The Cordal

jig

Key signature: Dmajor

Submitted on July 28th 2002 by Miss Lonelyhearts.

This tune has been added to 118 tunebooks.

Also known as The Chordal, The Cordal , The Idle Road, Julia Clifford's, Julia Clifford's Favourite, Padraig O'Keeffe's, Pádraig O'Keeffe's, Port Na Cordaile, Port Na GCairdeanna, Tom Billy's No. 3, The Wren's Nest No. 2.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• A Flying Start by Paul Moran And Fergal Scahill
• A Whistle On The Wind by Joanie Madden
• Anthem by De Danann
• Around The World For Sport by The Doon Céilí Band
• At The Feis by John Doonan
• Between Words by Cé
• By Heck by David Munnelly
• Call The Tune: Music For The Sets Volume 4 by Various Artists
• Came The Dawn by Seamus Creagh
• Ceol Cill Na Martra by Connie O'Connell
• Ceol Mor by Ceol Mor
• Dance Music Of Ireland: Volume 11 by Matt Cunningham
• Dance Music Of Ireland: Volume 12 by Matt Cunningham
• Different State by Paudie O'Connor
• Down The Line by Ciaran Tourish
• Draiocht by Michael Rooney And June McCormack
• Dublin Banjos by Sully And John Keenan
• Far Off Fields by Taxi Mauve
• Feadoga Stain 2 by Mary Bergin
• Foinn Seisiun 3 by Ennis/Dublin Session Group
• For The Same Reason by Anders Trabjerg And Tak Tamura
• Gaelic Roots by Various Artists
• House Party by Máire O'Keefe
• House Sessions by Brenda Stubbert
• Irish Fiddle Solos by Pete Cooper
• Irish Heritage: Ireland's Musical Tradition (CD 1) by Various Artists
• Irish Traditional Flute Solos And Band Music From Kerry And Tipperary by Billy Clifford
• Jackie Daly And Seamus Creagh by Jackie Daly And Seamus Creagh
• Little Fires by Hanz Araki
• Live From The Katharine Cornell Theater Traditional Irish Music by Various Artists
• Live In Ennis by The Bowhouse Quintet
• Looking For The Early Opener by Dana Lyn
• Meiteal by Seamus Begley And Stephen Cooney
• Mick Mulcahy And Friends by Mick Mulcahy
• Midnight On The Water by The Kings River Band
• Mind The Dresser: Music For The Sets Volume 2 by Various Artists
• Music For The Sets - Volume 6: Face The Hob by Various Artists
• Music From French Newfoundland by Ron Felix, Ivan White, Ron And Gerry Formanger, Ed Doucette
• Music From Sliabh Luachra by Denis Murphy
• Mysterious Ireland by Various Artists
• On Oiche Go Maidin by O'aces
• Out In The Night by Fisherstreet
• Round The House And Mind The Dresser: Irish Country House Dance Music by Various Artists
• Sceal Eile by Gerry Harrington And Eoghan O'Sullivan
• Seanchairde by Dermy Diamond, Tara Diamond, Dáithí Sproule
• Second Album by Boys Of The Lough
• Set Dances Of Ireland, Volume III by Various Artists
• Set Dances Of Ireland, Volume IV by Various Artists
• Sharon Shannon by Sharon Shannon
• Sixty Years Of Sean Maguire by Sean Maguire
• Temple House 2 by Temple House Ceili Band
• The Blue CD by Irish Session Tunes
• The Dusty Miller by Conor, Gay And Seán McKeon
• The Fabulous Kilfenora Ceili Band by The Kilfenora Ceili Band
• The Funny Reel by Joe Burke, Andy McGann And Felix Dolan
• The Green Fields Of Ireland by Comhaltas Tour Group 1979
• The Humours Of Lisheen by John And Julia Clifford
• The Merry Love To Play by Peter Horan And Gerry Harrington
• The Piper's Call by Liam O'Flynn
• The Piper's Rest by Jimmy Morrison
• The Rushy Mountain: Classic Music From Sliabh Luachra 1952-77 by Various Artists
• The Tempest by Robbie Hannan
• The Ulster Outcry by Ar Leitheidi
• The Wounded Hussar by Pete Cooper
• Traditional Irish Tunes Played On The Tin Whistle (1/2) by Geraldine Cotter
• Tune For The Road by Laura Byrne
• Tunes For Practice by Seamus Creagh

X: 1
T: Cordal, The
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmaj
|:BAF ~E3|FEF DFA|BAF EFA|B2A Bcd|
|BAF ~E3|FEF DFA|def edc|B2A Bcd:|
|:d2 e fed|~c3 ecA|dcd fed|f/f/fe fga|
|~d3 fed|c2 d ecA|dcB cBA|B2A Bcd:|

Cordal Jig

Somewhere I have a DeDannan recording with this tune on it, but I can't recall which album it's on, and I'm not sure it's even listed under the name "Cordal." Lotta help that is.....

So my playing of it (on fiddle) has morphed over the years, partly due to not playing it often enough to have any one setting stick. Henrik Norbeck has the abcs for it online, and my version's fairly close to his, so I don't think I'm leading anyone astray with this setting.

I like this tune not too fast, almost down to air speed, although most sessions do it more up tempo.

I play the A part pretty much as written here, usually adding a cut note on that B2 in measures 4 and 8: |B{d}B A Bcd| or sometimes just rolling the B: |~B3 Bcd|.

For the second half, you can play it as a straight single jig throughout:
|d2 e fed|c2 d ecA|d2 e fed|f2 e fga| etc.
or as a double jig:
|dcd fed|cBc ecA|dcd fed|~f3 fga|etc.
or some combination of the two.

At slow speed, the Cordal goes well into Tell Her I Am (in G maj)--almost sister tunes. If you prefer a more spirited tempo, try sliding into Scatter the Mud after the Cordal.

# Posted on July 28th 2002 by Miss Lonelyhearts

Great tune. A few weeks ago I heard a fiddler, with a mainly English repertoire, playing a four part jig which was clearly a setting of this tune. If I remember rightly, he said it was a Morris tune.

Perhaps it is a form of long term revenge on Cromwell to steal all of England's best tunes.

# Posted on July 30th 2002 by OrganicPeatCreature

Also goes well with...

...The Black Rogue afterwards.

# Posted on June 10th 2005 by Conán McDonnell

Compare the Mist in the Meadow: http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1205

# Posted on May 6th 2006 by slainte

For those of you who have submitted "Chordal" as an alternative title: Cordal is the name of a village.

# Posted on May 15th 2006 by Dow

Ancestor?

Morgan Rattler: http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2831

# Posted on September 30th 2006 by slainte

Connie O'Connell

On the sleeve notes to Midnight on the Water by the Kings River Band, they play this tune and call it a slide. They say it is attributed to Connie O'Connell.

# Posted on June 18th 2007 by 52Paddy

The phrasing doesn't quite fit a 12/8 bar, but the long-short of it (d2 e) does have it coming off as a single jig, all in the family... I play it a little differently, but have had it mixed it in with slides in the past.

# Posted on June 18th 2007 by ceolachan

"Tom Billy's" / "Padraig O'Keeffe's" / "Julia Clifford's"

And all those names from down Sliabh Luachra way? It seems related to others, but I'm not sure. I wouldn't call it a slide, and am not completely sure about it being swung enough to be a single, though I suspect one could? Here's another take on it ~

X: 1134
T: ~ etc...
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: D Major
|: d |
BAF E3 | FEF DFA | BAF DF/G/A | B2 A Bcd |
BAF E3 | FEF DFA | d2 f edc |[1 B2 ^A Bc :|[2 B2 ^A B2 ||
|: c |
d2 e fed | c2 d ecA | d2 e fed | f2 e ff/g/a |
dcd fed | c2 d ecA | d3 cdc |[1 B2 ^A B2 :|[2 B2 ^A Bc ||

# Posted on June 18th 2007 by ceolachan

They don't play it as a slide. It sounds like a normal double jig when they play it. They just called it a slide.

# Posted on June 18th 2007 by 52Paddy

At least they didn't call it a hornpipe, eh?

# Posted on June 18th 2007 by ceolachan

True.

# Posted on June 19th 2007 by 52Paddy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoPKvrD-9jw Youtube video (second tune in set) with Ernestine Healy (concertina) andFionnuala Rooney (harp). here called "Port na gCairdeanna" (and it definately sounds like the A and B parts of Morgan Rattler to my english ears).

# Posted on October 9th 2008 by spindizzy

The Cordal Jig

Is in the Gunn Book of Fermanagh (1865) as Derby Gallagher

# Posted on November 12th 2009 by Sharon the Flute