Tuesday 5 May 2009
Tune of the Day: The Eavesdropper
Traditional Irish jig
Fast yet quite simple to master.
A word about jigs. This form of lively folk dance was already known in sixteenth-century England, often in 2/4 time, as the term was used for a dancing entertainment in sixteenth century plays. Later the dance began to be associated with music, particularly in 6/8 time. In the seventeenth century the dance was adopted in Ireland and Scotland, where it was widely adapted, and with which countries it is now most often associated. In fact, the jig is second only to the reel in traditional Irish dance.