Origins: Billy Johnson's Ball

Subject: RE: Origins: Billy Johnson's Ball
From: Tradsinger
Date: 08 Mar 14 - 01:46 PM

Not having much luck here, are we? Try this http://irishsheetmusicarchives.com/Browse-Collection.htm
and then search for the title.

Subject: RE: Origins: Billy Johnson's Ball
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 08 Mar 14 - 01:41 PM

That link is broken!!
Derek

Subject: RE: Origins: Billy Johnson's Ball
From: Tradsinger
Date: 08 Mar 14 - 12:19 PM

I see what you mean. This link is better.

Subject: RE: Origins: Billy Johnson's Ball
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Mar 14 - 11:40 AM

I get a black screen. What do I click?

Subject: RE: Origins: Billy Johnson's Ball
From: Tradsinger
Date: 08 Mar 14 - 10:57 AM

You can view the sheet music here.

There are oral versions from Ireland (Kennedy book), Gloucestershire, Shropshire (Tommy Suet's Ball) and Derbyshire (Mrs Merry's Ball). I see that the composer was G W Hunt. Do we have any more information on him? Was he British or American? There is a strong resemblance to the Scottish song "The Wedding of McGinnis to his Cross-eyed pet", .written by George Bruce Thomson of New Deer, Aberdeenshire, but I am not sure which song came first.

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Origins: Billy Johnson's Ball
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 07 Mar 14 - 04:09 PM

Sorcha posted lyrics (Bodleian) in thread 29084. New to me.

Steve, that 'Merman' Concanen cover is great. Not my field of collecting, though.

Billy Johnson's Ball

Subject: Origins: Billy Johnson's Ball
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 07 Mar 14 - 03:55 PM

Anybody here bought the sheet music off Ebay today for £33? Wow, it must have meant a lot to them! I was tempted at £15 But £33? It's a Concanen cover in good nick and as such can be worth a lot to collectors. The song appears in several collections of traditional singers and Muckram Wakes used to sing it.

The same seller has just put on 'The Merman' which also appears in traditional collections, but this has some spotting so might not appeal to cover collectors although it also is Concanen artwork.