ANGUS MACKINNON. Scottish, March (6/8 time). B Minor. Standard. AABBCCDD. Composed by Pipe Major Donald Shaw Ramsay. Martin (Ceol na Fidhle), Vol. 2, 1988; pg. 27.
BIRD'S NEST. AKA - "Put Out the Fire." Scottish, Canadian; Reel. Canada; Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island. A Dorian. Standard. AB (Dunlay): AA'B (Perlman). Dunlay and Greenberg (1996) find that the second part of "Ratha Fair" bears some resemblance to the first part of "Birds Nest;" similarly, the first part to "Feargan" (in Kerr's) is also close to the first of "Bird's Nest." Angus Chisholm and Winston Fitzgerald paired the tune with "The Bonnie Lass of Fisherrow" in recordings which have become classic. Gaelic words for the tune were obtained from Lorrie MacKinnon from Archie Neil Chisholm:
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Tha nead na h-eoin anns a'choille (x3)
Far an d'fhuair an smeorach.
(The bird's nest is in the woods (x3)
Where the thrush is gotten.)
**
Sources for notated versions: fiddler Angus Chisholm, learned this tune from the Gaelic singing of his mother (Cape Breton, Nova Scotia) [Dunlay & Reich]; Peter Chaisson, Sr. (b. 1929, Bear River, North-East King's County, Prince Edward Island) [Perlman]. Cranford (Jerry Holland's), 1995; No. 75, pg. 22. Dunlay & Greenberg (Traditional Celtic Violin Music of Cape Breton), 1996; pg. 66. Dunlay & Reich (Traditional Celtic Fiddle Music of Cape Breton), 1986; No. 65, pg. 66. Perlman (The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; pg. 99. Shears (Gathering of the Clans Collection), 1986. Breton Books and Records BOC 1HO, Winston "Scotty" Fitzgerald - "Classic Cuts" (reissue of Celtic Records CX 40). Canadian Broadcasting Corp. NMAS 1972, Natalie MacMaster - "Fit as a Fiddle" (1993). CX 009, CX 1, SCX 57, and Shanachie 14001, Angus Chisholm - "The Early Recordings of Angus Chisholm." CX 40, Winston Fitzgerald. Decca 14006, The Inverness Serenaders (appears as "Put Out the Fire"). Green Linnet GLCD 1117, Altan - "Harvest Storm" (1992. Learned from accordion player Paddy O'Brian from Co. Offaly, now living in Minneapolis). PKMMCD-17, Peter Chaisson (P.E.I.) - "Road to Rollo Bay." Rounder 7001, Joe Cormier - "Scottish Violin Music from Cape Breton Island" (1974).
I WON'T DO THE WORK (Cha Dean Mi'n Obair). AKA- "Behind the Bush in the Garden." Canadian, Double Jig. Canada; Cape Breton, Newfoundland. A Minor. Standard. AABB. Variants appear in the Fraser Collection and Kerr's First under the title "Wha'll Be King But Charlie" (Se 'n Righ a th'againn is Fearr Leinn). Dunlay & Greenberg remark that on Newfoundland the tune is played with a simpler rhythm as a fast single jig. Port-a-beul verses to the tune are given by fiddler Jackie Dunn in her 1991 thesis Tha Blas na Gaidhlig air a h-Uile Fidhleir (The Sound of Gaelic is in the Fiddler's Music):
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Cha dean mi obair, cha dean mi obair,
Chan urrainn mi obair a dheanamh.
Chan ith mi biadh 's chan ol mi deoch,
Tha an gaol an deighinn mo lionadh
(I cannot work, I cannot work, I am unable to work.
I cannot eat or drink; Love has so consumed me.)
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Dunlay & Greenberg print the Beaton version of these lyrics from Lorrie MacKinnon:
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Cha dean mi 'n obair, cha dean mi 'n obair,
Chan urrainn dhomg obair a dheanamh.
Chan ol mi deoch, 's chan ith' mi biadh,
Chan urrainn dhomh obair a dheanamh.
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Source for notated version: Donald Angus Beaton (Mabou, Cape Breton) [Dunlay & Greenberg, Dunlay & Reich]. Dunlay & Greenberg (Traditional Celtic Violin Music of Cape Breton), 1996; pg. 110. Dunlay & Reich (Traditional Celtic Fiddle Music of Cape Breton), 1986; pg. 71. ACC-49398, Brenda Stubbert - "House Sessions" (1992). DAB4-1985, Donald Angus Beaton- "A Musical Legacy" (1985). JAD-1, Jackie Dunn - "Dunn to a T" (1995).
T:I Won't Do The Work
M:6/8
L:1/8
C:Old Traditional Gaelic Song
Z:Transcribed by Toby Rider
R:Jig
K:C
B| c2 B AGE| c2 B AGE| c E2 EDE|{E}G2 G3 A|
c2 d e2 a| age ded| c2 A (B/2A/2G)E|1 A3 A3:|2 A3 (A2B)|!
|: c2 A c2 d| e2 a e2 d| (e2A) c2 d| e2 G3 A|
c2 d e2 a| age ded| c2 A (B/2A/2G)E|1 A3 (A2 B):|2 A2 A|
HUGHIE RORY MACKINNON (Eoghann Ruairidh). Canadian, Strathspey. Canada, Cape Breton. A Mixolydian. Standard, ADAE. AABB. Source for notated version: The Beaton family (Mabou Coal Mines, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia) [Dunlay and Reich]; Donald Angus Beaton & Dinnon Beaton (Mabou Coal Mines) and Mary MacDonald [Dunlay & Greenberg]. Dunlay & Greenberg (Traditional Celtic Violin Music from Cape Breton), 1996; pg. 33 (two versions). Dunlay and Reich (Traditional Celtic Fiddle Music from Cape Breton), 1986; pg. 32. JAD -1, Jackie Dunn - "Dunn to a T" (1995). Rounder 7011, "The Beatons of Mabou: Scottish Violin Music from Cape Breton" (1978). WRC1-5263, Brenda Stubbert - "Tammerack 'er Down."
T:Hughie Rory MacKinnon
M:4/4
L:1/8
Z:Tody Rider
K:A Mix
f| (ed)(c<A) e>cA>c| B<dg>e d>BG>f| (ed)(c>A) e>c A<c| B>A B<G A/2A/2A
A:|!
g|(fe)(a>f) e>cA>c| B<dg>e d>BG>g| f>e a<f e>c A<c| B>A B<G A (A>g)|!
(f<e)(a>f) e>cA>c| (B<d)(g>e) d>BG>f| e>dc>A e>c A<c| B>A B<G A2 A||
MACKINNON'S OTHER RANT. Canadian, Reel. Canada, Cape Breton. A Dorian. Standard. AAB. Dunlay & Greenberg (1996) report that master Cape Breton fiddler Buddy MacMaster often plays this tune paired with "MacKinnon's Rant." Source for notated version: Donal Angus Beaton (Mabou, Cape Breton) [Dunlay & Greenberg]. Dunlay & Greenberg (Traditional Celtic Violin Music of Cape Breton), 1996; pg. 63. BSFC:PAD 105, Jerry Holland & Alasdair Fraser - "Scottish Fiddle Rally, Concert Highlights 1985-1995" (1996. Appears mistakenly as "Hamish the Carpenter"). DAB4-1985, Donald Angus Beaton - "A Musical Legacy" (1985. Appears as "Traditional A Minor Reel"). DAB-3, 26-1, Kinnon Beaton "Cape Breton Fiddle 1" (1982. Appears as 2nd "Traditional Reel" side 1). JAD-1, Jackie Dunn - "Dunn to a T" (1995. Appears as "Traditional Reel" in the "Thorn Bush" medley).
WILLY McKENZIE'S. AKA and see "Greetings to the Beatons of Mabou," "Highlander's Rant," "Mabou Reel," "MacLaine of Loch Buie," "Wildcat Reel." Canadian, Reel. Canada, Cape Breton. A Mixolydian. Standard. AAB. Barry Shears finds that "Willy McKenzie," as played by Donald Angus Beaton, is a mixture of two pipe reels: "Willy McKenzie's Reel" from Robert MacKinnon's Collection of Pipe Music (c. 1890's) and "MacLaine of Loch Buie's Reel" from Ross's Collection of Pipe Music (1885). Source for notated version: Donald Angus Beaton (Cape Breton) [Dunlay & Greenberg]. Dunlay & Greenberg (Traditional Celtic Violin Music of Cape Breton), 1996; pg. 52. Celtic SCX 57, Donald and Theresa MacLellan (Appears as "Wildcat Reel/MacLaine of Lochbuie's"). DAB4-1985, Donald Angus Beaton - "A Musical Legacy" (1985. Appears as "Mabou Reel"). Rounder 7003, John Campbell - (Appears as "Traditional Reel" on side two). RLP 107, Joe MacLean - "And his Old Time Scottish Fiddle" (c. 1967. Appears as 1st reel after "Ca' the Stirks"). STEPH 1-94, Stephanie Wills - "Tradition Continued" (1994. Appears as "MacLean of Lochbouie" but is Donald Angus Beaton's setting of "Willy McKenzie").