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Hugh McKenna’s reel

There are 2 recordings of this tune.

Hugh McKenna’s has been added to 1 tune set.

Hugh McKenna's has been added to 2 tunebooks.

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Four settings

1
X: 1
T: Hugh McKenna's
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Emin
BA|:G2E2 E2B,2|EB,EF G2AG|F2D2 A2D2|FDFG A2BA|
G2E2 E2B,2|EB,EF G2GA|B2e2 BAGF|1 G2E2 E2BA:|2 G2E2 E2gf||
|:e2B2 B2^d2|eBef g2ag|f2d2 d2A2|FAde f2gf|
e2B2 B2^d2|eBef g2fe|d2Bd B2AF|1 E4 E2gf:|2 E4 E2BA||
2
X: 2
T: Hugh McKenna's
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Emin
ba|:g2e2 e2B2|eBef g2ag|f2d2 a2d2|fdfg a2ba|
g2e2 e2B2|eBef g2ga|b2e2 bagf|1 g2e2 e2ba:|2 g2e2 e2gf||
e2B2 B2^d2|eBef g2ag|f2d2 d2A2|FAde f2gf|
e2B2 B2^d2|eBef g2fe|d2Bd B2AF|E4 E2gf|
e2B2 B2^d2|eBef g2ag|f2d2 d2A2|FAde f2ed|
e2d^c d2cB|A2Bc B2AG|F2c2 BAGF|E4 E2ba||
3
X: 3
T: Hugh McKenna's
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Emin
BA|:G2E2 E2B,2|EDEF G2AG|F2D2 A2D2|FEFG A2BA|
G2E2 E2B,2|EDEF G2GA|B2e2 dBAB|1 G2E2 E2BA:|2 G2E2 E2gf||
|:e2B2 B2E2|e^def g2ag|f2d2 d2A2|FAde f2gf|
e2B2 B2E2|e^def g2fe|d2Bd B2AF|1 G2E2 E2gf:|2 G2E2 E2BA||
4
X: 4
T: Hugh McKenna's
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Emin
BA|:G2E2 E2B,2|EB,EF G2AG|F2D2 A2D2|FDFG A2BA|
G2E2 E2B,2|EB,EF G2GA|B2e2 dBAB|1 G2E2 E2BA:|2 G2E2 E2gf||
e2B2 B2d2|e^def g2ag|f2d2 d2A2|FAde f2ed|
e2B2 B2d2|e^def g2fe|d2Bd B2AF|E4 E2gf|
e2B2 B2d2|e^def g2ag|f2d2 d2A2|FAde f2ed|
e2d^c d2cB|A2Bc B2AG|F2c2 BAGF|E4 E2BA||

Four comments

Hugh McKenna’s

Scottish reel, composed by Ian Powrie (1923 - 2011). Surprised it wasn’t already here, granted though, have only come across a few recordings. See: Blackthorn’s album “Sweet Forget-Me-Not”, and Fiddlers 5’s self-titled album.

Blackthorn, live in Vancouver, Hugh McKenna’s starts @ 1 min 35 s:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwoQQsT8sRE

Hugh McKenna’s, X:2

Both Blackthorn and Fiddlers Five octave jump the A Part during their second pass through the tune, all except the e-note in the 7th bar. Another potential alternative to avoiding the 2nd-octave e-note would be to replace it with another b-note.

This setting is one way whistlers could play on top of fiddlers and whatnot to get those other-wise unattainable low-B’s which feel pretty critical to the tune. Another way would be to replace the low-B’s with: |G2E2 E2D2|E^DEF A2AG|, or, octave jump just the low-B’s. Neither sounds great in either case.

Also, have included the alternative ending from Fiddlers Five for the B Part here. They play the B Part once through roughly as I had it in X1, then they change the last four bars as is here.

Hugh McKenna’s, X:3

A few alternatives that work well.

A couple more (on top of setting X1):
- A Part, 7th bar, |B2e2 BAGA|
- B Part, 1st bar, |e2B2 B2d2| … (no D#/Eb)
- B Part, 1st & 2nd bars, |e2B2 B2d2|e^def g2 ag| … (C# works for 2nd bar too, albeit not as well)
- B Part, 1st ^ 2nd bars, |e2B2 B2e2|e^def g2ag|

And on top of setting X2, could climb back up from the non-octave jumped e-note with a g-note:
|b2e2 gagf|.