The Other High reel

Here’s one for the flute players, in particular, because as a flute tune, I don’t think they come much better! I learned it years ago from some musicians from Leeds, and this is the name they gave to it. The other names I’ve heard it called are “The Other High Reel”, which sounds a bit made-up - the reason for this is obvious if you look at the second part - and “The Castle”, which is the name given to it by Cathal McConnell, who recorded it on a “BoysOf The Lough” LP. The first recording of it I heard was by Noel Hill & Tony Linnane on a Christy Moore album. It was untitled. Most recent recording I have is by Claire Mann on her fine CD. She refers to it as “The Galway High Reel”. I believe this tune is from the North Clare tradition.
The cs in the 2nd and 6th bars can be played natural. Thisis the basic version of the tune, and there is much scope for improvisation in the second part.
It is not the tune of the samename recorded by “Flook”.

Not only a great reel but a real pleasure to play. Thanks for posting this one ! Atanos

Thanks Kenny.

It was recorded by Skylark (Andy MacNamara, Gerry O’Connor et al) as The Old High Reel. Their version is something like this:
|: f3d ecAG | FEFG AdcA | G2 FG Add2 | fded cdeg |
f2 fd ecAG | FEFG AdcA | G2 FG Addc | A2GE FD D2 :|
|: a2 fa dafa | a2 fa dafa | b2 gb efgb | efgb efgb|
a2 fa dafa |a2 fa dafa | bggf gedB | ABAG FD D2 :|

The version shown just above is much closer to what’s played in most sessions I’ve heard it in.

Also recorded by Turas and published by Dolmen records - a rare album well worth tracking down. It’s the third tune of track one in a set which starts with ‘Paddy Gavin’s’ (The bond reel) and Liz Carrol’s ‘Wissahickin Drive’, and ends with what sounds to me like a crunchalicious Dmajor setting of Sally Gardens which I’ll shortly transcribe and post.

1a https://thesession.org/tunes/5332
1b https://thesession.org/tunes/1769
1c this tune
1d shortly to be transcribed and posted ;)

Here’s a good clip of Joannie madden playing it. she also played it on her solo album ( whistle on the wind ) http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_232_1_joannie_madden_on_whistle/

Key signature: G Major
Submitted on January 5th 2008 by mellow_bellows.
~ /tunes/8119

X: 3
T: Old High
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
|: BGGG AGDC | B,G,B,C DE=FD |C2 B,C DGGA | BGAG FGAc |
BGGG AGDC | B,G,B,C DE=FD | C2 B,C DGGE | DCB,G B,G, G,2 :|
|:d2 Bd GdBd | d2 Bd GdBd | e2 ce Aece | e2ce EGce |
d2 Bd GdBd | d2 Bd GdBd | ecdB cAGE | DEDC B,G, G,2 :|

I’ve heard this tune played by Joe Burke, John Whalen, and Paddy O’Brien, all Box players. This version is from the Paddy O’Brien Tune Collection, where he calls it the High Reel. ~ Rob

# Posted on January 5th 2008 by mellow_bellows

There’s a nice version of this tune on John Whelan’s “Celtic Roots: Spirit of the Dance” CD that is in the recordings database. It’s the first track on the CD. In the database, it’s labeled as “The Old High” which may be why it doesn’t show up in the “other recordings” section.

# Posted on January 5th 2008 by jeff_willner

Correction to my own posting above: The Cs in bars 2 and 6 should be natural (as the Fs in Ceolachan’s version). All others are sharp.

Here’s Joannie Madden playing it… the first in the set…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H9aIrs3ZsI

play video

here’s the second tune she plays, Naughton’s
https://thesession.org/tunes/2622
and the third, one of her own, Shoot when the Ducks are flying
https://thesession.org/tunes/9221

Have submitted a version in Gdor as (I think) per Lunasa’s version on ‘La Nua’ (Raven’s Rock, 3rd tune). This is because none of the versions submitted above sounded anything like what I was hearing, and because it sounds great on Sean’s fiddle in this setting (if indeed, this is even the same tune!)

You haven’t submitted any “version” of the reel I posted, which is discussed above. It’s a totally different tune, and the 2 have nothing whatsoever in common apart from sharing the same name. You should have been able to see that by comparing the sheet music of the 2 tunes, or even listening to the “midi”. Post it as a tune in it’s own right - but this so-called “setting” should be deleted from this thread, as it adds nothing, except possibly confusion.

Yes, of course I can see that. Just this was the one that was linked from the ‘recordings’ page - it threw me somewhat. I should have checked. Will add to the other tune page. You are right. I am so sorry.

Ach…no worries, Tom. Sorry if I was a bit abrupt. There’s always confusion when more than 1 tune shares the same title. I seem to remember there’s a tune recorded by “Flook” called “The Beehive” as well, just to add further confusion, although it may be the same as recorded by “Lunasa”,- I don’t know, as I don’t have either of those recordings.

… seems your tune is a duplicate after all, and that “Lunasa” recorded the “Flook” “Beehive” - see comments.

https://thesession.org/tunes/4196

Played by 2 of the Friel sisters from Glasgow, all very fine musicians…

http://youtu.be/HscRUNViEyA

play video

I’ve changed the title of this tune to “The Other High Reel”, which seems to be the commonest name for it. I had learned it as “The Beehive” from Leeds musicians, but that seems only to have been a local name for it, in the absence of any other.

also recorded this reel on the LP, Happy to Meet, Sorry to Part.
( is it still available?)
I changed the title on the Recordings page to point here rather than to
the Duffy the Dancer/High Reel.

I learned this tune from Eamonn Cotter in a class in Miltown in 2015. I couldn’t find it anywhere online but I like it very much. Here is a fun version of it by the Friel Sisters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HscRUNViEyA&feature=youtu.be and here another video of Eamonn Cotter himself playing it: http://pipers.ie/source/media/?mediaId=4286&galleryId=363

play video

The reel is already listed here as the Other High reel, at https://thesession.org/tunes/1584 and the same video has been posted in the comments.

Sorry, I didn’t mean to double-post this tune. Thanks for merging my post to this one!

Played by Desi Wilkinson, Liam O’Flynn, Frankie Gavin - whistle trio, Germany 1989 :
https://youtu.be/6iabP2BREDI

play video

Played by Cathal McConnell :
https://youtu.be/lm3QDcE57_Y

play video