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The Trooper jig

Also known as An Calmfhear, Bill The Weaver.

There are 3 recordings of this tune.

The Trooper appears in 1 other tune collection.

The Trooper has been added to 11 tunebooks.

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Two settings

1
X: 1
T: The Trooper
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
f|:gfe dBA|BEF G2A|~B3 def|~g3 agf|
gfe dBA|BEF G2A|~B3 dBd|1 e3 e2f:|2 e3 e2 d||
|:e2 e ede|f/g/ag fed|e2 e efg|a3 f/g/af|
e2 e ede|f/g/ag fed|BAB def|1 g3 f/g/af:|2 g3 f/g/af|g3z3||
2
X: 2
T: The Trooper
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
gg/f/e dB^A|BEF G2 =A|B^AB def|g2 b =agf|
e/f/ge dB^A|BEF G2 =A|B^AB d^cd|e3 e2:|
ee/e/e e^de|f/g/ag fe=d|e2 e efg|a2 g faf|
e2 e e^de|fag fe=d|1 B^AB dd/e/f|g2 e f2:|2 B^AB d^cd|e3 e2||

Nine comments

An Calmfhear / The Trooper.

This one is a jig played by Kerry accordeon player Johnny O’Leary on his album An Calmfhear.It didn’t show up when I searched the Tunes section under these names, but I suppose there’s a chance it could be in there somewhere under another name. Anyway, it’s labelled as a "port" - a jig, as opposed to a slide.

"The Orange Rogue" ~ all in the family, at least the A-part

Key signature: E Dorian (w/ unfinished B-part)
Submitted on August 16th 2002 by KDJ.
https://thesession.org/tunes/899

"The Trooper" ~ the name both Tom Billy & Johnny O’Leary had for this

& another take under various influences ~

X: 2
T: The Trooper
S: Tom Billy / Johnny O’Leary / etc…
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Gmaj
|: f |
gg/f/e dB^A | BEF G2 =A | B^AB def | g2 b =agf |
e/f/ge dB^A | BEF G2 =A | B^AB d^cd | e3 e2 :|
|: g |
ee/e/e e^de | f/g/ag fe=d | e2 e efg | a2 g faf |
e2 e e^de | fag fe=d |1 B^AB dd/e/f | g2 e f2 :|2 B^AB d^cd | e3 e2 ||

The first measure or the A-part can be the same as the 5th, or ~
| ege dB^A |

I just realized I’d first written out the above in 12/8, the reason for those ‘naturals’ (=)… 😏 I had a scrawl of ABCs for this that I was working from, someone having barred it as a slide, 12/8…

In other words, from that example ~
|: e/f/ge dBA BEF G2 A | ~
~ or, as I’ve given it above ~
|: f | gg/f/e dB^A BEF G2 =A | ~

"Johnny O’Leary of Sliabh Luachra: Dance Music from the Cork-Kerry Border"

edited by Terry Moylan
The Lilliput Press, Dublin, 1994
ISBN: 1-874675-42-2

Page 58, tune #100: "The Trooper"

Transcribed here, by Terry Moylan, as a slide, 12/8…
Johnny played this at the time at 120 bpm,
4 beats to a 12/8 bar = 2 to a 6/8 bar…

Johnny O’Leary: "I’ll never forget one jig from Tom Billy, ‘The Trooper’, I learned it from him also."

X: 3
T: The Trooper
B: "Johnny O’Leary of Sliabh Luachra: Dance Music from the Cork-Kerry Border"
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
R: slide
K: G Major
|: d | e/f/ge dBA BEF G/F/GA | BAB def gfg agf | ~
|: d | e2 e ede f/g/ag fed | eff efg a2 a f/g/af | ~

Where’ve you been of late, Ceolachan? Boozing in Bulgaria, carousing in Caracas, slumming it in Sligo? Tell us all.

Yes! ~ or so I wish… 😎

Why does Durham seem so far away? 😉

Because it is.