The Blackbird
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Transcription: by Darryl D. Bush
"The Blackbird", in Gaelic "An Londubh", also known as "Once on a Morning of Sweet Recreation",<br> "The Bonny Lass of Aberdeen" is an Irish and English slow air or set dance in 4/4 time (Hornpipe)<br> and D Major (Allan, O'Neill/1850) or D Major/Mixolydian (Cranitch, Moylan, Mulvihill, O'Neill/1001)<br> or D Mixolydian (Breathnach, Johnson, Kennedy, Kerr, O'Neill/1915 & Krassen, Raven, & Roche).<br> The parts are played AB (Moylan) or AAB (Johnson, Kennedy, Raven, Roche) or AABB (Allan,<br> Breathnach, Cranitch, Mulvihill, O'Farrell, O'Neill {4 editions}) or AABCBC (Roche). <br> "Napoleon Crossing the Rhine" is an American version of the same tune. <br> The original song from which the instrumental versions take the title was written c. 1707 in<br> praise of the Old Pretender (James Francis Edward Stuart, son of James I), according to Grattan<br> Flood (1906), who found reference to it as early as 1709 and who noted its printing by Allan Ramsay<br> in 1724 in his Tea Table Miscellany (Ramsey records that he took the song down from an Irish<br> participant who took part in the 1715 revolt). Other sources date the words from the war of 1688–90.<br> The blackbird is a harbinger of joy in Irish folklore, unlike the raven, crow, rook or jackdaw,<br> which are all associated with death and misfortune.<br> The 'Blackbird' name was applied after the Old Pretender, in the 19th century, to Charles<br> Stewart Parnell.<br> Traditional set dances are done in the faster tempos ("fast jig", "fast hornpipe"). There are five<br> traditional sets: "St. Patrick's Day" (treble jig), "The Blackbird" (hornpipe), "Job of<br> Journeywork" (hornpipe), "The Garden of Daisies" (hornpipe), and "King of the Fairies" (hornpipe).<br> These dances are "set" in the choreography, meaning no teacher can change the choreography, though<br> each school will perform the dance slightly different than the others.<br> It was printed in Breathnach's CRÉ 1 (1963), Cotter's Traditional Irish Tin Whistle Tutor (1989),<br> Cowdery's The Melodic Tradition of Ireland (1990), Cranitch's Irish Fiddle Book (1996),<br> Hardebeck's A Collection of Jigs and Reels, vol. 2 (1921), Harker's 300 Tunes from Mike<br> Rafferty (2005), Johnson's Kitchen Musician No. 5; Mostly Irish Airs (1985), Kennedy's Fiddlers<br> Tune-Book, vol. 2 (1954), Kerr's Merry Melodies, vol. 1 (early 1880's), Mallinson's 100 Enduring<br> (1995), McDermott's Allan's Irish Fiddler (c. 1920's), Moylan's Johnny O'Leary of Sliabh Luachra<br> (1994), Mulvihill's 1st Collection (1986), O'Farrell's Pocket Companion, vol. 2 (c. 1806),<br> O'Neill's O'Neill's Irish Music (1915), O'Neill's Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies (1903),<br> O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems (1907). Raven's English Country Dance Tunes (1984),<br> Roche's Collection of Traditional Irish Music, vol. 1 (1912) and Roche's Collection of Traditional<br> Irish Music, vol. 2 (1912). <br> It was recorded by James Byrne on The Road to Glenlough, John Doherty on Pedlar's Pack, Joe Burke,<br> Andy McGann & Felix Dolan on A Tribute to Michael Coleman, Michael Coleman on The Heyday of Michael<br> Coleman (1973), Martin Byrnes on Dance Across the Sea: Dances and Airs from the Celtic Highlands<br> (1990), The Chieftains on The Celtic Harp (1993), Cathal McConnell & Len Graham on For the Sake of<br> Old Decency (1993), Denis Murphy on The Star Above the Garter, Duck Baker on Irish Reels, Jigs,<br> Airs and Hornpipes (1990), Paddy Glackin & Robbie Hannan on The Whirlwind (1995), Andy McGann, Joe<br> Burke & Felix Dolan on A Tribute to Michael Coleman (1966) and others.<br>
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