The Humours Of Bahrain polka

I learnt this off the cd They Sailed Away From Dublin Bay by Liam Farrell And Joe Whelan.

I don’t know why Farrell and Whelan recorded it as Taylor’s cross because it was written by Paddy O‘Brien [Nenagh] and titled The Humours of Bahrain. In fact, the three polkas that appear on They sailed Away from Dublin Bay were written by Paddy O’Brien and have different titles.

Taylor’s Cross = The Humours of Bahrain
All the Way to Galway = The Sheik’s Fancy
The Barna = Emir’s Delight

But thanks for posting. Its a nice tune.

J.D.C. Publications Ltd., 1992

Page 32: Polkas ~ “The Humours of Bahrain”

Transcribed from the playing of Matt Cunningham & family…

Good one, “C” - I’ll have to learn it. Shame that you don’t have a title for it. Yes, I know it’s often notoriously difficult to assign names to polkas. But this one is somehow distinctive, so it might well have a title.

Until such time as we do have a name, I suppose we could always call it “Cunningham’s Polka” …

https://thesession.org/recordings/2915

track 5 - polkas: Gan Ainm / Gan Ainm

1st of 2 in a set with: “Gan Ainm”
# Added by ceolachan - October 4th, 2013
https://thesession.org/tunes/13038 

Matt does throw some of his own compositions into the mix in his later recordings, but I don’t think this is one. Yes, I tend to hesitate adding new tunes I’ve no name for or can’t remember, or find my notes for it, preferring to add them with an identity. I have a lot of ‘gan ainms’… 🙁 😉

I am told Paddy O’Brien hated polkas, and that he only composed three. Nonetheless, the three are great, despite the (demeaning?) names.

The Humors of Bahrain (https://thesession.org/tunes/8552) -- this one
The Sheikh’s Fancy (https://thesession.org/tunes/8585)
The Emir’s Delight (https://thesession.org/tunes/8596)