting based on Contentment is Wealth https://thesession.org/recordings/264 playing.
I first heard this jig on RTE on Ciarán Mac Mathúna’s gem of a programme on the radio on Sundays: Mo Cheol Thú. He had no name for the tune but said it was a version (or related to) Kitty’s Rambles. I agree with him. (His programme was followed by Sunday Miscellany, a wonderfully calm, unique programme, which I’m pleased to say still goes out on a Sunday at 9am)

The Holly Bush/ Kitty’s Rambles, X:7

This is version X6, dropped down to Dmix and the D of the second phrase flattened to C; the rest is octave switching, which some wind instrument players sometimes do. Apart from the jarring BAF phrase, it passes muster as Kitty’s Rambles.