The Swan hornpipe

Here’s the same tune with a third part - don’t know if it’s that widely played but I got it from Francie McPeake about 20 years ago:

X: 1
T: Sean Ryan’s
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: hornpipe
K: Gmaj
|:“G”G2B/A/G“G“dGBd|“G”g2fg“Em“egdB|“Am”cAec“G“B/c/dGB|“D”ADFA“G“dBcA|
“G”G2B/A/G“G“dGBd|“G”g2fg“Em“egdB|“Am”cAec“G“B/c/dGB|“D”ADFA“G“G3z:|
|:“G”gGBg“Am“fAce|“Em”edB/A/G“D“ADF/E/D|“G”GBB/B/B“C“ceag|“Am”f/g/aea“A“^cdef|
“G”gGBg“Am“fAce|“Em”edB/A/G“D“ADF/E/D|“G”GBB/B/B“C“ceag|“D”f/e/dc/B/A“G“GABd:|
|“G”~gggb“G“gdBd|“C”cBAG“D“FAdc|“G”BGgf“A“e^cag|“Am”f/g/aea“A“^cdef|
“G”gGBg“Am“fAce|“Em”edB/A/G“D“ADF/E/D|“G”GBB/B/B“C“ceag|“D”f/e/dc/B/A“G“GABd|
|“G”~gggb“G“gdBd|“C”cBAG“D“FAdc|“G”BGgf“A“e^cag|“Am”f/g/aea“A“^cdef|
“G”gGBg“Am“fAce|“Em”edB/A/G“D“ADF/E/D|“G”GBB/B/B“C“ceag|“D”f/e/dc/B/A“G“G3z|

…but this sounds like Scotland The Brave at a number of points.

—Michael B.

This is a setting of The Swan, which is published in A in Sean Ryan’s book “The Hidden Ireland”.

It was a ‘joke’ of sorts…or if you prefer, a ‘challenge’… For future matters, a similar madness, check out ‘An Madra Beag’, when it arrives, another hornpipe…

As in the Sean Ryan collection “The Hidden Ireland”

|: E |
(3AAA cA EAce | a2 ga (3fga ec | (3ddd fd c2 ec | BEGB edcB | ~

I first learned this in the key of G Major back in the 70s…

This tune is listed as the last track on Da Farder Ben Da Welcomer CD in the “recordings” section. This is NOT that tune. The tune on the CD is actually titled “The Swan (LK243)”, named after a fishing boat that was recovered and once common in the Shetland Islands. It was written by Catriona McKay and might be one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard.

X: 1
T: Sean Ryan’s
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: hornpipe
K: Gmaj
|: G2 (3BAG d>GB>d | g2 f>g e>gd>B | c>Ae>c (3Bcd G>B | A>DF>A d>Bc>A |
G2 (3BAG d>GB>d | g2 f>g e>gd>B | c>Ae>c (3Bcd G>B | A>DF>A G3z :|
|: g>GB>g f>Ac>e | e>d (3BAG A>D (3FED | G>B (3BBB c>ea>g | (3fga e>a ^c>de>f |
g>GB>g f>Ac>e| e>d (3BAG A>D (3FED | G>B (3BBB c>ea>g | (3fed (3cBA G>AB>d :|

& the 3rd part ~

|: ~g2- g>b g>dB>d | c>BA>G F>Ad>c | B>Gg>f e>^ca>g | (3fga e>a ^c>de>f |
g>GB>g f>Ac>e | e>d (3BAG A>D (3FED | G>B (3BBB c>ea>g |[1 (3fed (3cBA G>AB>d :|[2 f/e/dc/B/A G3z |]

X: 4
T: The Swan
C: Sean Ryan
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: hornpipe
K: Gmaj
|: (3DEF |\
(3GAG B>G d>GB>d | g2 f>g (3efg d>B | c2 e>c (3Bcd G>B | A>DF>A d>B (3cBA |
G2 BG DG (3Bcd | g2 f>g (3efg d>B | c>Ge>c B2 d>B | A>DF>A G2 :|
|: (3Bcd |\
g>GB>g f>FA>e | e>dB>G A>DF>A | G>Bd>B c>ea>g | (3fga e>^c d2 e>f |
g2 B>g f2 A>e | e>dB>G A>D (3FGA | G>Bd>B c>ea>g | (3fed (3cBA G2 :|

The endings and lead-ins for both parts can also be ~
~ G2- G>[Dd] :| ~ akin to ~ G3 :| [Dd] |\

Here is a setting I notated from Bobby Gardiner’s album “Memories Of Clare”. He calls it “Paddy Kelly’s”.

X:1
T:Swan, The
T:Paddy Kelly’s
R:hornpipe
Z:rd-4/11/2014
S:Bobby Gardiner “Memories Of Clare”
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:Gmaj
G2 (3BAG DGBd|~g2fg (3efg dB|~c2ec ~B2dB|ADFA GcBA|
G2 (3BAG DGBd|~g2fg (3efg dB|~c2ec ~B2dB|1 ADFA GcBA:|2 ADFA G2Bd||
|:gBd=f egce|edBG ADFA|GBdB ceag|(3fga ea dafa|
gBd=f egce|edBG ADFA|GBdB ceag|1 (3fed (3cBA G2Bd:|2 (3fed (3cBA GcBA||

I’ve always loved the setting as played by the group “Buttons and Bows” (Jackie Daly, Seamus Maguire, Manus Maguire). They called the tune “The Dancing Master” on their 1991 ‘Gracenotes’ album. Their setting is X:8 above. The tune has echoes of “The Laird of Drumblair”.

I assume this is in Sean Ryan’s collections of tunes. This transcription is from Luke O’Malley’s tunebook. It is as Sean Ryan plays it on the wonderful LP he recorded with P J Moloney, Traditional Music of Ireland, first offered by Avoca records in 1960, and offered here: http://ceolalainn.blogspot.ie/2010/02/sean-ryan-pjmoloney-traditional-music.html. It is the single most important LP in my life.

Sean Ryan’s Fancy (a very nice setting, IMO), sure sounds a lot like the strathspey ‘Laird of Drumblair’ (with obvious differences - but a similar scenario). See for yourself:
https://thesession.org/tunes/170

already here in G

https://thesession.org/tunes/1036

Might be better to add your transcription as a 2nd setting…

as time goes by….

i ’ve got it near 1980 from this record,

https://archive.comhaltas.ie/search?tab=tracks&q=Callaghan%E2%80%99s#/tracks/15861

Sean Ryan’s/O’Callaghan’s

played very nice by Deirdre Collis (Whistle), Donncha O Muineachain (stepping)

Sean Ryan’s, O’Callaghan’s

Recording title

From the Homes of Ireland

1973

but my LP is lost, so if anyone has a copy for me……

Kuddel

https://youtu.be/zJQ9ZOQ_qGE

play video