Lyr Req: Phil the Fluther's Ball (Percy French)

Subject: Phil the Fluther's Music
From: Musicman
Date: 01 Apr 99 - 12:43 PM

I'm needing the song Phil the Fluther's ball for my work, and have found the words in the database. But, I have no idea how the song goes.

Can anyone help me with a midi file or music or something so I can learn this silly song.

Thanks, Musicman

Subject: RE: Phil the Fluther's Music
From: alison
Date: 02 Apr 99 - 01:04 AM

Hi Paul,

do it for you later....

slainte

alison

Subject: Tune/Chords Add: PHIL THE FLUTHER'S BALL
From: alison
Date: 02 Apr 99 - 01:47 AM

Here you go Paul, I've sent you an email of a MIDI with the accompaniment.....

Click to Play

ABC format:

X:1
T:Phil the Fluther's Ball
M:4/4
Q:1/4=130
K:C
E15/2D/2|C3/2C/2C3/2C/2c3/2c/2c3/2B/2|A3/2G/2A3/2B/2c2E3/2D/2|
C3/2C/2C3/2C/2c3/2c/2c3/2A/2|G3/2A/2G3/2E/2D2E3/2D/2|
C3/2C/2C3/2C/2c3/2c/2c3/2B/2|A3/2G/2A3/2B/2c3d|
e3/2c/2d3/2B/2c3/2B/2A3/2G/2|A3/2c/2B3/2d/2c2c3/2d/2|
e2e3/2c/2d2d3/2B/2|c3/2d/2c3/2A/2G3/2E/2C3/2G/2|
e3/2e/2e3/2c/2d3/2d/2d3/2B/2|c3/2B/2A3/2d/2G7/2c/2|
e2e3/2c/2d7/2B/2|c3/2d/2c3/2A/2G3/2E/2C3/2E/2|
G3/2A/2G3/2E/2c3/2A/2G3/2E/2|G3/2A/2G3/2E/2D2E3/2D/2|
C2C3/2C/2c2c3/2B/2|A3/2G/2A3/2B/2c3/2c/2c2|
C3/2C/2C3/2C/2c3/2c/2c3/2A/2|G3/2A/2G3/2E/2D3/2D/2DE/2D/2|
C2C2c3/2c/2c2|A3/2G/2A3/2B/2c7/2d/2|e3/2c/2d3/2B/2c3/2B/2A3/2G/2|
A3/2c/2B3/2d/2c4||

and here are the guitar chords..... (possibly a bit more complicated than necessary.. but that's what's in the book)

Have you (C)heard of Phil the Fluther, of the (F)town of Bally(Em)muck?
The (C)times were going (Em)hard with him, in (C)fact the man was (G)broke.
So he (C)just sent out a notice to his (F)neighbours, one an (Em)all
As to (C)how he'd like their company that (F)evening (G)at a (C)ball.
And when writin' (G)out he was (Am)careful to (Em)suggest to them,
That (C)if they found a (G)hat of his con(D)venient to the (G)dure, (door)
The (C)more they put (G)in, when(Am)ever he re(Em)quested them
The better would the (C)music be for (Em)battherin' the (G)flure.(floor)

With the (C)toot of the flute, And the (F)twiddle of the (C)fiddle, O;
Hopping in the middle, like a herrin' on the (G)griddle, O.
(C)Up! down, hands aroun', (F)crossin' to the (C)wall
Oh!, hadn't we the gaiety at (F)Phil the (G)fluther's (C)ball.

Slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Phil the Fluther's Music
From: Musicman
Date: 02 Apr 99 - 05:20 AM

thanks alison,,,, Paul

Subject: RE: Phil the Fluther's Music
From: Mick Lowe
Date: 02 Apr 99 - 06:22 PM

Paul,
If you need the music try here Irish@Prof
Cheers
Mick

Subject: Lyr Add: PHIL THE FLUTER'S BALL (Percy French)
From: Alice
Date: 10 Mar 00 - 10:34 AM

I have the first verse and the chorus in a songbook for Phil The Fluter's Ball. I don't have the rest of the words, although I have a recording of the song... so fast a little hard to catch all the words accurately. Can someone provide the rest of the verses, please?

alice flynn

PHIL THE FLUTER'S BALL
Percy French

Have you heard of Phil the Fluter, of the town of Ballymuck?
The times were going hard with him; in fact the man was bruk',
So he just sent out a notice to his neighbors one and all
As how he'd like their company that evenin' at a ball.
And when writin' out he was careful to suggest to them
That if they found a hat of his convenient to the door,
The more they put in, whenever he requested them,
"The better would the music be for batterin' the floor."

chorus
With the toot of the flute, and the twiddle of the fiddle,
O Hopping in the middle, like a herrin' on the griddle
O up, down hands a-rown' crossin to the wall,
Oh! hadn't we the gaiety at Phil the Fluter's Ball.

Subject: Lyr Add: PHIL THE FLUTER'S BALL (From Two Ronnies)
From: Melbert
Date: 10 Mar 00 - 11:16 AM

There was Jean there was June there was Janet there was Jenifer
and Jane and Joyce and Jaqueline and Juliet and Joan.
There was Lily who was silly, there was Bessy who was messy
There was Annie with her Grannie, and Fannie on her own!
And they all stood around looking rather inefectual
their feet close together and their bottoms to the wall.
Some were thick, and some were intellectual,
while some were fairly sexual and others weren't at all

There was Clair there was Chris there was Connie and Clarissa
Cecelia and Charity and Caroline and Kate.
There was shrinking little violet who doesn't want to marry yet
and Podgy little Harriet who can't afford to wait!
Clarissa, you could kiss her. You could meddle with Melissa
and vanessa you could press her and caress against the wall.
You could have fun with Nicola, but if you tried to tickle her
you'd end up with Virginia who wouldn't do at all.

There was Thora, Nora, Dora, Cora, Flora and Feclicity
Who's sweetness and simplicity enchanted one and all.
Though I fancied every one of them, I ended up with none of them.
I went home on my bicycle from Phil the Fluter's Ball!

From the Two Ronnies (Barker and Corbett)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Phil the Fluter's Ball
From: Alice
Date: 10 Mar 00 - 12:46 PM

OK, I DID check the database (DT) and didn't find it... too bad I didn't type in "Fluther" instead of Fluter.... the dialect words in the copy I have don't carry over into the title. Now if I had only checked the list of all the titles under "P" instead of searching on [Phil the Fluter]....

alice

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Phil the Fluter's Ball
From: MMario
Date: 10 Mar 00 - 01:21 PM

heeHEE! I searched on phil ball.....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Phil the Fluter's Ball
From: Alice
Date: 10 Mar 00 - 01:28 PM

you got me there, Mario, I would not have thought of that. I considered that I was doing a thorough job by seaching both the DT and forum before starting a thread, and a passing thought was to search phil flut, but I figured, what the hey, if Phil the Fluter didn't come up, then....

Shouldn't there be a way to cross reference titles that have dialect spellings with the regular spelling of a word so people can find it when they spell it "right"?

a.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Phil the Fluter's Ball
From: Alice
Date: 10 Mar 00 - 01:36 PM

Hey, Melbert, thanks for the more contemporary sounding additions.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Phil the Fluter's Ball
From: MMario
Date: 10 Mar 00 - 02:09 PM

Alice - never thought you didn't search, sorry if I sounded like was suggesting that...

I have found in general that the more "generic" the search, the better. But it seems to take a certain sort of twisted logic to figure out what works best. I seem to have luck with it...(not sure I should admit that)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Phil the Fluter's Ball
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 10 Mar 00 - 02:17 PM

Hi- I'm sorry, but I can't really envision a way to cross-reference all the dialects and alternate spellings with "standard" English. I never would have come up with Fluther for Fluter, although Percy French obviously did.

Try searches on "neutral" words--"ball", "Phil" aren't apt to have alternate spellings.

Subject: Lyr Add: PHIL THE FLUTHER'S BALL (Percy French)
From: freda underhill
Date: 20 Mar 05 - 09:28 AM

my father used to sing bits of this one..

PHIL THE FLUTHER'S BALL
(Percy French)

Have you heard of Phil the Fluther, of the town of Ballymuck?
The times were going hard with him, in fact the man was broke.
So he just sent out a notice to his neighbours, one an all
As to how he'd like their company that evening at a ball.
And when writin' out he was careful to suggest to them,
That if they found a hat of his convanient to the dure,
The more they put in, whenever he requested them
The better would the music be for battherin' the flute.

With the toot of the flute, and the twiddle of the fiddle, O;
Hopping in the middle, like a herrin' on the griddle, O.
Up! down, hands aroun', crossing to the wall.
Oh! Hadn't we the gaiety at Phil the Fluther's Ball.

There was Mister Denis Dogherty, who kep' the runnin' dog;
There was little crooked Paddy, from the Tiraloughett bog;
There was boys from every Barony, and girls from ev'ry "art"
And the beautiful Miss Bradys, in a private ass an' cart,
And along with them came bouncing Mrs. Cafferty,
Little Micky Mulligan was also to the fore,
Rose, Suzanne, and Margaret O'Rafferty,
The flower of Ardmagullion, and the pride of Pethravore.

First, little Micky Mulligan got up to show them how,
And then the Widda' Cafferty steps out and makes her bow,
I could dance you off your legs, sez she, as sure as you are born,
If ye'll only make the piper play, "The hare was in the corn."
So Phil plays up to the best of his ability,
The lady and the gentleman begin to do their share;
Faith, then Mick it's you that has agility,
Begorra Mrs. Cafferty, yer leppin' like a hare!

Then Phil the Fluther tipped a wink to little Crooked Pat,
"I think it's nearly time,'' sez he, "for passin' round the hat.''
So Paddy pass'd the caubeen round, and looking mighty cute.
Sez, "Ye've got to pay the piper when he toothers on the flute.''
Then all joined in wid the greatest joviality,
Covering the buckle, and the shuffle, and the cut;
Jigs were danced, of the very finest quality,
But the Widda' bet the company at "handling the fut."

William Percy French

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Phil the Fluter's Ball
From: Mr Happy
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 03:07 PM

Its got almost the same tune as 'Delaney's Donkey'

Anyone know which came first?

---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1Ofhh30lwQ

Subject: DT Corr??: Phil the Fluther's Ball (Percy French)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Sep 08 - 12:50 AM

I got this from the James N. Healy book, The Songs of Percy French (Ossian Publications, 1996). It's almost the same as what's in the Digital Tradition, but the punctuation in the DT is pretty weird (double apostrophes for quotes, and such). The one major differences between the Healy version and the one in the DT are in the first verse - particularly the third line.
Healy: So he sent an invitation to his neighbours, one and all
DT: So he just sent out a notice to his neighbours, one an all
.
Which source is correct?
-Joe-


PHIL THE FLUTHER'S BALL
(Percy French)

Have you heard of Phil the Fluther, of the town of Ballymuck?
The times were going hard with him, in fact the man was bruk.
So he sent an invitation to his neighbours, one and all
As to how he'd like their company that evenin' at a ball.
And when writin' out he was careful to suggest to them,
That if they found a hat of his convanient to the door,
The more they put in, whenever he requested them
The better would the music be for battherin' the floor.

CHORUS
With the toot of the flute, and the twiddle of the fiddle-o!
Hoppin' in the middle like a herrin' on the griddle-o.
Up, down, hands around, crossin' to the wall.
Oh! Hadn't we the gaiety at Phil the Fluther's Ball.

There was Misther Denis Dogherty, who kep' the runnin' dog;
There was little crooked Paddy, from the Tiraloughett bog;
There was boys from every Barony, and girls from ev'ry 'art'
And the beautiful Miss Bradys, in a private ass an' cart,
And along with them came bouncing Mrs. Cafferty,
Little Micky Mulligan was also to the fore,
Rose, Suzanne, and Margaret O'Rafferty,
The flower of Ardmagullion, and the pride of Pethravore.
CHORUS

First, little Micky Mulligan got up to show them how,
And then the Widda' Cafferty steps out and makes her bow,
I could dance you off your legs, sez her, 'as sure as you are born,
If ye'll only make the piper play, "The hare was in the corn."'
So Phil plays up to the best of his ability,
The lady and the gentleman begin to do their share;
'Faith then Mick, it's you that has agility:
Begorra Mrs. Cafferty, yer leppin' like a hare!'
CHORUS

Then Phil the Fluther tipped a wink to little Crooked Pat,
'I think it's nearly time,' sez he, 'for passin' round the hat.'
So Paddy pass'd the caubeen round, and looking mighty cute
Sez, 'Ye've got to pay the piper when he toothers on the flute.'
Then all joined in wid the greatest joviality,
Covering the buckle, and the shuffle, and the cut;
Jigs were danced, of the very finest quality,
But the Widda' bet the company at 'handling the fut.'

from The Songs of Percy French, James N. Healy (Ossian Publications, 1996).

@music @Irish
filename[ PHILFLUT
TUNE FILE: PHILFLUT
CLICK TO PLAY
BR

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Phil the Fluther's Ball (Percy French)
From: Snuffy
Date: 28 Sep 08 - 05:58 AM

The better would the music be for battherin' the flute floor.

---

My mistake (and the DT) - the Healy book has it your way. Correction made.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Phil the Fluther's Ball (Percy French)
From: Jack Campin
Date: 28 Sep 08 - 06:02 AM

What did French call the tune?

It seems to be a strathspey - quite similar to "The Glasgow Highlanders", "Lord Moira" and "The Lad wi the Plaidie".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Phil the Fluther's Ball (Percy French)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 29 Sep 08 - 01:10 PM

PHIL THE FLUTER'S BALL (note spelling) can be found, without attribution, in Irish Song Book, No. 1. New York: Wehman Bros. 1909, page 113, which is viewable with Google Book Search.

Lyrics are identical to the version lately posted by Joe Offer EXCEPT:

Verse 1 line 3: he just sent out a notice
Verse 1 line 8: battherin' the flure (as already pointed out by Snuffy)
Verse 2 line 8: The flower of Adrumgullion (which I suppose is a deliberate mispronunciation)
--plus various spelling differences, which I haven't bothered to enumerate.

It's the earliest version I can find with Google Book Search, but, I don't have any faith that it's the authoritative original version.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Phil the Fluther's Ball (Percy French)
From: GUEST,iancarterb
Date: 29 Sep 08 - 11:03 PM

I have somewhere in the rubble TWO versions of PtFB sheet music from the 1940s. One has essentially the same lyrics that Joe Offer shows, and the other was a really lame American pop version with Rudy Vallee attribution. If I can find them I'll post the sorry details.
Carter

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Phil the Fluther's Ball (Percy French)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Sep 08 - 01:00 AM

Bad or not, I wish I could hear the Rudy Vallee recording.
Carter, can you check the more credible sheet music and see if it has "he just sent out a notice" like the Digital Tradition; ir if it has "he sent an invitation" like my Healy version? Thanks.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Phil the Fluther's Ball (Percy French)
From: GUEST,iancarterb
Date: 30 Sep 08 - 11:35 PM

Joe, I hadn't looked at these since I got the boxes of piano bench contents from my mother's stuff. They turn out to be closer than I remembered, and both credit French and both say "just sent out a notice." What I remembered as a debasement of the original turns out to be substituting "broke" for "bruk" and "dancing" for "bathering."
That's all! Both in C, guitar chords on the Vallee, otherwise all the same but for the covers (picture of Rudy his, plain on the Keith Prowse and Co version).
Carter

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Phil the Fluther's Ball (Percy French)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 01 Oct 08 - 06:44 PM

There's a lovely old version by Peter Dawson. His diction is wonderfully clear and there's a great sense of fun, though his Irish accent doesn't always cut the mustard!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Phil the Fluther's Ball (Percy French)
From: GUEST,Aidan - County Derry
Date: 06 Jan 09 - 09:48 PM

I found this thread while researching to find the Cavan county location for "Phil the Fluter's Ball" and trying to find the locations mentioned in the song.
I was looking for Petravore and as it is also mentioned in "Eileen Og - The Pride of Petravore" this link http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=4704
gave me a fantastic pointer to the house of Pether a Bhothar in Corraclassy, Co Cavan. There is another location about a mile east of "Petravore" called Altachullion which I surmise as the garden which produced the "Flower of Ardmagullion". Still looking for "the Tiraloughett bog" although I don't believe there was ever a town of "Balymuck"

I have found this a very interesting excercise and may even pay a visit to the area later this year to research further and get some pictures

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Phil the Fluther's Ball (Percy French)
From: ard mhacha
Date: 07 Jan 09 - 03:16 AM

Surely you can look no further for than Brendan O`Dowda as the master of all Percy French songs, no one sings them better.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Phil the Fluther's Ball (Percy French)
From: ard mhacha
Date: 07 Jan 09 - 03:24 AM

Listen to Brendan O`Dowda singing Phil the fluter`s ball on You Tube, machree01.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Phil the Fluther's Ball (Percy French)
From: GUEST,machree01
Date: 07 Jan 09 - 08:36 AM

Here is Brendan O'Dowda singing Percy French, Phil The Fluters Ball.

         http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=KnsV4CvBBhQ

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Phil the Fluther's Ball (Percy French)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Jan 24 - 11:44 AM

Bringing this to the top - a new member is looking for the pronunciation of some of the words in this song.