Friday, December 24, 2004
Danny Pearl's Favorite
From the Countercolumn Ministry of Stupid Facts:
There's a long tradition in Irish traditional music to name tunes after well-known players, or after friend's of well-known players, either as a gesture of affection, or because the name of the tune - if it ever had a name - has become lost to antiquity, and the tune just becomes associated with a well-known player.
Cases in point:
Lady Anne Montgomery
Chief O'Niell's Favorite
Dowd's Favorite
There are dozens, if not hundreds of tunes like this. (See also "delight."
It's a mark of respect, and a mark of affection.
The late Wall Street Journal reporter Danny Pearl, who met his fate murdered by Al Qaeda terrorists, was also a devoted amateur fiddler. His favorite tune was a very well-known and widely-played traditional Irish tune called "Red-Haired Boy," which is also known by the title of a song written to it's melody, "The Jolly Beggarman."
It's happening very slowly. It will take years. But the tune is starting to become known, in Bluegrass and Irish Traditional circles, as "Danny Pearl's Favorite."
And from now on, that's what it will be for me.
Danny Pearl's Favorite.
Splash, out
Jason
There's a long tradition in Irish traditional music to name tunes after well-known players, or after friend's of well-known players, either as a gesture of affection, or because the name of the tune - if it ever had a name - has become lost to antiquity, and the tune just becomes associated with a well-known player.
Cases in point:
Lady Anne Montgomery
Chief O'Niell's Favorite
Dowd's Favorite
There are dozens, if not hundreds of tunes like this. (See also "delight."
It's a mark of respect, and a mark of affection.
The late Wall Street Journal reporter Danny Pearl, who met his fate murdered by Al Qaeda terrorists, was also a devoted amateur fiddler. His favorite tune was a very well-known and widely-played traditional Irish tune called "Red-Haired Boy," which is also known by the title of a song written to it's melody, "The Jolly Beggarman."
It's happening very slowly. It will take years. But the tune is starting to become known, in Bluegrass and Irish Traditional circles, as "Danny Pearl's Favorite."
And from now on, that's what it will be for me.
Danny Pearl's Favorite.
Splash, out
Jason
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