The Session >> Tunes >> The Pigeon On The Gate (reel)

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Pigeon On The Gate

reel

Key signature: Edorian

Submitted on January 28th 2002 by Mad Baloney.

This tune has been added to 524 tunebooks.

Also known as The Drunken Landlady, The Pidgeon On The Gate, Pigeon On The Gate, Seamus Ennis.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: Pigeon On The Gate, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Edor
dc|BE ~E2 BEdE|BE ~E2 dBAF|D2 (3FED ADFE|DEFA BAFA|
BE ~E2 BEdE|BE ~E2 B2 AF|D2 FA dfec|dBAF E2:|
FA|Beed efed|(3Bcd ef gedB|Addc d3 B|A2 FE DEFA|
Beed efed|(3Bcd ef g2 fg|af (3gfe fd ec|dBAF E2:|

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments
The Pigeon On The Gate sheetmusic
Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

This is a standard session staple - but for some reason it's rarer than hen's teeth around my area. I heard it quite a bit in other areas, but I think since it's close to so many other Edor reels that it gets left on the shelf. I've started this tune & had people jump in with "CooIey's" or "Toss the Feathers" - guess you can call it "Toss the Cooley's". But seriously this tune is big & deserves more play.

# Posted on January 28th 2002 by Mad Baloney

Somebody posted this tune as aka The Old Copper Plate which isn't correct, the Old Copper plate is a different tune listed in the session database.

# Posted on January 28th 2002 by Mad Baloney

This was one of the first tunes I ever learned by ear, and I don't understand why it's so un-standard even though everyone says it's a standard either, Brad -- perhaps you're right about why, because I've also had people mistake the tune when it's started up.

I learned a Kevin Burke setting which is a little unusual for this area, and I sometimes wonder if that's why it's mistaken for other tunes in the first couple notes, as well.

Zina

# Posted on January 28th 2002 by Zina Lee

Kerryfeathercooleypigeon

you can add the kerry reel to the above as well.

# Posted on January 29th 2002 by biggus dave

Pigeon on the Gate

The title of this song is so intriguing to me, as are many others. I would greatly enjoy discovering the history of all those cryptic names of tunes in my O'Neill's. It must be somewhere on the web...excuse me, brb,,,,,
My band, Celtic Stew, has been playing this tune for a few years now. Edorian key works so well with guitar and bass, while the flute and mando take the melody. Recently I discovered a D harmonica makes a lovely and cheap substitute for drones in this mode. We play it following a reelish version of Star of County Down, wonder what else might go good with it?

# Posted on February 8th 2002 by Dave McGrath

In a set

We play Pigeon on a Gate in a set starting with Dick Gossip's, then Mason's Apron, and ending with Pigeon. Kind of a quirky transition. I've also played it going into Woman of the House

end Pigeon with dBAF EFGA| and go straight into Woman on that long B3, but you switched to G major.

# Posted on February 8th 2002 by Will CPT

Pigeon on the Gate from Noel Hill & Tony Linnane album

ag|e~A3 egag|~e2=fd edBF|G2ge dGBA|GBga bgag|
e~A3 egag|~e2dg edBD|G2ga bgae|gedB ~A2ag|
e~A3 egag|~e2dg edBD|G2ge dGBA|GBga bgag|
e~A3 EABd|eAAG AGEF|G2ga bgae|gedB ~A2ag|
eaae abag|ebae gbag|edd^c dega|bgae gbag|
~e2ab (3c'ae ag|ebae gbag|edd^c dgba|gedB ~A2ag|
e2ae aeag|ebae gbag|edd^c dega|bgae gbag|
~e2ab (3c'ae ag|ebae gbag|edd^c dgba|gedB AGag|

# Posted on September 21st 2002 by gian marco

Pigeon on The Gate from Joe Burke "Celtic Fiddle festival"

dc|BE~E2 BEdE|BE~E2 BAFE|D2dB ADED|D3A BAFA|
BE~E2 BEdE|~B2Ad BAFE|DEFA dfed|dBAF E2|
dc|BE~E2 BEdE|BE~E2 BAFE|D2dB ADED|D3A BAFA|
BE~E2 BEdE|BE~E2 BAFE|DEFA dfed|1dBAF E2:|2dBAF ~E3A||
|:B2ee efed|Beef gfed|Bddc d3B|AddB ADFA|
B2ee efed|Bdef g2fg|(3agf fe faec|1dBAF E3A:|2dBAF E2||

# Posted on September 21st 2002 by gian marco

Pigeon on the Gate from Danu

|BE~E2 EdcA|BEBc dBAF|D3D BDFE|DE(3FGA BAFA|
BE~E2 EdcA|B2~B2 dBAF|DEFA dDfe|dBAF E3A|
|BE~E2 EdcA|BEBc dBAF|D3D (3DDD FE|DE (3FGA BAFA|
BE~E2 EdcA|BEBc dBAF|DEFA dDfe|dBAF E3A|:
Beed efed|(3Bcd ef gfec|Bddc d3B|~A2FA DEFA|
B2~B2 efed|(3Bcd ef ~g3^g|afge f2ec|dBAF E4:|

# Posted on September 21st 2002 by gian marco

The following is a beautiful setting from the mighty Paddy Fahy, from East Galway . I've written it out in G, but in fact it drifts between major and mixolydian. Similar, but not quite as magical, settings are played by Paddy Canny, from Clare and Jerry Holland, from Nova Scotia.

T: Pigeon On The Gate, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: G
|:Bc|dG~G2 dcAd|{e}dcde dcAG|=F3d cF~F3|Agfd c=FAc|
dG~G2 dcAd|{e}dcde dcAG|FGAd g2ag|1 fdcA GA:|2 fdcA G3B||
|:dg{a}gf gagf|dg{a}g2 {b}af{a}gf|dc{d}cB cage|f2ag fgef|
dg{a}gf gagf|dg{a}g2 {b}af{a}gf|dc{d}cB cage|fdcA G2Bc:|fdcA G2||

# Posted on June 4th 2004 by granama

Perhaps I owe an apology to the other settings I mentioned above, since I have not actually heard them played, only seen them on paper. I know Paddy Canny performs magic with tunes - I have never heard Jerry Holland.

# Posted on June 4th 2004 by granama

Pierre Schryer and Dermott Byrne's setting:

K: Gdor
Ac|dG ~G2 dcAc|~d3e dcAB|cF ~F2 cFAB|~c3f dcAc|
dG ~G2 dcAc|~d3e dcAG|FAcf abga|fdcA G2:|
(3ABc|dg g/2g/2g fagf|dgga bgaf|dc c/2c/2c =Bcde|f2 eg fdcA|
Gg g/2g/2g fagf|dgga bgaf|dc=Bc gceg|fdcA G2:|

# Posted on June 14th 2004 by Kerri Brown

Zina - KB version

Zina (or anyone else)

Have you got the abc for the Kevin Burke version? - I really like it

Thanks

# Posted on June 29th 2006 by domnull

A friend sent me this transcription by e-mail. He says "this is Neilie Boyle's setting of Pigeon on the Gate, marked out by the interesting syncopation in the first bars. It's got a fair bit in common with the setting of the Old Pigeon on the Gate".

X: 1
T: Pigeon On The Gate
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
Ac|: dGGF GedG | Gdce dcAG | =F2 FA cF F/2F/2F | =F2 dF cFAc |
dG {A}G/2G/2F GedG | Gdce dcAG | =F2 Ad fage | =fdcA G2 Ac :|
|: dggf gagf | dg g/2g/2g | bgag | d=f f/2f/2f afgf | d/2e/2=f eg fdcA |
G2gf gagf | dg g/2g/2g bgag | d=f f/2f/2f afge | =fdcA G2 Ac :|

# Posted on April 24th 2008 by Dow

Liz Carroll's low phrase...?

Howdy,

As you may know, there is a wonderful recording of "Pigeon On The Gate" by Liz Carroll.

In the "A" part, she plays an unusual low phrase.

Despite my many efforts, I can't seem to decipher just what she is doing.

Might you know of a source for a transcription?

Sincere thanks,

A.C.

# Posted on May 11th 2008 by A.C. Fairbanks

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