Bernado's Favorite

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 Theme code Index    1H511H 5H6H5H3H
 Also known as    Bernardo's Favorite, Humors of Castle Bernard (The)
 Composer/Core Source    
 Region    United States
 Genre/Style    Contra
 Meter/Rhythm    Hornpipe/Clog
 Key/Tonic of    D
 Accidental    2 sharps
 Mode    Ionian (Major)
 Time signature    4/4
 History    
 Structure    AABB
 Editor/Compiler    Biography:William Bradbury Ryan
 Book/Manuscript title    Book:Ryan's Mammoth Collection
 Tune and/or Page number    p. 158
 Year of publication/Date of MS    1883
 Artist    
 Title of recording    
 Record label/Catalogue nr.    
 Year recorded    
 Media    
 Score   ()   


BERNADO'S FAVORITE. AKA and see "Humors of Castle Bernard (The)." American, (Lancashire) Clog. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The title perhaps refers to a black-face minstrel and variety theatre performer whose stage name was 'Bernardo' (not Bernado), though he was a "burlesque prima donna" rather than a dancer. A New York Clipper correspondent reporting on the October 25, 1875 Detroit debut with Bryant's Minstrels wrote: "His voice is an extraordinary soprano, reaching with ease high D-flat." Edward Le Roy Rice, in his volume Monarchs of Minstrelsy (New York, 1911) gives this entry on "the Great Bernardo":

"BERNARDO" (Thomas White), a prominent female impersonator in the "good old days," according to Frank Dumont, appeared as early as 1867 with Ned Davis/Olio Minstrels as Master J. Buckley. He was with Hooley's Minstrels in Brooklyn, N.Y., two years later, playing under his own name, Thos. White. He joined Lew Benedict's Minstrels in July, 1872, subsequently he was associated with the San Francisco Minstrels in New York in 1875; the same year he joined Hooley's Minstrels in Brooklyn, N.Y., and in 1878 was a member of Charley Morris Minstrels. He was with Bryant's in New York, also Haverly's Minstrels. In May, 1877, with Charley Sutton, Francis Wilson and Jimmy Mackin, he launched Mackin, Wilson, Sutton and Bernardo's Minstrels. "Bernardo" died in Brooklyn, N.Y., Novermber 21, 1880. (p. 210)

Perhaps Captain Francis O'Neill could not reconcile a good tune with the stage occupation of a female impersonator, for he changed the title of the tune in his 1903 Music of Ireland to "Humors of Castle Bernard (The)."

Printed sources: Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; p. 119. Ryan's Mammoth Collection, 1883; p. 158.

X:1
T:Bernado's Favorite
M:C
L:1/8
R:Hornpipe
S:Ryan's Mammoth Collection (1883)
Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion
K:D
(f>.e)|(d>.f)(A>.d) (3DFA(d>.f)|a>fb>f a>gf>e|d>fA>d (3DFA d>f|(3efe(3dcB A>gf>e| 
d>fA>d (3DFA d>f | a>fb>f a>gf>e | d>^de>f (3gec (3ABc | d2f2d2 :: A2 | 
c>de>f g>ec>A | d>cd>e f>de>f | {a}g>fg>a b>ag>f | (3efd (3cdB A2 A>B | 
c>de>f g>ec>A | d>cd>e f>de>f | g>ba>g f>de>c | d2f2d2 :||