The Lady Of The House

reel

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on November 7th 2002 by Brad Maloney.

This tune has been added to 45 tunebooks.

Also known as Annie Walsh's, The Cows Are A-Milking, The Cows Are Milking, Lasses Keep Your Legs Together, Mistress Of The House.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

As I Carelessly Did Stray... by Harry Bradley
Ballinasloe Fair: Early Irish Music In America by Various Artists
Bloody Men by Steeleye Span
His Original Recordings by John McKenna
Just Intonational Music Of Two Pipers by Adrian Jefferies And Billy McCormick
Like Magic by Todd Denman And Bill Dennehy
Milestone At The Garden by Irish Fiddle Masters From The 78 RPM Era
One And All: The Best Of Cherish The Ladies by Cherish The Ladies
Out And About by Cherish The Ladies
Reeds And Rosin by Todd Denman And Dale Russ
Sets In The City by Tipsy House
Sligo Fiddle (Disk 1) by John Vesey
The Killaville Sessions by Ceoltoiri Coleman
The Wheels Of The World, Early Irish American Music, Vol. 1 by Various Artists

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: Lady Of The House, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
|: GABG c2BA | GBdg (3ege dB | GABG A2 (3Bcd | eA~A2 eA~A2 |
GABG c2BA | GBdg (3ege dB | GABG A2Bc | dBAc BGG2 :|
|: gfeg fedf | efge dBAB | GABG A2 (3Bcd | eA~A2 eA~A2 |
gfeg fedf | efge dBAB | GABG A2Bc | dBAc BGG2 :||

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Lady of the House

I first heard this tune from Mary Bergin on Feadoga Stain II, I also heard it played by Joannie Madden. It has a similar title to the "Woman of the House" which is a different reel. It's a good reel which isn't too hard to play.

# Posted on November 7th 2002 by Brad Maloney

It sounds like a relative of The Nine Points of Roguery.

# Posted on November 8th 2002 by CreadurMawnOrganig

Mistress Of The House, Annie Walsh's

I asked Joe Burke about this tune and he told me he got it from his piano player whom he recorded the tune with ages ago. Her name was Annie Walsh, and so that's the title they gave it on the recording. How Mary Bergin came up with "Woman of the House" is anyone's guess, but people have altered the name various ways ever since in an attempt to lower the confusion factor.

# Posted on May 30th 2004 by Phantom Button

I should add that Joe mentioned Annie composed this tune.

# Posted on December 11th 2006 by Phantom Button

Jack, I think this tune is older than Annie Walsh, and that she can't really be said to have composed it. The evidence is in O'Neill's. Have a look at the tune below (I simplified the ornamentation and stuff to make it easier to read). The tune appears to be a sort of "missing link", in that it contains elements of both the common setting of Woman Of The House and this tune Brad has posted. This also explains the business with the title. I'd guess that they're different versions of the same tune that have diverged over time.

X: 1
T: The Woman of the House
R: Reel
N: Collected by F. O'Neill
S: O'Neill's 1300
M: C|
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
GB~B2 cBAB|GBdg e2d2|GB~B2 cBAB|eA~A2 eA~A2|
GB~B2 cBAB|GBdg e2d2|G2BG A2GA|BcAc BG~G2:|
f2fd e2ed|gfge dBGB|f2fd e2ed|eA~A2 eA~A2|
1 f2fd e2ed|gfge dBGB|G2BG A2GA|BcAc BG~G2:|
2 gaba gfed|efge dBAB|G2BG A2GA|BcAc BG~G2||

# Posted on December 28th 2006 by Dow

The Cows Are A-Milking

Here's another source that proves beyond doubt that your info is incorrect. I've changed the time sig from 2/4 to 4/4

Also, Breathnach (1963) writes that the reel is related to Woman of the House, according to the FC.

I quite like the title "The Cows Are A-Milking".

# Posted on December 28th 2006 by Dow