Darby’s Farewell To London reel

Also known as Darby’s Farewell, Josie McDermot’s, Josie McDermott’s.

There are 30 recordings of a tune by this name.

Darby's Farewell To London has been added to 46 tunebooks.

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Two settings

X: 1
T: Darby's Farewell To London
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
BGEG DEGA | BGdG eGdG | BE E2 DEGA | BGdB G2 GA |
B2 EG DEGA | BGdG eGdG | BG G2 EG G2 | FGAF G2 GA |
BGEG DEGA | BGdG eGdG | BGEG DEGA | BGdB G3 A |
BG G2 FG G2 | EG G2 eG G2 | BG G2 eGdG | FGAF G3 A |
|: BABd eg g2 | eaag ef g2 | GABd g2 eg | dBAB GE D2 |
GABd eg g2 | e2 ag efga | bgag egdG |1 FGAF G2 GA :|2 FGAF G4 |
# Added by Kenny .
X: 2
T: Darby's Farewell To London
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
ed|BGEG DEGA|BGdG eGdz|BEEA DEGA|BGdB G2GA|
B2EA DEGA|BGdG eGdz|BG~G2 EGDG|FGAF G3A|
BGEG DEGA|BGdG eGdz|BE~E2 DEGA|BGdB G2GA|
BG~G2 EG~G2|DG~G2 FGAz|BG~G2 EGDG|FGAF G3A||
|:BABd eg~g2|ezag eggz|GABd g2eg|dBAB GEDz|
GABd eg~g2|eaag eg~g2|bgag egdG|FGAF G2GA:|

Six comments

Darby’s Farewell

Requested by "madmike", and I was surprised it wasn’t here already.
Another classic flute reel by Josie McDermott. This was a difficult one to transcribe, because there are so many different versions with different variations going around. It’s been much recorded by flute-players, and none I could find played it the same as anyone else. Even Josie himself didn’t play it the same when he played it twice on his 1977 record on the Topic label. “Darby’s Farewell” was the title track.
Please feel free to add any of the many recorded variations on this fine piece of music.
Because of the variations, I’ve posted the first part as 16 bars.

# Posted by Kenny .

Peg McGrath ~ The Pure Drop

This tune is played in a set by flute player Peg McGrath. Originally from a broadcast of The Pure Drop in Sept. 1989.
It was subsequently broadcast on Come West Along the Road; 13 Jan. 2012. It’s at the beginning of the programme, & is available until the 3rd of February, 2012.
Grand, Peg!
http://www.rte.ie/tv/programmes/come_west_along_the_road.html

Thanks, appreciated… Maybe you could mention it in ‘Discussions’? That’s where these things often end up, later to be edited out by Jeremy…

From Josie’s sleeve notes…..

"…. Josie, as well as composing tunes and songs has written some musical plays, which were performed by the local Comhaltas for charity. One of the recurring characters is a man called Darby. This part was always acted by Tom Hart, a good friend of Josie’s. As a result, many people in the area call Tom Hart "Darby". Indeed, some of his more recent acquaintances only know him by that name. One time, Darby, Josie, and another fine Roscommon flute-player Patsy Hanly, were invited to the Comhaltas dinner in Birmingham. Luck was not with them. First they missed the plane to Birmingham. Then they flew to London, but missed the train connection and had to take a taxi to the "second city". On the way up, Tom Hart said that there would have to be a tune made. Josie obliged there and then. Of such stuff tune titles are made."

# Posted by Kenny .

Josie McDermott ~ the tales behind his tunes…

Nice one Kenny, good to see this added to the comments, and also for others, to fill out the story behind this superb musicians compositions. It adds life.

Josie is an all time favourite. I was listening to him again today. Daft, I know, but I have LP, cassette and CD, and he’s one whose music I’ve given as a gift. I’ll have to pull out the notes again for a read tonight, to touch base there again…