APPLE TREE, THE. Scottish, Reel. A Major. Standard. AA'BB'. Composed by Carl Volti, born Archibald Milligan in Glasgow in 1849. Volti, a fiddler, composed many tunes found in the Kerr's collections and also published several tutors, albums of popular songs, national overtures, etc. (Nigel Gatherer). Kerr (Merry Melodies), Vol. 2; No. 14, pg. 5.
APPLES IN WINTER [1] (Uballa I Geimread). AKA and see "General White's Jig," "Kennedy's Jig," "Joe Kennedy's Jig,""The Misfortunate Rake," "Next Sunday is My Wedding Day," "Rattle the Quilt (to Pieces)," "Reice an Mhi-adha," "The Shamrock," "The Squint-Eyed Piper," "Sunday is My Wedding Day," "The Unfortunate Rake." Irish, Double Jig. E Minor (O'Neill, Taylor, Williamson): E Dorian (Moylan, Mulvihill). Standard. AA'B (Taylor): AABB (O'Neill): AABB' (Taylor, Williamson): AA'BCDD' (Moylan). David Taylor (1992) remarks that this tune follows a basic structure found in many minor key Irish tunes: two bars of melody built around the tonic, followed by two in the dominant chord, two more tonic, and finally a bar each of the dominant and tonic. He advances that this is why many tunes that follow this structure can sometimes be confused or mixed up, pointing out similarly sounding, though different tunes, such as "Over the Hills" are frequent. The melody is at least as old as the latter 19th century, for O'Neill (1913) records it was the first jig learned as a boy by Callinafercy, Kilcoleman, County Kerry fiddler and Uilleann piper William F. Hanafin, born in 1875 (who later, as an adolescent, emigrated to Massachusetts). Williamson (1976) states annecdotally that the apple was anciently known as 'the salvation of the poet', and relates the tale of a Welsh bard named Sion Kent who was about to be taken by the Devil. Just in time he managed to catch hold of an apple tree, thwarting the evil one, though at the same time insuring fate, for though untouchable to hell he is unsuitable for heaven and is thus doomed to wander the winds of the world evermore. See also the different, though similar in some respects tune "Old Apples in Winter." Source for notated version: accordion player Johnny O'Leary (Sliabh Luachra region of the Cork-Kerry border) [Moylan]. Moylan (Johnny O'Leary), 1994; No. 233, pgs. 134-135. Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 81, pg. 82. O'Farrell, c. 1800, Collection of National Irish Music for the Union Pipes. O'Farrell, "Pocket Companion for the Irish or Union Pipes. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; pg. 75. O'Neill (1850), 1903/1979; No. 1111, pg. 209. O'Neill (1001 Gems), 1907/1986; No. 300, pg. 64. Taylor (Where's the Crack?), Vol. 1, 1989; pg. 21. Taylor (Where's the Crack?), 1992; No. 58, pg. 41. Williamson (English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish Fiddle Tunes), 1976; pg. 77. Green Linnett SIF1035, Brian Conway & Tony De Marco - "The Apple in Winter" (1981). Kicking Mule KM216, Arm and Hammer String Band - "New England Contra Dance Music" (1977). Outlet 3002, Paddy Cronin- "Kerry's Own Paddy Cronin" (1977). Shaskeen Records OS-360, Joe Burke, Andy McGann, Felix Dolan - "A Tribute to Michael Coleman" c. 1965. Shaskeen - "Atlantic Breeze."
T:Apples in Winter
S:Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin, Traditional Music from Clare and Beyond 11b
Z:Jerome Colburn
M:6/8
K:DDor
c | ADD cDD | AGF EFD | C3 ECE | GAB cdc |\
ADD ~AGA | cde fed | ecA GFE | FDD D2 :: A |\
~d3 dcA | f2 d ecA | ~cdc cGE | CEG cde |1\
~ded dcA | cde f2 g | afa geg | fdc d2 A :|2\
dcA cde | fag fed | ecA GFE | FDD D2 |]**
DANCE ALL NIGHT. AKA- "Danced All Night With a Bottle in My Hand," "Give the Fiddler a Dram," "Give Me a Bottle of I Don't Care What." Old-Time, Breakdown. USA: West Virginia, Virginia, western North Carolina, north Georgia, Alabama, Nebraska. G Major. Standard. AABB (Brody, Christeson, Phillips) or AABAACCB (Kuntz, Brody). Guthrie Meade thinks the tune has some relation to "Buffalo Gals." Rosenbaum (1989) points out that the recording by Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers for Columbia was very influential, especially in Georgia (in fact, the melody is known as a north Georgia tune). His source, Georgian Lawrence Eller, learned the tune/song from family tradition and Rosenberg concludes (apparently on the strength of the floating verse about hanging Jefferson Davis) from this that the lyrics bespeak Unionist loyalties in parts of the southern Appalachians.
***
Dance All Night with a bottle in my hand,
Bottle in my hand, bottle in my hand;
Dance All Night with a bottle in my hand,
Just before day give the fiddler a dram.
***
I left my jawbone sittin' on a fence,
I ain't seen nothin' of my jawbone since;
Walked on home and didn't get along,
In come Sally with her big boots on.
('big boots', 'red dress' or 'blue dress')
***
Who's been here since I been gone?
Pretty little girl with the red dress on;
She took it off and I put it on,
In come Sally with her big boots on. (Kuntz)
***
Dance all night with a bottle in your hand,
Bottle in your hand, bottle in your hand,
Dance all night with a bottle in your hand,
As we to marching along.
***
We'll hang Jeff Davis from a sour apple tree,
Sour apple tree, sour apple tree,
Hang Jeff Davis from a sour apple tree,
As we go marching along.
***
Old Aunt Peggy, won't you fill 'em up again,
Fill 'em up again, fill 'em up again,
Old Aunt Peggy, won't you fill 'em up again,
As we go marching along. (Eller/Rosenbaum)
***
Sources for notated versions: Highwoods String Band (Ithica, N.Y.) [Brody, Kuntz]; Bob Walters (Burt County, Nebraska) [Christeson]; Lawrence Eller (Towns County, Ga.) [Rosenbaum]; Clark Kessinger (W.Va.) [Phillips]. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; pg. 84. Christeson (Old Time Fiddlers Repertory, Vol. 1), 1973; pg. 104. Kuntz (Ragged but Right), 1987; pg. 305-306. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), Vol. 1, 1994; pg. 97 (appears as "Give the Fiddler a Dram"). Rosenbaum (Folk Visions and Voices: Traditional Music and Song in North Georgia), 1989; pg. 20. Alcazar Dance Series ALC-202, Sandy Bradley - "Potluck and Dance Tonite!" (1979). Columbia 15200 (78 RPM), Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers. County 401, "The Stripling Brothers" (Ala.). County 727, John Ashby (Va.) - "Old Virginia Fiddling." County 733, Clark Kessinger (Va.) - "The Legend of Clark Kessinger." County 778, Tommy Jarrell (N.C.) - "Pickin' on Tommy's Porch" (1984?). Folkways FA 2336, Clark Kessinger- "Fiddler." Gennett 6734 (78 RPM), Tweedy Brothers (Harry, George, Charles, from W.Va. who played twin fiddles and piano) {1928}. Marimac 9038, Dan Gellert & Brad Leftwich -"A Moment in Time." Rounder 0045, Highwoods String Band - "Dance All Night." Rounder Records, Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers - "The Kickapoo Medecine Show" (appears as the 2nd and 3rd tune of Kickapoo Medecine Show skit). Vocalation 5395 (78 RPM), Stripling Brothers (Ala.) {1929}.
T:Dance All Night
L:1/8
M:2/4
S:Kuntz - Ragged but Right
K:D
gg/a/ gd/c/|B/G/B/G/ [GB]B|A/G/F/E/ D/F/A/c/|B/[G/B/][G/B/][G/B/] [GB]>(f|
g/)a/g/g/ g/e/d/c/|B/G/B/[G/B/] [GB]B/G/|A/B/A/F/ D/F/A/c/|B/G/[G/B/][G/B/] [G2B2]:|
gg/a/ g/e/d/e/|g/f/g/a/ b>(e|f)f/g/ a/f/a/g/|f/e/f/g/ a/f/d/f/|gg/a/ g/e/d/e/|g/f/g/a/ b(b|
d')d' e<f|g>a g||
|:G/E/|D[B,/D/]D/ D/B,/D/G/|[C/E/]E/E/E/ [CE](A|A/)[A/B/][A/A/]F/ D/F/A/c/|
B/G/[G/B/][G/B/] [GB]G/E/|D[B,/D/]D/ D/B,/D/G/|E/[CE]C/ E(A|
A/)[A/B/][A/A/]F/ D/F/A/c/|B/[GB]G/ [GB}:|
GRASSHOPPER SITTING ON A SWEET POTATO VINE. Old-Time, Breakdown. D Major. Standard. AABB. The African-American collector Thomas Talley printed a song by this title in his 1922 work Negro Folk Rhymes (reprinted in 1991, edited by Charles Wolfe). His lyric (which seems to scan with the abc tune below) goes:
***
Grasshopper a settin' on a sweet tater vine,
'Long come a Blackbird an' nab him up behind.
***
Blackbird a-settin' in a sour apple tree,
Hawk grab him up behind; he "Chee! Chee! Chee!"
***
Big hawk a-settin' in de top of dat oak,
Start to eat dat Blackbird an' he git choke.
***
Sources for notated versions: Luther Davis (Galax, Va.) via Liz Slade (Yorktown, New York) [Kuntz]; Jere Canote [Phillips]; Greg Canote (Seattle) [Songer]. Johnson (The Kitchen Musician: Occasional Collection of Old-Timey Fiddle Tunes for Hammer Dulcimer, Fiddle, etc.), No. 2, 1982/1988; pg. 14. Kuntz, Private Collection. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), Vol. 1, 1994; pg. 102. Songer (Portland Collection), 1997; pg. 88. Dean Street Music 101, Grand Picnic - "Grand Picnic." Marimac 9009, Liz Slade - "Old Time Friends" (1987).
T:Grasshopper Sitting on a Sweet Potato Vine
L:1/8
M:2/4
Z:Transcribed by Andrew Kuntz
K:D
A/(B/A/)D/ FA/(e|f/)e/f/(A/ d/)f(A/|B/)A/B/(D/ G)B|d/B/d/(B/ A2)|
A/(B/A/)D/ FA/(e|f/)e/f/(A/ d/)f/(A/B/|c/)B/c/A/ B/B/c|(d/f)(d/ f||(A|
e/)(A/c/)c/ e (3e/f/g/|a/)e/f/(A/ d/f)(A/|B/)A/B/(D/ G)B|d/B/d/(B/ A2)|
e/)(A/c/)c/ e (3e/f/g/|a/)e/f/(A/ d/f)(A/|c/)B/c/A/ B/B/c|(d/f)(d/ f)||
JUNE APPLE. Old-Time, Breakdown. USA, Virginia. A Mixolydian. Standard or AEAE (Tommy Jarrell). AABB. A June apple is an early ripening variety of apple, maturing in the Spring in the southern United States. It tends to be smaller and more tart then later-ripening apples. This ditty is sometimes sung to the 'B' part:
***
Wish I was a June Apple,
Hanging on a tree,
And every time my true love passed,
She'd take a little bite of me. (Johnson)
***
Sources for notated versions: Red Clay Ramblers (N.C.) [Brody]: Uncle Charlie Higgins (Galax, Va.) [Krassen]: Allan Block and Andy May [Spandaro]. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; pg. 153. Johnson (Old-Timey Fiddle Tunes for Hammer Dulcimer, Fiddle, etc), No. 2, 1982/1988; pg. 6. Krassen (Appalachian Fiddle), 1973; pg. 34-35. Phillips (Fiddlecase Tunebook), 1989; pg. 24. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), 1994; pg. 130. Spandaro (10 Cents a Dance), 1980; pg. 37. County 713, Cockerham, Jarrell, and Jenkins- "Down to the Cider Mill" (Tommy Jarrell learned the tune from his father, Ben Jarrell). Folkways FTS 331038, Roger Sprung and Hal Wylie- "Bluegrass Blast." Heritage 054, Smokey Valley Boys - "Brandywine '83: Music of French America" (1984). Marimac AHS #3, Glen Smith - "Say Old Man" (1990. Learned from Tommy Jarrell). Marimac 9000, Dan Gellert & Shoofly - "Forked Deer" (1986. Learned from Tommy Jarrell). Tennvale 002, Red Clay Ramblers- "Galax '73."
T:June Apple
L:1/8
M:4/4
K:Amix
eg | ageg ageg | agec A2ef | g2gf g2ef | gagf e2eg |
ageg ageg | agec A2cd | eaag aged | cAAG A2 :|
|: e2 | ecB2 A3A | c2d2 e3A | G2GG GBd2 | g4 f4 |
ecB2 A3A | c2d2 e3A | G2GG BAG2 | A6 :|
TWENTY NINTH OF MAY, THE. AKA - "All Things Bright and Beautiful," "May Hill, "The Jovial Crew," "The Jovial Beggars," "Restoration of King Charles." English, Morris and Country Dance Tune (2/2 or 4/4 time). D Major (Barnes, Karpeles, Kidson, Raven, Sharp): G Major (Bacon, Mallinson). Standard. AB (Sharp): AAB (Barnes, Karpeles, Kidson, Raven): AABA (Bacon): AABB, x4 (Mallinson). The air was published in Playford's Dancing Master of 1686 and all later editions and sometimes even appears twice, with different names (such as "The Jovial Beggars"). The title date refers to the day Charles II landed in England in the year 1660 to be returned to the crown. An act of Parliament later that same year decreed the date should be a day of thanksgiving, to "be celebrated in every church and chapel in England and the dominions thereof." It was observed until 1859. The date, probably by design, happened to be the king's birthday as well as his return day. Nigel Gatherer communicates that the day is also known as "oak-apple day" after Charles's celebrated hiding in an oak tree at Boscobel. Previous to his triumphal return to power, Charles had been forced to flee the country. In September, 1651, Oliver Cromwell and his Roundheads defeated the loyalist Scottish army at Worcester and King Charles was obliged to quickly seek safety in other parts of the kingdom. Travelling up the west of England toward Scotland he was advised there was a haven for a rest at Boscobel. There he admitted by sympathetic Catholics who, to further protect him, had him don peasant's attire. Commonwealth troopers were soon on the scent however, and scoured the area for fugitives from the battle, obliging Charles to hide in a bushy oak tree for the whole day. Soon after the incident was idealized by the population, and the thought of an oak hiding the rightful king was transformed into an archetype (or perhaps associated with a more ancient archetype) so that the Royal Oak became a treasured symbol. Loyalists sported sprays of oak in their hats, and eventually 'Oak Apple-day' became a term for restoration day. Gatherer says that to this day it is one of the most popular names for pubs in England. The morris dance version was collected from the village of Headington, Oxfordshire, in England's Cotswolds. Bacon (The Morris Ring), 1974; pg. 189. Barnes (English Country Dance Tunes), 1986. Chappell (Popular Music of the Olden Times), Vol. 2, 1859; pg. 52. Karpeles & Schofield (A Selection of 100 English Folk Dance Airs), 1951; pg. 15. Kidson (Old English Country Dances), 1890; pg. 2. Mallinson (Mally's Cotswold Morris Book), 1988; No. 4, pg. 9. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; pg. 25. Sharp (Country Dance Tunes), 1994; pg. 27.
WILLIE COOK'S APPLE TREE. Scottish, Reel. A Major. Standard. AA'BB'. Composed by Carl Volti. Kerr (Merry Melodies), Vol. 2; No. 14, pg. 5 (appears as "The Apple Tree").