“The Kelligrews Soiree”

Description

"You may talk of... anything you choose, But it couldn't hold a snuff-box to the spree at Kelligrews." A thoroughly exaggerated account: "There was birch rine, tar twine, cherry wine, and turpentine," and so forth, ad nauseum.

Notes

Kelligrews is a small village southwest of St. John's, Newfoundland. - RBW

Is this a cleaned-up version of "The Ball at Kerrimuir"? -PJS

Based on form, it is not. (It's not all that cleaned up, either; while there are no explicit sexual references, there are all sorts of hints, plus references to drunkenness, sodden clergy, and the like.) Fowke and Johnston believe it to be based on "The Irish Jubilee," and the stanzaic form implies they are right. Of course, there are all sorts of songs on the theme of the Ultimate Uproarious Party. - RBW

While Doyle3 reports the song was sung in New York in 1938, GEST Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador site shows that the author died in 1930. - BS

Same tune

  • The Teapots at the Fire (File: Blon027)

Cross references

Recordings

  • Omar Blondahl, "The Kelligrews Soiree" (on NFOBlondahl01)

References

  1. Fowke/Johnston, pp. 110-112, "The Kelligrews Soiree" (1 text, 1 tune)
  2. Fowke/MacMillan 35, "The Kelligrews Soiree" (1 text, 1 tune)
  3. Blondahl, pp. 25-26, "The Kelligrews Soiree" (1 text, 1 tune)
  4. Doyle2, pp. 16-17, "The Kelligrew's Soiree" (1 text, 1 tune)
  5. Doyle3, pp. 36-37, "The Kelligrew's Soiree" (1 text, 1 tune)
  6. DT, KSOIREE
  7. Roud #4430
  8. BI, FJ110

About

Author: John Burke
Earliest date: 1938
Found in: Canada(Newf)