Key signature: Adorian
Submitted on May 3rd 2004 by slainte.
This tune has been added to 28 tunebooks.
Also known as Aunt Jemima's Plaster, Bee's Wax, Bees Wax, Sheep Skin, The Irish , Le Reel Irlandaise, Sheepskin And Beeswax.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Sheepskins And Beeswax
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Ador
EA ~A2 BAGB|AGAa gfef|(3 gfe fd efed|Beed BAAG|
EA ~A2 BAGB|AGAa gfef|(3 gfe fd efed|1 Beed BAAG:|2 Beed BAAg||
a3 g aega|bagf e3 f|(3 gfe fd efed|Beed BAAg|
a3 g aega|bagf e3 f|(3 gfe fd efed|1 Beed BAAg:|2 Beed BAAG||
Canadian or Irish?
I learned this nameless tune from a Welsh fiddler some months ago. She used to play in Melbourne, so maybe she picked up this tune there.
I was informed that it's a French Canadian tune called Reel Beatrice, but it seems she was not so sure. And then recently I noticed Scottish fiddlers' group Session A9 recorded it as a nameless Irish tune. I really don't know its origin, but feel somewhat different from other Irish tunes. But, anyway, it's a simple, cool tune, so worth posting here.
# Posted on May 3rd 2004 by slainte
Bee's Wax, Sheep Skin
That's the name. It's not Reel Beatrice. That's a different tune. It's a tune James Fagan did with us at his bouzouki workshop at the National Folk Festival in Canberra in April 2003. We played it at the workshop concert as a group. The Scottish fiddle crowd were at the festival, and one of the Melbourne lot may have picked up the tune from Nancy Kerr or one of us zouk players, or they may have got it straight from the source, which (according to James Fagan) is the Quebec group "La Bottine Souriante". It's on their album "La Mistrine". There's another transcription here:
http://www.megacom.net/~dricard/musique/bottine/beeswax.html
PS I think I might know the Welsh fiddler you're talking about.
I have a transcription of James' setting which differs slightly, and has a nice C# in the B-part:
K: Ador
EA (3AAA BAGB|AGFa gfef|g2fd efed|Beed BAGA|
EA (3AAA BAGB|AGFa gfef|g2fd efed|Beed BAA2:|
|:a3a- aega|bagf edef|g2fd efed|Beed BA^ce|
a3a- aega|bagf edef|g2fd efed|Beed BAA2:|
# Posted on May 3rd 2004 by Dow
Bees Wax, Bee's Wax or Bees' Wax? I don't think La Bottine Souriante put an apostophe in there but I'm not sure.
# Posted on May 3rd 2004 by Dow
Other titles seem to be "Sheepskins And Beeswax" which sounds better maybe, and "Aunt Jemima's Plaster".
# Posted on May 3rd 2004 by Dow
Thank you for the info. So, it's traditional Irish, right? It's very interesting to see how the tune circulates around the world.
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by slainte
I don't know actually. It sounds a bit different to me too. It may well be North American but written in the style of an Irish reel.
# Posted on May 4th 2004 by Dow
Sheep skin and Bees wax
Here are the words to it from the Irish in Valcartier,Quebec Sheep skin and beeswax ,it makes a mighty plaster, the more you try to get it off the more it sticks to faster.
# Posted on November 24th 2004 by mandobrynley
So now we know why "Aunt Jemima's Plaster" is an alternative title.
# Posted on November 24th 2004 by Dow