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The Swan hornpipe

Also known as Sean Ryan’s, Sean Ryan’s Fancy.

There are 21 recordings of a tune by this name.

A tune by this name has been recorded together with The Flowing Tide (a few times).

The Swan has been added to 3 tune sets.

The Swan has been added to 88 tunebooks.

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Eight settings

X: 1
T: The Swan
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:(3DEF|G2 AG dGBd|~g2 fg (3efg dB|c2 ec (3Bcd GB|ADFA dB (3cBA|
G2 AG DGBd|g2 gf gdBG|c2 ec (3Bcd GB|ADFA G2:||
|:(3Bcd|gBdg fAce|ecAG ADFA|GBdB ceag|(3fga e^c d2 ef|
gBdg fAce|ecAG ADFA|GBdB ceag|(3fed (3cBA G2:||
X: 2
T: The Swan
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
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|
X: 3
T: The Swan
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
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 :|
|: ~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
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
(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 :|
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 :|
~ G2- G>[Dd] :| ~ akin to ~ G3 :| [Dd] |\
X: 5
T: The Swan
R: hornpipe
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||
X: 6
T: The Swan
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:D2|G2 BG DGBd|g2 fg (3efg dB|c2 ec B2 dB|ADFA dcBA |
G2 BG DGBd|g2 fg (3efg dB|c2 ec B2 dB|1ADFA GDEF:|2ADFA G2 ef||
|:gdBg e2 ce|edBG ADFA|GBdB ceag|(3fga ea d2 ef|
gdBg e2 ce|edBG ADFA|GBdB ceag|(3fed (3cBA G2:||
# Added by JACKB .
X: 7
T: The Swan
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
c>B | A2 (3cBA E>Ac>e | a2 g>a f>ae>c | (3ddd f>d c>eA>c | B>EG>B e>dc>B |
A2 (3cBA E>Ac>e | a2 a>g a>ec>e | d2 f>d c>eA>c | B>EG>B A2 :|
c>e | a>Ac>a g>Bd>f | f>ec>A B>EG>B | A>ce>c d>fb>a | g>af>g e2
c>e | a>Ac>a g>Bd>f | f>ec>A B>EG>B | A>ce>c d>fb>a | (3gfe (3dcB A2 ||
c>e | a>ga>b a>ec>e | d>cB>A G>Be>d | c>ea>g f>db>a | g>af>g e2
c>e | a>Ac>a g>Bd>f | f>ec>A B>EG>B | A>ce>c d>fb>a | (3gfe (3dcB A2 |]
X: 8
T: The Swan
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
(3EFG | A2 (3cBA EAce | a2 ga (3fga ec | d2 fd c2 ec | BEGB edcB |
A2 (3cBA EAce | a2 ga (3fga ec | d2 fd c2 ec | BEGB A2 :|
(3efg | ace=g fAdf | {g}fecA BEGB | Acec dfba | (3gab fb ebgb |
(3aba e=g fAdf | (3efe cA BEGB | Acec dfba |1 (3gfe (3dcB A2 :|2 gec'b a2 z2 ||

Fourteen comments

Another setting

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|

My Sweet Lord

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

—-Michael B.

Swan

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

Yup! - “Scotland the Brave”

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…

“The Swan” ~ K: A Major

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.

“The Swan” ~ another look at Conán’s transcription, dinxterized 😉

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 |]

“The Swan” ~ by Sean Ryan

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] |\

Setting From Bobby Gardiner’s “Memories Of Clare”

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||

Sean Ryan’s The Swan

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".

Sean Ryan’s Fancy

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.

Derivative of Laird of Drumblair?

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

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