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The Black Joke with Variations

from Oyster Wives Rant: A Year of Historic Tunes by Jeremy Kingsbury

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25. The Black Joke With Variations
This is O'Farrell's setting for a tune that again was popular throughout the eighteenth century. Many of O'Farrell's tunes are indicated as being Scottish, this one is not, and truly seems to have Irish Origins. I wanted to try playing O'Farrell tunes on Highland pipes and this was my first go at trying to translate it directly.
O'Farrell's Setting:
digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/87780734
To hear several settings of The Black Joke listen to Episode 35 of Season 4:
www.wetootwaag.com/s4e35
Much to my surprise (and likely why it was so popular) the Black Joke is an innuendo, being eighteenth century slang for a vagina.
If you want to hear me discuss the history of British slang be sure to check out episode 28: www.wetootwaag.com/s4e28

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from Oyster Wives Rant: A Year of Historic Tunes, released February 5, 2021

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Jeremy Kingsbury Grand Forks, North Dakota

I host a bi-weekly bagpipe and history podcast which explores the likely repertoire eighteenth and early nineteenth century bagpipers.
I've played Highland pipes and uilleann pipes since the nineties. My albums are an opportunity for me to keep the tunes and songs I have most enjoyed from creating the podcast.

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