X: 5
T: Banish Misfortune
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
:"D"fed "C"cAG|"D"A2d "C"cAG|"D"F2D DED|FEF "C"GFG|
"D"A2A "C"cAG|"D"AGA "C"c2e|"D"fed "C"cAG|"D"Ad^c d2e:|
|:"D"f2d d^cd|f2g agf|"C"e2c cBc|e2f gfe|
"D"f2g agf|"C"e2f gfe|"D"fed "C"cAG|"D"Ad^c d2e:|
|:"D"f2g "C"e2f|"D"d2e "C"c2d|"D"ABA "C"GAG|"D"F2F GED|
"C"c3 cAG|AGA cde|"D"fed cAG|1 "C"Ad^c "D"d2e:|2 "C"Ad^c "D"d3||

History

Banish Misfortune is a three-part double jig from the Irish tradition. It appears in print by 1883, in Ryan’s Mammoth Collection, and again in Francis O’Neill’s Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems (Chicago, 1907), where it is numbered 53. Whether either printing represents the tune’s first appearance in a collection is not established, and no composer is credited in either source, so it is treated as traditional.

One of the earliest known recordings is a wax cylinder made around 1902–1904 by the fiddler Edward Cronin, part of the O’Neill Cylinders held today by the Ward Irish Music Archives. That places it among the oldest dance tunes for which sound recordings survive, well before the tune had any commercial recording history.

The tune’s long list of alternative titles is one of the more striking things about it. Names collected over the years include The Humours of Mullinafauna, The Little Bag of Meal, Round the Cart House, Nancy Hynes, Máire Ní Eidhinn, and several more colourful ones still in circulation among session musicians. This kind of title-drift is common for tunes that travelled widely by ear before print standardised anything.

Its modern popularity owes a great deal to The Chieftains, who opened their 1969 album Chieftains 2 with a setting of Banish Misfortune paired with Gillian’s Apples. That recording introduced the tune to a much wider audience outside dedicated session circles and is still the version many players first hear.

No specific dance function is recorded for this setting beyond its general use as a jig for céilí and set dancing, and there’s no strong evidence tying it to one particular region of Ireland rather than general circulation across the tradition.

Musical Characteristics

• Three-part (AABBCC) structure, longer than the standard two-part jig
• Built around repeated melodic cells rather than long, flowing phrases
• Rhythmically insistent, with a rolling, driving quality well suited to dancing
• The B and C parts sit higher, giving the tune a rising arc across its length
• Moderate technical demands: manageable for a confident improver, but the three parts and their similar shapes make it easy to lose your place
• Notable for its shifting tonal colour between parts, discussed below under Mode

Mode

• Base mode: D Mixolydian (D, E, F♯, G, A, B, C natural)
• Many settings introduce an occasional sharpened seventh (C♯) as a passing or leading note, especially in cadences, which gives sections of the tune a D major (Ionian) flavour
• This mix is one of the tune’s defining features, not an error in any one setting — different printed and recorded versions lean more one way or the other
• Commonly played in D in sessions; occasionally heard transposed to E or G to suit a particular whistle or fiddle

Harmony

Accompaniment usually stays simple. Guitarists and bouzouki players tend to lean on D and C, with G appearing as a light lift in the B and C parts. Because the mode shifts between mixolydian and major colouring, chording too rigidly around C♯ or F♯ can clash with a phrase played the mixolydian way — listen to what the melody player is doing bar to bar rather than fixing one harmonic scheme for the whole tune.

Interpretation Notes

• Usual session tempo is moderate to brisk rather than a scorching jig speed — the three-part structure needs room to register
• Articulation tends toward light and detached rather than heavily slurred, keeping the rhythmic drive clear
• Ornamentation is typically restrained: cuts and the odd roll on longer notes, rather than dense decoration
• Swing is present but subtle; overdoing it can blur the tune’s rolling character
• A common mistake is rushing into the C part before the B part has properly cadenced — the three parts benefit from a clear sense of arrival at each turn
• No strong regional performance tradition dominates; most session players draw on a blend of the printed settings and what they’ve picked up from recordings

Flute Approach

• Breathing: the tune’s steady rhythm gives natural breathing points at the end of four-bar phrases — plan these rather than snatching breath mid-phrase
• Phrasing: lean into the lift at the start of each part rather than flattening the dynamic across all three
• Ornamentation: single cuts work well on repeated notes; save rolls for the longer notes at phrase ends so they don’t clutter the drive of the tune
• Tone: a full, even tone through the lower octave helps the A part sit well against the higher B and C parts
• Finger challenges: the C♯/C natural alternation (where present) is the main technical hurdle — practise the relevant bars slowly in isolation before bringing them up to speed
• Musical expression: resist over-ornamenting; the tune’s character comes from its structure and drive rather than decoration

Guitar / Accompaniment

• Keep the rhythm steady and slightly forward-leaning rather than heavy-handed
• A DADGAD tuning suits the tune well, allowing open drones under the D and C chords
• Bass movement can follow the melody’s D–C alternation closely in the A part, opening out a little more in B and C
• Light fingerpicking or a simple strum both work; avoid dense chordal texture that fights the melody’s own busyness
• Avoid overcommitting to either the mixolydian or major colouring with fixed chord choices — listen for which the melody is leaning on in a given bar
• Steer clear of adding chords on every single beat; give the tune room to breathe between changes

Session Notes

• One of the most widely known three-part jigs in the Irish repertoire, with a long history of session use
• Frequently paired with Gillian’s Apples, following The Chieftains’ recording, though it also turns up in sets with The Blarney Pilgrim, Out on the Ocean, and The Humours of Ballyloughlin
• Usual session tempo is moderate rather than raced through, given its length and structure
• No strong regional variation dominates current session practice; most versions in circulation are close to the O’Neill/Chieftains lineage
• A good tune to lead a set with, since its distinctive opening is easily recognised and gives other players a clear cue to join in

Similar Tunes

• Gillian’s Apples — the customary follow-on tune from The Chieftains’ recording, and a natural pairing in sessions
• The Blarney Pilgrim — another three-part D jig with a similar rolling character, often heard in the same sets
• The Humours of Ballyloughlin — shares the moderate, structurally patient feel of a longer jig
• Out on the Ocean — a common set partner, contrasting in mood but similar in energy and tempo
• Kitty’s Rambles — frequently programmed alongside Banish Misfortune in session sets, with a comparable drive

Recommended Recordings and Versions

• The Chieftains — “Banish Misfortune / Gillian’s Apples,” from Chieftains 2 (Claddagh Records, 1969). The recording most responsible for the tune’s wide popularity, and still the reference version many musicians learn against. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8wNMxQ61ZY
• Michael Eskin (TradLessons.com) — tin whistle tutorial. A clear, unhurried walk-through of the tune, useful for players learning it from scratch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P00mMRJi7Iw
• The Session — tune page with eighteen user-submitted settings, ABC notation, and decades of player discussion and variant tempos. https://thesession.org/tunes/9
• The Traditional Tune Archive — detailed historical entry including printed sources, alternative titles, and a link to the early cylinder recording. https://tunearch.org/wiki/Banish_Misfortune_(1)

References

• O’Neill, Francis. Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems. Chicago, 1907, No. 53.
• Ryan’s Mammoth Collection. Boston, 1883, p. 106.
• The Traditional Tune Archive: “Banish Misfortune (1)” — tunearch.org
• The Session: “Banish Misfortune” — thesession.org/tunes/9

Personal Notes

This is a tune that rewards patience more than speed. The three parts look similar on the page, and it’s easy to end up guessing your way through a session run-through rather than actually knowing where you are. Spend time learning each part’s ending clearly — that’s what saves you when the whole session turns the corner into C without warning.

The mixolydian/major ambiguity isn’t something to iron out. Different settings lean different ways, and that’s part of what makes the tune interesting to compare across recordings. If you’re accompanying, keep an ear open rather than fixing your chords in advance.

It’s a solid tune to have ready for leading a set — recognisable enough that most session players will know it, and long enough that it gives a set some real weight before moving on.