Rookie question: Is this a reel?

Hi guys, Rookie question, don’t eat me!

https://youtu.be/wih-fwonS70?t=65

play video

I transcribed this Kathryn Tickell track years ago but wrote it out in the top octave (ledger lines) because I was writing it out for guitar.

I want to write it out again for the low octave on flute and figured I might as well submit it here at the same time.

I’m a bit of a rookie in terms of classifying tunes though I’ve been an enthusiastic listener all my life. I hear it in 2/2 time. Which I as understand it makes it a reel rather than any of the 4/4 or 2/4 tune variants.

Also the A section is kinda G mixo, whilst the B section is Gdorian-y. Is there a preferred way to deal with this in tune listings?

Obviously I’m not referring to the waltz at the start. Upbeat tune starts from just after 1 minute.

Keep me right please! TIA.

It sounds like a reel to me, in fact the first part sounds like The Green Groves of Erin

It has the structure and feel of a reel, so it’s a reel. To me, the time signature is not that important, as long as it groups the beats in twos or some power thereof.

Regarding modes and tune listings, if a tune changes mode between parts, the commonsense approach, I think, would be to class it under the mode it starts in – but there are some tunes where there is no consensus on which is the first part, so it might be equally valid to put ist them under either mode.

As far as this tune is concerned, if you listen carefully, the guitar accompanies the second part in the minor (or Dorian mode), but there are no B♭s (or Bs) in the melody (and the guitarist, the great Ian Carr, even gets a sneaky G major chord in just before dropping down to the F or Dminor). So you can safely call it G mixolydian.

Is this one of Kathryn’s own compositions? It certainly sounds like a reel, a lot more so than some trad Northumbrian tunes bearing the name ‘Reel’ like ‘ Whynham’s’ or ‘The Hesleyside’ .

Yes, it’s one of her own. I think both the air and the reel are titled ‘Otterburn’.

There was a ´Battle of Otterburn´, circa 1380´s. A ballad of this name is found in Child´s. JC´s tune finder lists a march of this name.

Not really relevant to the original query , but here’s Tony Cuffe’s version of the ballad “Otterburn” :

https://youtu.be/LlEQOk7a6t8

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At Otterburn Mill they still have original 18th century tenter frames for drying wooden cloth on tenterhooks.

Thank you everyone for your help!