Key signature: Edorian
Submitted on September 29th 2003 by lazyhound.
This tune has been added to 66 tunebooks.
Also known as The Cuckoo's Nest, Jack A Tar, Jackie Tar, The Jackie Tar, McGibbney's Fancy, McGibbney’s Fancy, McGibbneys Fancy, McGivney's Fancy.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Eamonn McGivney's
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: hornpipe
K: Edor
GA|:Beed e2ef|edBA BABc|d2dc dfgf|edBG AdBA|
G2GA B2gB|edBd eg3|EFGA BdBA|GEED E2GA:|
|:BGEG BGEG|BGAF ~E3B|AFDF AFDF|AF (3GFE DE (3FED|
G2GA B2gB|edBd eg3|EFGA BdBA|GEED E2GA:|
Eamonn McGivney's
I learnt this from Pete Cooper at a workshop he gave in Bristol a couple of days ago. He paired it as the second tune with The Plains of Boyle (already posted), with which it goes very well. I have transcribed the tune from his play-through, but have left out his ornamentation, except for one in the B-part. A nice distinctive feature of this tune is the "snap" to the high G in bar 6 of the A-part, and is really the climax of this part of the tune.
This tune doesn't seem to be readily available elsewhere. A Google search appeared to reveal only one printed copy of the tune, but this was on a closed site which requires password access, and there wasn't any obvious indication of how to get this access.
Trevor
# Posted on September 29th 2003 by lazyhound
Eamonn McGivney's
This sounds very much like Jackie Tar, a.k.a. The Cuckoo's Nest, to my ear. Anyone else think so?
# Posted on September 30th 2003 by radriano
Eamonn McGivney's
No, I don't think so. Eamonn McGivney's is quite different from The Cuckoo's Nest (a.k.a. Jackie Tar) already posted. Just to take two points, one is in Edor, the other in Gmaj, and Eamonn McGivney's doesn't have the distinctive running triplets of The Cuckoo's Nest.
Of course, what is possible is that the name "The Cuckoo's Nest" may already have been applied to another tune which is similar to Eamonn McGivney's (or even the same), but I think evidence of this will be needed before the name "The Cuckoo's Nest" can be applied to Eamonn McGivney's.
Trevor
# Posted on September 30th 2003 by lazyhound
Sure could be mistaken for the version of Jackie Tar I know--second half is near identical.
# Posted on September 30th 2003 by Will CPT
P.S. Just had a look. The tune I know as Jackie Tar is nothing like the Cuckoo's Nest posted here. In fact, it's the tune Trev has posted as Eamonn McGivney's. My hunch is that Jackie Tar is the more widely known name (I learned it as such from players who brought it back from a tript to Galway by that name).
# Posted on September 30th 2003 by Will CPT
Eamonn McGivney's
Will, thanks for that elucidation.
Just before your post arrived on my pc I looked up "Jackie Tar" on J-C's site. Yes, I agree, the two tunes are essentially the same. The Cuckoo's Nest confused the issue for me because a different tune of that name is posted here. Of course, before I posted Eamonn McGivney's I did an "Advanced Search" here for a typical note sequence, with no result. The obvious thing to do now is to add "Jackie Tar" as an alternate name, and The Cuckoo's Nest as well, because J-C gives that as another name for Jackie Tar.
Trevor
# Posted on September 30th 2003 by lazyhound
Eamonn McGivney's
Here is the full version of what I have posted, as played by Pete Cooper, with ornaments, bowings and slurs (for fiddle players).
For those who may not be familiar with some of the less commonly used features of the ABC notation, here are the ones I have used in this posting:
u=down-bow
v=up-bow
( ) encloses a group of notes played on one bow
{ } encloses a grace note
[ ] encloses notes played as a chord or double-stop
(GA)||:uBee(d [B2e2])ef|edB(A {d}B2)(3ABu(c|d2)(dc) dfgf|edBv(G A)(dB)(A|
G2)uG(A {d}B2gB|ue(dBd) (eg) (3ggg|EFG(vA Bd)BA|G(E{G}ED) E2(GA):|
|:B(GEG) B(GEG)|BGA(F ~E3)u(B|A)(FDF) A(FDF)|AF (3GF(E D)(vE (3FED|
G2)uG(A {d}B2)gB|e(dBd) (eg) (3ggg|EFG(A Bd)BA|G(E{G}ED) E2GA:||
Trevor
# Posted on September 30th 2003 by lazyhound
I've heard this tune on a solo dancing cd i've got - "Step in time" by Kathleen and Don Lavin.
Quite a nice version, considering its a step dancing cd.
# Posted on September 30th 2003 by Amckay
Jacky Tar
I'm surprised you didn't know this one as "Jacky Tar", Trevor, as I think it is English in origin, and fairly well-known by that name. Certainly it is better known by the English traditional musicians I've met than the Irish players.
Nic Jones did a famous recording of it on fiddle, (possibly on his LP "The Noah's Ark Trap"), and I think that's been the source for a lot of musicians in Britain.
As far as Ireland's concerned, Paddy O'Brien (the younger) has recorded it twice under both names! On an obscure recording with a trio called "Hill 16", he calls it "Jacky Tar", and says it's originally Scottish, (which I don't believe). He also recorded it as "McGibbney's" with James Kelly and Daithi Sproule on the LP "Is It Yourself ?" and I reckon that's where most Irish players have learned it from. Can anyone come up with a recording of the tune called "McGibbney's / McGivney's" before the "Is It Yourself" LP ?
It is undoubtedly a close relation to the three-part "Cuckoo's Nest". Hope this is of interest.
# Posted on September 30th 2003 by Kenny
Kenny, thanks for your info. Flesh is appearing on the bones now.
Unfortunately I don't know much English trad music, and I've never come across "Jacky Tar", either by that name or as "Eamonn McGivney's". I don't believe I've ever heard it at a session. Also, the tune was new to everyone at Pete Cooper's workshop, and some of those attending were very experienced players. I wonder if it's a regional thing. Anyway, it's a great tune and a pleasure to play in conjunction with The Plains of Boyle.
Trevor
# Posted on September 30th 2003 by lazyhound
Trevor - p.s.
"The Cuckoo's Nest" is in the hornpipe sections of both "O'Neill's 1001" and "Ceol Rince na hEireann" Vol 3 and both are the "G" version. If you look up the index in each book, "Jacky Tar" refers to the same tune in both.
# Posted on October 1st 2003 by Kenny
McGibbney's Hornpipe
I originally learned this tune from Fintan Vallely's Timber Tutor. The self-same tune is now played by John Creaven (on flute) on Track 3 of his CD"The Story So Far". He lists it as called "McGibbney's Fancy". It is very faithful to the Vallely version, and pretty close to this "McGivney's". I have also been playibng it going into "The Plains of Boyle".
# Posted on September 5th 2004 by chscott
McGibbney's Hornpipe
I originally learned this tune from Fintan Vallely's Timber Tutor. The self-same tune is now played by John Creaven (on flute) on Track 3 of his CD"The Story So Far". He lists it as called "McGibbney's Fancy". It is very faithful to the Vallely version, and pretty close to this "McGivney's". I have also been playibng it going into "The Plains of Boyle".e
# Posted on September 5th 2004 by chscott
McGivney's Fancy
Catherine McEvoy's CD has the tune "McGivney's Fancy", which matches Trevor J's notation. The liner notes of the CD say that it is an alternate setting of "The Cuckoo's Nest". I am not knowledgeable on "Cuckoo's Nest", but I've looked into a little bit and have never seen a setting in print, or heard a recoding of it that is anything like this. I've simply concluded that there must be another tune called "The Cuckoo's Nest" that I am not aware of which sounds like this - and it looks like radriano has heard it... Please educate me if anyone knows for sure....
# Posted on September 24th 2004 by browndog
2 cuckoos
There are 2 "Cuckoo's Nest" hornpipes, this one that seems to be generally known as "McGibbeny's/McGiveney's", [ and I'm still waiting for someone to come up with an instance of this tune being known by that name prior to the "Is It Yourself " recording ], and the one in G posted by Gian Marco in January this year, as recorded by Conal O'Grada. Take a look and compare the 2 tunes - I think the similarities are obvious.
I'm pretty certain this tune is far older than Eamonn McGibbney with whom it is now associated, in Ireland , at least. There may well be information on it in any sleeve notes to "The Noah's Ark Trap" recording by Nic Jones, if anyone has it.
# Posted on September 24th 2004 by Kenny
Welsh versions of related tune
I came across this today because following through on a reference to the McGivney title from another source, hence the very late addition to the discussion! There are two distinct but related versions of The Cuckoo's Nest in the Welsh tradition - both hornpipes, but played straight and fairly reel-like. One, Nyth y Gog, has three parts and is in E Aeolian/minor and the other, Nyth y Gwcw, has two parts and is in D Dorian. I believe all these tunes are cognate and related also to the bawdy English song by the same title.
# Posted on October 9th 2007 by Jemtheflute
A full house of Cuckoos ~
"The Cuckoo's Nest"
Key signature: Gmajor
Submitted on March 2nd 2002 by Mad Baloney.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/573
"The Cuckoo's Nest"
Key signature: Gmajor
Submitted on January 15th 2004 by gian marco.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2395
“Nyth Y Gwcw” / “Nyth Y Gôg” / “The Cuckoo’s Nest”
Key signature: D Dorian
Submitted on August 16th 2006 by ceolachan.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/6101
"Nyth Y Gôg" / “Nyth Y Gwcw” / “The Cuckoo’s Nest”
Key signature: e minor
Submitted on November 17th 2006 by ceolachan.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/6380
"The Cuckoo's Nest"
Key signature: Bdorian
Submitted on January 10th 2007 by Merry-Hielander.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/6619
# Posted on October 9th 2007 by ceolachan