"Fig For a Kiss"

No personal notes.

The Fiddler's Companion gives 2 tunes of this name, calling the second a "distanced variant of [1]", the main difference being in the B part. The one we are looking for is the first tune. It lists it as an Irish, Slip (or Hop) Jig in E Minor/Dorian.

The melody was printed in the Petrie Collection of Ancient Irish Music of Ireland (Dublin, 1855) under the title "Glugur an Mheadair," translated as "Gurgling/Splashing of the Churn." The "Fig for a Kiss" title was first used in print by O'Neill. Related Cape Breton versions can be found under the title "The Old Dutch Churn." "Dublin Streets" and "Night of the Fun" are also related tunes. Barnes (English Country Dance Tunes, vol. 2), 2005; pg. 43 (appears as "Fine Lady of Homewood", the name of a dance by Gary Roodman set to the tune). S. Johnson (The Kitchen Musician No. 6: Jigs), 1982 (revised 1989, 2001); pg. 2. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; pg. 88. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907/1986; No. 443, pg. 86. Roche Collection, 182; vol. II, pg. 25. Tubridy (Irish Traditional Music, Book Two), 1999; pg. 42. Ryan's Mammoth Collection, 1883; pg. 109.

From the Session, we have suggestions for variations;

• This is a fine concertina tune. I have it in E Min with C# accidental in bar 2 and 6 of the B part. The quick C's in the end bars of each part then become C natural which is so good on the concertina as the C can be picked up (between the B and the d )from the G row down towards the F#. I also have the bar 7 as "gfe fed edB" which leads nicely into" / B{c natural}dB AGF E3//" The timing is a bit tricky but not so once you have got it. Providence have a great album "A fig For A Kiss" with Micheal O'Raghallaigh on concertina. I highly recommend it!!
• I learned Grey Larsen's version of this tune first and later found it's fairy uncommon and nobody plays it. But anyway it's a very interesting and attractive version, so I will give you a taste of it. For example, he plays the last two bars like this: ...|gfe agf edc|BdB AGF E3||... This variation definitely makes the tune more fun to play. Just try playing it by yourself.
• I learnt this tune off a friend a few years ago and the setting I learnt has the nicest ending that I've come across but I don't know where he got it from: |g2e g2e ede|f2d dcd fga|gBe fAd eEG|B/c/dB AGF E...

...and suggestions for sets;

I have a CD by a group from Cincinnati called Dark Moll. Their CD "Morning Dew" has "A Fig for a Kiss" between "Garrett's Wedding" by Paddy Moloney and the traditional "The Kid on the Mountain." In the notes they apologize for breaking some rule or other, but the set works pretty well.