An Boithrin Cam jig

Woe to the musicians who keep learning and playing technically challenging tunes. Here’s a little gem.

I first heard this slide-like jig on Breda Keville’s phenomenal debut recording. And this morning I came across it on the recording of Clare FM programme "Music in the Glen," originally broadcast a few months back. That was a great concertina and pipes duet of Jacqueline McCarthy and Tommy Keane, and Breda Keville indeed cites them as the source. According to the notes, Tommy Keane originally heard Junior Crehan playing it at a fiddle recital at the Willie Clancy Summer School in 1970s.

I can’t find any more info about the tune except that the title means something like "the crooked lane." It might be another composition of Junior Crehan: "Mist on the Mountains" and "An Port Ard" have a similar feel. Not sure if there’s any recording of Crehan himself playing it, but you could almost see him playing it while listening to Breda Keville play it.

I was experimenting with Tunepal today and tried this tune out on it. One of the alternatives it came up with was The Road to Cree from Breathnachs Book 2. When I looked at the music in Ceol Rince it seems similar to that played by Breda Keville. The Road to Cree appears to be tune 83 in Breathnachs Book 2, the source for which is given as from Martin ["Junior"] Crehan [fiddle], Miltown Malbay, County Clare, VIII, 1959.

So is this the same tune ? If it is then the Junior Crehan connection seems even stronger. Is there another the connection between the names and the origin of the tune. (I am led to believe that the irish title means the Crooked Lane) ?

X:1
T:Road to Cree B.Breathnach: "Ceol Rince na hEireann" II/83 (gan ainm) Trans B.Black
R:jig
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:Ador
G |: EAA A2B|c2d efe|dBA B2A|GEE E2D|
EAA A2B|c2d e2f|1 gfe dcB|cBA BAG :|2 gfe dBG|B2A A3||
a2g efg|a2g e2f|g2e d2e|g2a bag|
a2g efg|a2g e2f|gfe dBG|1 BAA A2a :|2 BAA A2||

Thanks, stoneboy2. That seems to be the same tune.

Ceol Rince setting
X:1
T:Road to Cree B.Breathnach: "Ceol Rince na hEireann" II/83 (gan ainm) Trans B.Black
R:jig
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:Ador
G |: EAA A2B|c2d efe|dBA B2A|GEE E2D|
EAA A2B|c2d e2f|1 gfe dcB|cBA BAG :|2 gfe dBG|B2A A3||
a2g efg|a2g e2f|g2e d2e|g2a bag|
a2g efg|a2g e2f|gfe dBG|1 BAA A2a :|2 BAA A2||

# Posted by stoneboy 4 years ago.

Just adding this to get the sheetmusic available on this page…