Ma Seal's Mazurka

X:27
T:Ma Seal's Mazurka
% NFF Book 2013
S:collected from Ma Seal
S:John Meredith Collection, NLA, TRC 2222 R-93, R-94
Z:transcribed by Greg O'Leary
O:Australia, SA, Kimba
R:Waltz Mazurka
M:3/4
L:1/8
K:D
|:FG|"D"AF DF AF|d2c2B2|AFD2E2|F3G FE|A,B, CD EF|"A7"E4E2|A,B, CD EF|"D"D4FG|
AF DF AF|d2c2B2|AFD2E2|F3G FE|A,B, CD EF|"A7"E2EF EC|A,B, CD EF|"D"D4A2|
"D"dA FA dA|"A"cA EA cA|"G"BG DG BG|"D"A3B AF|A,B, CD EF|"A7"E2EF EC|A,B, CD EF|"D"D4A2|
"D"dA FA dA|"A"c4c2|"G"B2B2B2|"D"A3B AF|A,B, CD EF|"A7"E2EF EC|A,B, CD EF|"D"D4:|
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NOTES

This is another version of Ma Seal's Polka Mazurka
It is actually called 'Waltz Mazurka' as it is tune specific for a dance
by that name. Connie Whitwell, Ma's friend, was there as well as Ma's
daughter Mary, and between the latter two, I was able to reconstruct the
dance. Ma was grumpy as usual, singing out, 'doesn't the music tell you
what to do?' I was getting the blame, but daughter Mary was putting in a
reverse Viennese Waltz which obviously was wrong according to Ma. We
actually filmed it in Bendigo with this Viennese Waltz and sent it over
for Ma's scrutiny. Connie worked it out, also saying they thought we'd
confused it with the Varsoviana in the second section. We reworked it
deleted the Viennese Waltz and altered the Varsoviana turn and stop to a
more subtle Hesitation Waltz waltz stop while bringing the other foot up
to the ankle instead of stopping on the floor. This seemed to meet with approval.

So the first 16 bars is straight Circular Waltz, the second section which
is strongly marked with some Varsoviana part B emphasis, consists of 2
mazurkas forward, polka step half turn (as in Varso), then a natural
waltz turn one way, bringing the foot up to the other ankle, then repeated
reverse direction. This part B section of 8 bars is then repeated mirror
image or reverse pattern to the previous. Then back to Circular Waltz etc.
Merro remembered Ma waltzing round and round while playing the tune on an
earlier visit, but by the time of my visit she was 90 and not dancing.

NB. Ma's grumpiness which Merro didn't seem to pick up on. We'd been
recording her for some time when she said 'what about you playing a tune
Mr Meredith, who's the mug around here!' Also on our return, she didn't
want to see us, sitting in a rocking chair with an Afghan crochured rug
over her knees, pretending to be a disinterested old lady. Once we got
the tunes going, it was a very different story, and she'd look me in the
eye at the end of each piece.

Peter Ellis, April 2013
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Ma Seal's Mazurka - played by Greg O'Leary

Additional Information

Additional information may be available on the following people or organisations associated with the collection of this tune:
| Greg O'Leary | John Meredith Collection | Ma Seal |