FTX-372 - THE PRINCESS ROYAL

THE McCUSKER BROTHERS & OTHERS

20 local dance tunes from 9 brothers recorded at their home in Kilcreevy, Co Armagh by Peter Kennedy in July, 1952. John, Vincent and Brendan on fiddle, Benignus on button-key accordion, Kevin on piccolo, Francis on mandolin-banjo, Tom on piano- accordion, Bernard on piano and Malachy on drums. Included in their repertoire are a number of local South Armagh dances which have now become popular outside their original locality. Some tracks feature 2 fiddles, some with accordion, while two tracks, made for dancing, are reels and jigs played by all nine brothers in the McCusker Family Band. Also featured are two fiddlers with three South Armagh dances played by Hugh Savage and Sean Maguire

1. PRINCESS ROYAL (Set Dance) - John & Vincent (fiddles) - 1'33"

2. THE ORANGE ROGUE (Jig) - John solo - 1'56"

3. THE FIRST OF MAY (Reel) - John & Vincent - 1'07"

4. TATTER JACK WELSH (Jig) - John & Vincent - 1'01"

5. THREE "POLKA MAZURKAS" - John & Vincent - 1'39"

6. THE CLAP DANCE - Benignus (mel) with dancers - 1'20"

7. TWO BARN DANCE TUNES - John, Vincent & Benignus - 1'23"

8. THE SPANISH SCHOTTISCHE or SEVEN STEPS - Vincent & Benignus - 0.59

9. DOWN THE GLEN (Hornpipe) - Benignus solo - 1'30"

10. THE CUCKOO HORNPIPE - John & Vincent - 1'30"

11. JOCKEY TO THE FAIR (Set Dance) - John, Vincent & Benignus - 2.09

12. I LOST MY LOVE & I CARE NOT/ KING OF THE CANNIBAL ISLANDS (Jigs) - John & Vincent (fiddles) - 2'03"

13. THE KING OF THE FAIRIES (Set Dance) - John, Vincent & Benignus - 3'05"

14. MAGGIE PICKENS (Local Couple Dance) - As previous - 0'45"

15. McKENNA'S/ THE TINKER'S APRON/ THE ANTRIM REEL - Band - 3'18"

16. BIDDY THE BOWL WIFE/ I LOST MY LOVE/ KING OF CANNIBAL ISLANDS (Jigs) - Band - 3'13"

#17, #18 & #19 are three country dances played by Hugh Savage (fiddle)

17. THE SWEETS OF MAY - 1'52"

18. BETTY BLACK - 0'55"

19. THE THREE TUNES - 2'24"

The last track played by Sean Maguire (fiddle):-

20. THE THREE TUNES & THE SWEETS OF MAY - 3'37"

Recorded by Peter Kennedy in Kilcreevy, Armagh and Belfast 1952. Edited by Peter Kennedy and first published on Folktrax cassettes 1980.

#1 THE PRINCESS ROYAL, like #11, JOCKEY TO THE FAIR, is widely used for Morris Dancing by traditional English fiddlers in the Cotswold area; Although included in O'Carolan's collection of Irish Harp music, this does not necessarily mean that Carolan composed them, but that, as with many of his tunes, they were in his repertoire. They may pre-date Carolan in origin. Both, close to the versions played Carolan, are of interest for their unusual harmonic progressionsby the Mc Cuskers, while close to that played by Carolan, is certainly of great interest particularly for their unusual implied harmonic progressions.

#6 THE CLAP DANCE is a Round Dance for couples, which was also popular in English villages, in which the "polka round" is preceded by hand clapping with partners, single hands together followed by both. The tune is "Mrs McLeod's".

#8 THE SPANISH SCHOTTISCHE was also popular in England, under a variety of local names: MALTESE or DOUBLE SCHOTTISCHE being the most common, but also sometimes known as THE SEVEN STEPS.

#9 DOWN THE GLEN is sometimes also used in reel-time as played by Paddy Taylor (flute) from Tipperary on FOLKTRAX 171

#10 THE CUCKOO HORNPIPE appears as "Murray's Fancy" on recordings made in the USA by Michael Coleman, the Sligo fiddler. Bob Rundle plays this on whistle accompanied by Tony Franklin on guitar on FOLKTRAX 124. Other South Armagh dances, "The Three Tunes" and "The Sweets of May", can be heard on FOLKTRAX 375 played by Sean Maguire. See also FOLKTRAX 373 Irish Ceilidhe Bands: The Jackie HEARST Trio rec. Newry, Co. Down, 1952 and The GILCURDON Trio, rec Belfast 1962.