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"The Nine Points of Roguery", in Gaelic "Naoi nArda na Rógaireachta", also known as
"The Black Fanad Mare", "The Black Mare of Fanad" or "The Kiltyfanad Reel" is an Irish
reel in D Major ('A' and 'C' parts) & D Mixolydian ('B' part) (Brody, Mallinson) or
D Mixolydian ('A' and 'B' parts) & D Major ('C' part) (Breathnach). The parts are played
AA'BB'CC'BB' (Brody), AABBCCBB (Martin & Hughes), AABBCCAABB (Breathnach) or
AABBA'A'BB (Mallinson).
The way the Boys of the Lough play the tune, after the three parts of the tune are played through once, the 'B' part is repeated and only then the 'A' part is played again. One of the parts is often an octave transposition of another, as is occasionally the custom in Donegal fiddle tradition; for example, Breathnach's transcription of Doherty's version has a third strain that is simply the first strain set an octave higher. The title remains somewhat of a mystery. According to the code of chivalry the nine points of knightly virtue were honor, loyalty, liberality, pride, good faith, bravery, glory, unselfishness and courtesy and it may be surmised that the nine points of roguery were the opposite. The title may be a variation of that of a tune called "The Nine Points of Knavery" collected by County Cork Irish music enthusiast William Forde (c. 1759-1850) and printed by P.W. Joyce. While the titles are similar, the melodies are different. The melody and title of "Nine Points of Knavery" is similar, however, to the Scottish Reel "The Nine Pint Coggie". It may be that "Nine Points of Roguery" refers not to nine anti-virtues, but rather is also a corruption of "Nine Pint Coggie" via the "Nine Points of Knavery" name. It was printed in Breathnach's CRÉ II (1976), Brody's Fiddler's Fakebook (1983), Bulmer & Sharpley's Music from Ireland, vol. 1 (1974), Feldman & O'Doherty's The Northern Fiddler (1979), Jordan's Whistle and Sing (1975), Mallinson's 100 Essential (1995) and Martin & Hughes's Ho-ro-gheallaidh (1990). It was recorded by Winifred Horan & Friends on Pleasures of Home (2002), Ken Perlman on Clawhammer Banjo and Fingerstyle Guitar Solos, Boys of the Lough on Live (1974), Tommy Peoples and Paul Brady on The High Part of the Road and The Boys of the Lough on Boys of the Lough (1973). |