The Irish

mazurka

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on January 2nd 2003 by lazyhound.

This tune has been added to 101 tunebooks.

Also known as Ó Brógáin's, Brogan's, Charlie Lennon's, Francie Mooney's, Francis Mooney's, Garrett Barry's, The Hag With The Fiddle, Hugh Gillespie's, Johnny Doherty's, The Old Donegal, Old Joe's, Phroinsias', The Polka, The Polka-(Mazurka), The Polka-, Sonny Ó Brógáin's, Sonny Brogan's, Sonny's, Vincent Campbell's.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• A Flying Start by Paul Moran And Fergal Scahill
• A Thousand Farewells by Martin Dowling, Christine Dowling, Daithi Sproule
• A Tribute To Michael Coleman by Joe Burke, Andy McGann And Felix Dolan
• A Whistle On The Wind by Joanie Madden
• Across The Pond by Kevin Griffin, Roger Burridge And Others
• Across The Waters - Irish Traditional Music From England by Various Artists
• Aleanna by Aleanna
• American Special by Stockton's Wing
• An Bodhran: The Irish Drum by Colm Murphy
• An Darna Umhail by Dochas
• Around St. James' Well by Carmel Gunning
• At The Feis by John Doonan
• At The Racket by At The Racket
• Bad Turns And Horse-Shoe Bends by Harry Bradley
• Before Leaving by Caoilte O'Suilleabhain
• Between The Showers by Grainne Hambly
• Boys Of The Lough by Boys Of The Lough
• Celtic Fiddle Festival by Celtic Fiddle Festival
• Celtic Reign by Celtic Reign
• Champions Of Ireland Concertina by Denise Shiel
• Champions Of The North by Dezi Donnelly And Mike McGoldrick
• Cherish The Ladies by Peg McGrath, Kathleen Smyth, Mary Mulholland
• Claddagh Ring by The Tulla Ceili Band
• Classic Recordings Of Irish Traditional Fiddle Music by Hugh Gillespie
• Close To Home by Dónal Clancy
• Come West Along The Road by Brian O'Connor
• Contentment Is Wealth by Matt Molloy And Sean Keane
• Dance Music Of Ireland: Jigs And Reels by Various Artists
• Dance Music Of Ireland: Volume 1 by Matt Cunningham
• Dance Music Of Ireland: Volume 10 by Matt Cunningham
• Dance Music Of Ireland: Volume 3 by Matt Cunningham
• Dancing To Jigs And Reels by Various Artists
• Dansoozies by The Poozies
• Darby's Farewell by Josie McDermott
• Doublin' by Paddy Glackin And Paddy Keenan
• Dratsville by Greanstalk
• Eavesdropper by Kevin Burke And Jackie Daly
• Farewell To Ireland CD 4 (Of A Box Set Of 4) by Various Artists
• Feenish Legacy by Marcus Hernon And Padraic Coyne
• Festival Of Traditional Irish Music by Various Artists
• Foinn Seisiun 1 by Ceoltóirí Cultúrlainne
• Foinn Seisiun 2 by Ceoltóirí Cultúrlainne
• For The Sake Of Old Decency by Cathal McConnel And Len Graham
• For The Same Reason by Anders Trabjerg And Tak Tamura
• Fourmilehouse by Alan And John Kelly
• Fourmilehouse by Alan And John Kelly
• Greenfire by Greenfire
• Grianan by Grianan MTC
• Handed Down by Cathal Hayden
• Harpes D'Irlande by Katrien Delavier
• Hives Of Honeyed Sound by Padraic Mac Mathuna
• Homecoming by Steampacket
• Hungry Grass by Hungry Grass
• I'm Leaving Tipperary by Various Artists
• In Session by Eoin O'Neill
• In The Smoke by Various Artists
• Instrumental by Franz Sanger And Susan Frances
• Irish Fiddle Solos by Pete Cooper
• Irish Jigs by Paul Hutchinson, John Hymas And Tony Harris
• Irish Music by Various Artists
• Irish Women Musicians Of America by Cherish The Ladies
• Island Angel by Altan
• Jack In The Box Irish Session by Tionol
• John Williams by John Williams
• La Veillée Des Veillées by Various Artists
• Last Night's Fun by Last Night's Fun
• Learning Irish Fiddle by Paul McNevin
• Live At Passim by Boys Of The Lough
• Mapless Journey by Kathy Buys
• Memories Of Clare by Bobby Gardiner
• Milestone At The Garden by Irish Fiddle Masters From The 78 RPM Era
• Music At Matt Molloy's by Matt Molloy
• Musical Memories by Charlie Lennon
• North Amerikay by Dale Russ And Finn Macginty
• Off Kilter by Off Kilter
• Over The Edge by Moher
• Pick It Up by Enda Scahill
• Pigtown Fling by Randal Bays And Joel Bernstein
• Piper's Choice Volume 1 by Various Artists
• Pipes, Rods 'n' Reels by Ray Sloan
• Play On by Celtic Fiddle Festival
• Prince Of Pipers by Finbar Furey
• Raise Your Head (A Retrospective) by The Poozies
• Rattlin' Banjos (part 2) by David McNevin
• Roguery Road by Jason O'Rouke And Ruadhrai O'Kane
• Samhradh by Abisko
• Set Dances Of Ireland, Volume II by Various Artists
• Shadows On Stone by Matt Molloy
• Shatter The Calm by Dan Beimborn
• Skin And Bow by Declan Folan And Junior Davey
• Sligo Ceili by Seamus Tansey
• Speed 78 by Mike Rafferty
• Standing Room Only by Eliot Grasso
• Standing Stones by The Crossing
• Stockton's Wing by Stockton's Wing
• Stranger At The Gate by Paddy O'Brien
• Sundry by Shane Cook
• Sweet Nyaa by Moving Cloud
• Take The Bull By The Horns by Tom Doherty
• The Ballydesmond Polka by Dan Herlihy And John Drew
• The Brass Fiddle: Traditional Fiddle Music From Donegal by Various Artists
• The Celtic Harp by The Chieftains
• The Chieftains 1 by The Chieftains
• The Chieftains 3 by The Chieftains
• The Coleman Archive Vol. 2: The Home Place by Various Artists
• The Dusty Miller by Conor, Gay And Seán McKeon
• The Family Album by The McCarthys
• The Hour Before Dawn by Solas
• The Humours Of Lewisham, Volume Three by Aidan Crossey
• The Killaville Sessions by Ceoltoiri Coleman
• The Kitchen Recordings by Seán O'Driscoll And Larry Egan
• The Liffey Banks by Tommy Potts
• The Living Wood by Maire Ni Chathasaigh And Chris Newman
• The Master's Choice by Bobby Gardiner
• The Night Rambler's Companion by Harry Bradley
• The Pipering Of Willie Clancy. Vol 1 by Willie Clancy
• The Pipering Of Willie Clancy. Vol 2 by Willie Clancy
• The Pipes Are Calling by Peter And Noel Carberry
• The Road From Ballybrack by Jim McKillop
• The Ships Are Sailing by Comhaltas Concert Tour Group 1978
• The Silver Spire by Karen Tweed
• The Sligo Champion (CD 1) by Michael Gorman
• The Stone In The Field by Tommy Reck
• The Ulster Outcry by Ar Leitheidi
• They Sailed Away From Dublin Bay by Liam Farrell And Joe Whelan
• Threads Of Time by Cherish The Ladies
• Tony McManus by Tony McManus
• Traditional Irish Music From County Clare by Micho Russell
• Traditional Irish Music On Flute And Guitar by Jack And Jimmy Coen
• Traditional Irish Sessions by Various Artists
• Traditional Music From Clare And Beyond by Gearoid O HAllmhurain
• Traditional Music From Doolin, Co. Clare by Kevin Griffin
• True...Never Been Known To Lie by Knot Fibb'n
• Uilleann Pipes by Pat Mitchell
• Unearthed by Paul McGlinchey
• Wooden Flute Obsession: Volume 3, Disc 2 by Various Artists

X: 1
T: Irish, The
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: mazurka
K: Gmaj
DG|B2 BA GB|d2 dB AB|c2 ce dc|(3Bcd g2 DG|
B2 BA GB|d2 dB AB|c2 cA FA|1 G4:|2 G3 ggf||
|:e2 ce ce|d2 dB AB|c2 cA FA|B2 B ggf|
e2 ce ce|d2 dB AB|c2 cA FA|1 G3 ggf:|2 G4||

Last night (Jan 1st) I saw that fine film "The Road to Perdition", starring Tom Hanks, which is about Irish gangsters in the Chicago of 1931. There was some Irish trad music played, notably at a wake early in the film, when "Old Torn Petticoat" and "Reel of Momentum" were credited. "Old Torn Petticoat" is on this website, but it appears that "Reel of Momentum" was written specially for the film by the box player John M Williams, so probably isn't yet available anywhere (someone prove me wrong, please!)

Also credited in the film was "The Irish Mazurka" - I'm not sure I caught it - so here is the tune of the same name from Norbeck's collection of mazurkas. For the purposes of this website, though, I've had to call it a waltz.

Here are some other versions of the tune, all from Norbeck:

"variations"
|:DG|B2 BA GB|d2 dB AB|c2 cA FA|(3Bcd g2 DG|
B2 BA GB|d2 dB AB|c2 cA FA|1 G4:|2 G3 ggf||
|:e2 ce ce|d2 dB AB|c2 cA FA|B2 B ggf|
e2 ce ce|d2 dB AB|c2 cA FA|1 G3 ggf:|2 G4||

"Hugh Gillespie's version"
|:DG|B2 BA GB|d2 d2 AB|c2 ce dc|B2 B2 DG|
B2 BA GB|d2 d2 AB|cB cA EF|G4:|
|:gf|e2 ef (3gfe|d2 d2 AB|c2 ce dc|B2 B2 gf|
e2 ef (3gfe|d2 d2 AB|cB cA EF|G4:|

"Vincent Campbell's version"
DG|B2 BA GB|d2 dB AB|c2 ce dc|Bd g2 DG|
B2 BA GB|d2 dB AB|c2 cA FA|1 G4:|2 G3 ggf||
|:e2 ce ce|d2 dB AB|c2 ce dc|B3 ggf|
e2 ce ce|d2 dB AB|c2 cA FA|1 G3 ggf:|2 G4||

trevor

# Posted on January 2nd 2003 by lazyhound

Son of Sonny's?

This is possibly a variation as opposed to variant of the same tune that some of you will probably already know. It is in the key of D major. It certainly has a lot of similarities, employing the same motifs particularly in the first part.
I learned this at the first session I ever went to back home in N. Ireland. The local musicians used to play it followed by the G major tune and referred to the set as "Sonny's Mazurkas".
They certainly thought of them as two distinct tunes. Make up your own minds and do, please let me know your view.
X: 1
T: Sonny's #1
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: mazurka
K: Dmaj
DF|A2 AG FA|d2 dA BA|G3 B AG|FA EA DF|
A2 AG FA|de dA BA|G3 g fe|d4:||:
Ad|f2 fa gf|e2 eg fe|d2 df ed|cd Bd Ad|
f2 fa gf|e2 eg fe|d2 df ec|d4 :||
I have included the headers so you can cut and paste straight into a conversion program, if like me you find it easier to read the dots rather than abc.

Mazurkas can easily be over-ornamented.
I would play this with long rolls on the dotted crotchets (quarter notes) but leaving the minims (half notes) plain.
I would play the crotchets slightly staccato on some occasions and on others use a long roll incorporating the crotchet and following quaver (1/8 note) giving a mix of stacatto and legato as too much stacatto can be tedious.
Tempo around 1/4 note = 150 - 160.
I hope this of interest to those of you unfamiliar with mazurkas.

# Posted on January 12th 2003 by milesnagopaleen

2

I learned this with another mazurka after it.They're called the Old Donegal Mazurkas 1&2,or Vincent Campbells 1&2,or Francis Mooneys1&2,I think.

# Posted on November 20th 2003 by seisflutes

Vincent Campbell's Mazurka - info required

Does anyone know the lowdown on this tune? Most importantly, is it traditional, rather than a composition? I need to know if it's in copyright. Cheers!

# Posted on September 4th 2004 by Nell

Both mazurkas have been in the tradition for the long haul, the dances being popular from the 1800s up until before World War II. There are a lot of players whose names have been given to both tunes that are sometimes called 'Vincent Campbell's'. There are always stories going about, and I'm sure I once heard someone attribute 'Sonny's' ('Sonny Brogan's') to one of the many names you can find attached to it, even though tune predated the birth of the person who was said to have composed it. They just happened to play it, and with 'no name' (gan ainm), people who'd learned it from them gave it the name of the player. A lot of people have recorded both of the tunes listed by that name on site here, in several keys...

# Posted on September 4th 2004 by ceolachan

I don't have it on hand here, but I think at least one of them was in 'The Roche Collection', something you could probably chase up...

# Posted on September 4th 2004 by ceolachan

http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/V.htm

# Posted on September 4th 2004 by ceolachan

http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/V.htm#VINCENT_CAMPBELL'S_MAZURKAS

http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/PRIN_PY.htm#PROINSIAS_O'_MAONAIGH_[1]

http://www.irishtune.info/tune/896/
http://www.ibiblio.org/folkindex/s14.htm
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/SO_SOR.htm

http://www.irishtune.info/tune/896/
http://www.ibiblio.org/keefer/Irima1

Gillespie, Hugh. Classic Recordings of Irish Traditional Music, Green Linnet SIF3006C

# Posted on September 4th 2004 by ceolachan

I've also heard this mazurka played in the key of 'D', as on the single 'D' row of a melodeon, dropping down to the 'A, below middle 'C'...

|A,D F2 F2| ~

On older sharp tuned boxes this can sound as if it were in the key of 'Eb'...

# Posted on October 1st 2004 by ceolachan

I learned this tune as Old Joe's!

# Posted on September 30th 2007 by mehere