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Comin‘ Thro’ The Rye strathspey

Also known as Coming Through The Rye.

There are 3 recordings of this tune.

Comin‘ Thro’ The Rye appears in 1 other tune collection.

Comin' Thro' The Rye has been added to 16 tunebooks.

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Three settings

1
X: 1
T: Comin' Thro' The Rye
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
f|A>A A<f|e>d e>f|A>A B>A|d2 dB|
A>A a<f|e>d e<f|A>A BA|d3||
f|a>f d<f|e>d Bf|a>f ga|b2 g<b|
a<f g<e|f<d e<a|A>A BA|d3||
2
X: 2
T: Comin' Thro' The Rye
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
M:2/4
A>A A<f|e>d e<f|A>A B>A|d4|
A>A a<f|e>d e<f|a>f d>f|e3 f|
a>f d>f|e>d e>f|a>f d>f|e3 d|
A>A A>f|e>d e>f|A>A B>A|d4||
3
X: 3
T: Comin' Thro' The Rye
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
D>D D<B A>G A<B|D<D E>D G4|D>D d<B A>G A<B|D>D E>D G4|
d>B G<B A>G A<B|d>B (3GBd e3 e|d>B c>A B>G A>B|D<D E>D G4:|

Twelve comments

comin thro the rye

this tune is closer to a strathspey than a reel surely? [I’m old enough to remember Andy Stewart and Jimmy Shand on the White Heather Club!] anyway the reason I looked it up its mentioned in the country song
‘Roseville Fair’ and I was wondering if anyone knew an Old timey version suitable for playing on ‘the fiddle and the banjo’

Re: Comin‘ Thro’ The Rye

I know at least one old-time or bluegrass-y version suitable for fiddle and banjo. Lyman Enloe, an old-time Missouri fiddler now passed on, used to play it as a three-part reel in A. Great for square dances. You can find it here: https://missourifiddling.bandcamp.com/album/lyman-enloe-rugged-road-msotfa-004. Don’t know if that’s what the author of Roseville Fair had in mind, but works for me.

Re: Comin‘ Thro’ The Rye

Here’s a beautiful version of the song: https://youtu.be/NBwVm-bWgCM


Yes, the melody is in strathspey time.

And this is one of a few Japanese versions of ‘Comin‘ thro’ the Rye’, which was popular in the early 70’s: https://youtu.be/JkJIWyOC1YY


I recently found this tune has been played as a slide in Sliabh Luachra and West Limerick. Padraig O’Keeffe’s version of the tune has already been posted: https://thesession.org/tunes/15623

Re: Comin‘ Thro’ The Rye

Hamish Imlach parody I remember :

"Jean MacPherson is a person wi’ lovely yella hair.
We strolled together doon the watter, last Glesca Fair.
The rain wiz comin’ doon in torrents, her hair she couldnae keep dry
And a‘ the day, the streaks o’ gray kept runnin’ through the dye"

Funny the things you remember sometimes.

Posted by .

Re: Comin‘ Thro’ The Rye

I believe the time signature should be 2/4, not 4/4.

Comin‘ Thro’ The Rye, X:2

This setting is the way the song is usually sung. Some fiddlers call the cut-hold a “snap” and the hold-cut a “span.” These forms can sometimes be interchanged depending on the preference of the player or the rhythm of the words.

Comin‘ Thro’ The Rye, X:3

“This setting [X:2] is the way the song is usually sung.”
Are you sure about that, Bruce?

X:3 is roughly how I hear the tune of song sung round these parts (South of Scotland).

Re: Comin‘ Thro’ The Rye

And the North-East of Scotland too. - Donald K’s version, that is.

Posted by .

Re: Comin‘ Thro’ The Rye

I’m glad to know the song is still sung in Scotland! It’s been ages since I heard it, and my version was relying on a very faulty memory. (Also I trimmed out the high note to fit on a Scottish pipe chanter.) Can my version be removed? I’ll be more careful to listen to recordings before I post again.

Re: Comin‘ Thro’ The Rye

This is a robert burns song and it’s a strathspey. I’ve never ever heard it played as fast as it is on here. Sounds wrong.