New Irish barndance

Imagine my great suprise a good few years ago when I was playing the De Danaan recording of this and my former mother-in-law in Sweden burst into song and sang Swedish words to this tune. Unfortunately I have now forgotten them

The New Irish Barn Dance -
from the playing of ‘The Flannagan Brothers’

|:>g f>e|d2 d>B A2 A>F|G>FG>A B2 B2|A>^GA>C e2 e2|f>^ef>=e d>ef>e|
d3 B A3 F|G>FG>A B4|(3ABA c>B A>GF>E|1. D>dA>F D>:|
2. D>dA>F D2||

|:(3Bcd|e2 e2 e2 e2|(3cec A>c e4|(3BcB ^A>B e4|(3cdc A>c e2 (3Bcd|
e2 e2 e2 e2|(3cec A>c e4|1. e>f^a>f e>dc>B|A>Bc>B A2:|
2. (3efe ^af e>dc>B|A2 G2 F2 E2||

|:d2 d>B A2 A>F|G>FG>A B4|A>^GA>C e4|f>^ef>=e d>ef>e|
(3ddd d>B (3AAA A>F|G>FG>A B2 B2|(3AAA c>B A>GF>E|1. D>EF>A d>gf>e:|
2. D2 A2 d2||

|:D2|G6 e2|d6 B2|=c>Bc>B c3 A|B>^AB>A B2 d2|
G2 G2 G2 e2|c2 c2 c2 e2|(3ded f>e d>=cB>A|G2 B2 G2:|

|:g2|(3gag ec G2 e2|(3ded BG D2 D2|DEFG A=cBA|GAB=c d2 g2|
(3gag ec G2 e2|(3ded BG D4|DEFG ADEF|1. G2 B2 G2:|
2. G2 B2 G>||

On the released commercial recording the Flannagan Brothers play it in the following sequence:

AA-BB-A-CC-DD-A-B-A-C-DD…

tempos: 160-185

Another ABC transcription can be found here as well as a connection to a Swedish comedy, 1968 - - - music is there for the taking by any ear who’s fancy it charms:

http://lochaber.tullochgorm.com/~jc/music/abc/shottish/NewIrishBarnDance_1.abc

Key signature: G Major
Submitted on January 4th 2007 by nicholas.
https://thesession.org/tunes/6594

K: G Major
|: (3def |
g2 g>e d2 B2 | c>B c>d e4 | d2 d>f a2 a2 | b>c’ b>a g2 b>a|
g2 g>e d2 B2 | c>B c>d e3 e | d2 f>e d>c B>A | G2 B2 G2 :|
|: (3efg |
a2 a2 a3 g | f2 d>f a3 a | e2 ^c>e a2 a2 | f2 d>f a2 (3efg |
a2 a2 a3 g | f2 d>f a3 a | a>b ^c’>b a>g f>e | d2 f2 d2 :|
|: D2 |
G4-G2 e2 | d4-d2 B2 | =c2 c>B c2 A2 | B2 B>_B =B2 D2 |
G4-G2 e2 | =c4- c2 ^c2 | d2 f>e d>=c B>A | G2 B2 G2 :|

"I bet it’s gone in under another name, but when I was looking at the tune list of De Danaan’s "The Star Spangled Molly" in the Recordings section of this site I saw that this tune was not in red print, the sign of a tune’s being in the database. So I’ve had a go. It’s a two-key tune and I forget which keys the band played it in, so I’ve entered it with the first and third parts in G, the second in D - that way it fits the range of a whistle, but is mainly in the upper register, in places a mite shrill. Players of this tune on other instruments may well prefer other keys. It’s irresistable when played by De Danaan."

# Posted on January 4th 2007 by nicholas

This setting is just the thing to play
during a free-for-all with chairs being busted over heads, people thrown face first down the bar, tables being overturned and the cops wielding nightsticks to restore order.

While a little elderly couple over in the corner dance the barndance in a lovely reserved way, with smiles and oblivious to it all… 😉

A little information about this tune can be found here:

http://danieltneely.com/?p=144

The composer of the tune is (according to the performing rights associations) one Erik Uppström (1881-1968), who was a military musician and composer from Stockholm, Sweden. He would have been 34 years old when the first recording of this tune was made in 1916 by John Lager and Eric Olson, which seems reasonable.