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The McCloy Manuscripts
Willie McCloy (1886 - 1959) was a builder and carpenter from Derryboye, a townland between the towns of Comber, Killyleagh and Crossgar, in East Down. He initially learned the fiddle from John Simpson, where he picked up many of the tunes below. Willie would turn the page through 90º and write the music from top to bottom, whilst talking the student through the phrasing and bowing.
The manuscripts below have been handed down from Willie McCloy to Jackie Donnan to myself.
1
2
Reel - The Killyleagh Lasses (HD ref WMcC98)
[(The bow treble at the end of each four bar cycle is timed to match with the step dancers treble.]
3
Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Lancers figure 1 (HD ref WS123)
Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Lancers figure 2 (HD ref WS123)
Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Lancers figure 3, Whut wud you dae if your rump was brok (HD ref WS123)
[Generally called the Patience Lancers these are the first three figures]
4
Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Lancers figure 4 (HD ref WS124)
Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Lancers figure 5 commonly called Old Molly Doodle will you not come out (HD ref WS124)
[Generally called the Patience Lancers these are figures 4 & 5]
Jig - Blue Bonnets over the Border (HD ref WMcC94)
5
Jig - Brian O'Neill (HD ref WMcC96) locally called The Tyrone Quickstep in Central Down and is a version of the jig Paddy's Return
Jig - Annie Laurie (HD ref WMcC96)
6
Jig - The White House Lassie (HD ref JS84)
Jig - Katy of Youghal a jig that John Simpson titled The Heart of my Kitty (HD ref JS82)
7
Jig - The Maid on the Green (HD ref WMcC95)
Jig - The Connaught Man's Rambles (HD ref WMcC95)
8
Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Bonnie Dundee (HD ref WS118) which Willie McCloy played for 1st figure of the Caledonians
Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Kelvin Grove (HD ref WS120) which Willie McCloy played for 2nd figure of the Caledonians
9
Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Over the Sea (HD ref WS122) which Willie McCloy played for 3rd figure of the Caledonians
Quadrille Tune 2/4 - The Banjo which Willie McCloy played for 4th figure of the Caledonians and better known in East Down as Down the wee dark hole being played for the two-hand dance The Laughing Gauger (HD ref WS116)
10
Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Niel Gow's Farewell to Whiskey (HD ref WS122) which Willie McCloy played for 5th figure of the Caledonians
Polka - Petronella (HD ref WS116) which was generally played for played for the two-hand dance The Laughing Gauger a hop/skip polka
11
Country Dance - The Princess Royal (HD ref WMcC93)
Reel - The Opera Reel (HD ref WMcC99)
12
Reel - The Mason's Apron (HD ref WMcC98)
Schottische - Hop Light Loo (HD ref WMc101) which Willie McCloy played for the two-hand dance The Plain Schottische similar to another version known locally as The Glasgow Highlanders (HD ref WS131)
13
Reel - The Pleasures of Lough Rea (HD ref WMcC100)
14
Figure Dance - Bessie Black (HD ref WS113) and played for the Figure Dance of the same name
Reel - The Peeler's Cap (HD ref WMcC99)
15
Hornpipe - The Queen's Wedding (HD ref WMcC94)
Reel - Captain Bounce (HD ref JS85)
[See also Captain Bounce transcribed by Jimmy Edmond (HD ref JE181). There is a vast difference in the bowing between Willie McCloy's version and that scribed by Jimmy Edmond. This is particularly interesting as they only lived a couple of miles apart.]
16
Reel - Flora MacDonald (HD ref WMcC97)
Reel - Charlie's Welcome (HD ref WMcC97)
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