My version of the jig, Ingonish on fiddle. For years I’ve been wrongly calling this tune Up Sligo and have only just discovered my mistake. In fact, I came to the realisation between making the video and writing this article, which explains why it says Up Sligo behind me. But, Ingonish is the correct name.
I first came across the tune on the Altan album Island Angel, where it’s coupled with the great E major Canadian jig Andy de Jarlis. I’ve always thought of this tune as Irish, but the Cape Breton fiddler Mike MacDougall (also a prolific composer of tunes) has been credited as a possible writer of the tune. Ingonish being an area in Victoria Country, Cape Breton. However, it does bear a strong likeness to The Tenpenny Bit – with A and B parts reversed and transposed to E minor. So, I’m not really sure if it’s a modern Canadian tune or trad Irish. If anyone has more info on this, please let me know.
Whatever the origins of this great tune, it is a great pleasure to play on the fiddle. The tune is in the key of E Dorian, the addition of C naturals are my own variation, making it sound half dorian and half minor.
Below is an accurate transcription of my version.
Notice it starts with an up-bow and I continue for much of the tune with up-bows at the start of each bar. See my article on reverse bowing for fiddle.
There are also a few pauses in the A part, which are effective on the second beat of the bar.
In bars 6 and 14 of the B part, you’ll see semi-quavers at the start of the bar. The two semi-quavers plus next quaver, make a sound similar to a triplet, but I find it clearer to write them out like this for jigs.
Also, you’ll find quite a few double-stops in the B part.
