Annotation:Pop Weir Tune

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POP WEIR TUNE. AKA and see "Cow Cross' the Road (1)." American, Air and Country Rag. USA, New York. A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). One part. "Pop" Weir (d. 1965) was the name of a renowned fiddler in central New York State. Bronner (1987) says the tune he has found which is closest to this is a Pennsylvania-collected melody, "Old Cow She Crossed the Road (The)." Musicologist Samuel Bayard confirmed that "Pop Weir Tune" was a simplified version of that Pennsylvania tune, which probably began life as a song melody. The Weirs ("Pop" , Dorrance, Tad and Buster, storekeepers, fiddlers and singers), along with Ken Kane, were informants for Henry Glassie, Edward D. Ives and John Szwed's book "Folksongs and their Makers" (1970) and feature prominently in the first section of the text.

Source for notated version: Ken Kane, 1976 (New York State) [Bronner].

Printed sources: Bronner (Old-Time Music Makers of New York State), 1987; No. 33, p. 125.

Recorded sources:

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