Key signature: Dmajor
Submitted on October 14th 2007 by Dr. Dow.
This tune has been added to 19 tunebooks.
Also known as Dollie's The Girl For Me, Dolly's The Girl For Me, The Sailor Lassie.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Polly The Lass
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
R: slip jig
K: Dmaj
G|FAF ded c2A|BdB AFD E2G|FDD ded c2A|Bgf edc d2:|
g|f2d fag fed|c2A cec A2g|f2d fag fed|Bgf edc d2g|
f2d fag fed|c2A cec A2g|fdf ~a3 bag|fed ABc d2||
Polly The Lass
I first learnt this tune years ago from an English melodeon player who played it in Gmaj, making it unworkably high for the fiddle.
I think it must be originally Scottish, as 2 different version of the tune appear in James Aird’s Selections of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs (1782-97) under the titles The Sailor Lassie and Dollie's The Girl For Me. One of these versions was then copied into O'Neill's Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody (1922). Despite this, it has never gained a foothold in the Irish repertoire, and as far as I know, it hasn't yet been recorded by any Irish musicians, although a few English ceilidh bands/musicians have recorded it.
The earliest version I can find is this one in Cmaj from William Vickers (last bar has been corrected):
X: 1
T: Polly The Lass
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
R: slip jig
S: William Vickers MS. (1770)
K: Cmaj
C|EGE cdc B2G|AcA GEC D2F|EGE cdc B2G|Afe dcB c2:|
|:f|e2c egf edc|B2G BdB G2f|e2c egf edc|Afe dcB c2:|
Transposed into Dmaj, that becomes:
X: 1
T: Polly The Lass
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
R: slip jig
S: William Vickers MS. (1770)
K: Dmaj
D|FAF ded c2A|BdB AFD E2G|FAF ded c2A|Bgf edc d2:|
|:g|f2d fag fed|c2A cec A2g|f2d fag fed|Bgf edc d2:|
That's very similar to my version, only mine has a 2nd time ending on the B-part, which I took from the Aird's/O'Neill's setting. I've heard the tune both ways - with and without the 2nd time ending. I think it sounds better with the nice turn-around back into the A-part. The F2D ded c2A idea of going to the low D comes from versions I've heard by ceilidh bands, and also the original setting I learnt.
You can find some other versions on JC's online tune index.
# Posted on October 14th 2007 by Dr. Dow
"Dolly's The Girl For Me" ~ and a very nice tune too...
X: 4
T: Dolly's the Girl for Me
M: 9/8
L: 1/8
R: slip jig
K: D Major
|: D |
FAF ded c2 A | B/c/dB AFD E2 G |
F/G/AF ded cAA | Bgf e>dc d2 :|
|: g |
f2 d f/g/ag fed | c2 A c/d/ec Acg |
fdd f>ag fed | Bgf e>dc d2 :|
# Posted on October 14th 2007 by ceolachan
It's an apparition of the Shandon Belfry Spirit in the form of a slip jig. http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1200
# Posted on October 14th 2007 by CreadurMawnOrganig
I thought something smelt fishy.
# Posted on October 14th 2007 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Are the origins of The Shandon Bells traceable to Scotland or England? Seeing as the double jig is played very widely in Ireland, it seems likely that the related slip jig was also played there at some time. C. - Would I be right to assume that the popularity of set dancing is partly (if not largely) responsible for the scarcity of slip jigs in the repertoires of most Irish musicians nowadays?
# Posted on October 14th 2007 by CreadurMawnOrganig
A dearth of slip jigs ~
No, I wouldn't think so. Before the explosion of interest in the sets that swept over everything in the 80's, for good and ill, slip jigs didn't feature as a large or present percentage in sessions. Some folks and some places gave them the occasional airing. I've always loved them and some of the folks I played with would usually includes sets of them, including set dances or the step dance variety, as well as other less usual items of affection, like mazurkas and the slew of things that can be filed under 'swing', such as the hornpipe family...
They weren't confined to stepping and slip jigs were also a small part of the large selection of 'country dances' that swept these isles, including having been danced in Eire / Ireland...
I've always wanted to work to revive them in group dancing, and I don't mean some of the weird attempts to incorporate them and the stepping in 'new' sets of quadrilles, but rather something more down to earth and geared up for a wide variety of 'regular' folk rather than step dancers and competition / exhibition dancing. There is a selfish drive there, to have more opportunities to hear and play slip jigs, and to occassionally dance to them ~ other than just one of the several varieties of the good ol' standard "Strip the Willow"...which we also enjoy... Slip jigs, for my wife and I, just make us want to dance...
To conclude, in my opinion, no, Sets (of quadrilles) are not responsible for lessening the presence of slip jigs being played amongst musicians. 'Sessions' and a long standing preference for speed, 4/4, reels ~ has been present for as long as I've been present... Viva la difference... I hope variety is growing with understanding and appreciation of all that this tradition is and offers... I live in hope...
# Posted on October 14th 2007 by ceolachan