Key signature: Gmajor
Submitted on March 11th 2007 by MTGuru.
This tune has been added to 7 tunebooks.
Also known as Derrygallen Bridge, John Walsh's #1, John Walsh's No. 1.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: John Walsh's
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Gmaj
G>A BA|GE ED|B,D ED|B,D ED|
G>A BA|GE ED|B,D ED|G2 G2:|
g2 gf/g/|ag ge|dB BA|GA Bd|
g2 gf/g/|ag ge|dB BA|G2 G2:|
John Walsh's Polka
According to Fiddler's Companion: John Walsh is from near Kanturk, County Cork, and has composed several slides and polkas that have entered tradition. In 1999 he was described (by Jackie Daly via Paul de Grae) as being in his 60's, and as being a nice, quiet, shy man.
This setting is transcribed from CCÉ's CD "Foinn Seisiún" Volume 2, Track 26, where it is played with the A and B parts reversed.
There's also a nice recording by Jackie Daly on Patrick Street's "Irish Times", Track 5. It's the first tune of the "Newmarket Polkas" set, and played with the parts in the same order as transcribed here.
# Posted on March 11th 2007 by MTGuru
Newmarket Polka
The Patrick Street / Jackie Daly setting is in Amaj, and is in the database as The Newmarket:
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/329
# Posted on March 11th 2007 by MTGuru
A and B part Reversals
There are a few tunes like this where the A and B parts can be interchanged depending what session you play in - Anderson's reel is another one that immediately comes to mind. The result of this at a session can be highly amusing as if you have a fairly even split of musicians playing together with the different interpretation of the tune in their heads, then it can go on for ages! It happened with this very polka some years ago at the Monkstown session where local musicians started with the high bit while the visitors were used to starting on the low bit. Never have I experienced a polka being played so many times! I should also say that this is a great polka and I wonder if John has composed any others.
# Posted on March 11th 2007 by Bannerman