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Captain Bing polka

Also known as Capt. Bing, Capt. Byng, Captain Byng, Donal O’Connor’s #3, Neily Cleere’s, Nelly Cleere’s.

There are 14 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

Captain Bing appears in 3 other tune collections.

Captain Bing has been added to 9 tune sets.

Captain Bing has been added to 50 tunebooks.

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Four settings

1
X: 1
T: Captain Bing
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:g>f gd|BG GA/B/|c/B/A a>g|fd ef|
g>f gd|BGGA/B/|c/B/A dF|G2 G>d:|
BG dG|BG GA/B/|c/B/A eA|cAA>c|
BG dG|BG GA/B/|c/B/A dF|G2GA:|
2
X: 2
T: Captain Bing
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:g/a/g/f/ g>d|BG GA/B/|c/B/A a>g|fd ef|
g>f gd|BG G2|c/B/A dF|G2 G2:|
|:BG dG|BG GA/B/|c/B/A eA|cA E/F/G/A/|
BG d>G|BG GA/B/|c/B/A dF|G2 G2:|
3
X: 3
T: Captain Bing
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:g>f gd|BG GA/B/|c/B/A a>g|fd ef|
g>f gd|BG GA/B/|c/B/A dF|1 G2 G>d:|2 G2 G>A||
|:BG dG|BG GA/B/|c/B/A eA|cA A>c|
BG dG|BG GA/B/|c/B/A dF|1 G2 G>A:|2 G2 G>d||
4
X: 4
T: Captain Bing
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:BG dG|BG GA/B/|cA eA|cA A2|BA/G/ dG|
BG GA/B/|1 cA dF|G2 G2:|2 cA FD|G2 Bd||
|:~g3d|BG GA/B/|ce a/b/a/g/|fd ef||~g3d|
BG GA/B/|1 cA dF|(G2 G)e/f/:|2 cA FD|G4||

Five comments

on request.
learned from Bulmer and Sharpley “Music of Ireland” about twenty years ago , might not be exactly taht version anymore. This is a composition by Nathaniel Gow (1764-1831).
Our set goes on with Tom McVicars and Dennis Murphy’s Polka.

“Captain Byng” ~ “Music from Ireland: Volume Two”

Compiled & published by Dave Bulmer & Neil Sharpley, 1974
ISBN: 0-9503784-10

Page 20, tune #74: “Captain Byng”
~ very close to swisspiper’s transcription

X: 3
T: Captain Byng
S: Music from Ireland: Volume Two, Bulmer & Sharpley
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Gmaj
|: g>f gd | BG GA/B/ | c/B/A a>g | fd ef |
g>f gd | BG GA/B/ | c/B/A dF |[1 G2 G>d :|[2 G2 G>A ||
|: BG dG | BG GA/B/ | c/B/A eA | cA A>c |
BG dG | BG GA/B/ | c/B/A dF |[1 G2 G>A :|[2 G2 G>d |]

Neily Cleeres No.1, X:4

This setting from the great Sliabh Luachra fiddler Julia (Murphy) Clifford and her son, fluter Billy Clifford. The two recorded it on the LP “Ceol as Sliabh Luachra” along with another tune also attributed to Neily Cleere ( https://thesession.org/tunes/3128 ). While I don’t know who the Neily Cleere in question was, there was a fiddler around in Killenaule, Co. Tipperary during the ‘60s that was the inspiration for a Sean Ryan composition. Julia and Billy played a few other Tipperary polkas, like the Upperchurch Polkas, that makes the connection seemingly more valid. The second Neily Cleere tune is very tonal and has been attributed to Patrick O’Keeffe, but it is no stretch that Patrick got it from Julia, or Neily. Regardless, they are lovely tunes and are more than worth learning.