Sporting Nell reel

Also known as Gorman’s, Neil Spóirtiúil, Sportin’ Nell, Sporting Nel, Sporting Nellie, Sporting Nelly.

There are 91 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

Sporting Nell appears in 4 other tune collections.

Sporting Nell has been added to 31 tune sets.

Sporting Nell has been added to 262 tunebooks.

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Ten settings

1
X: 1
T: Sporting Nell
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
AD (3FED A2 dB|ABAG EFGB|AD (3FED A2 dB|ABGE EDDB|
AD (3FED A2 dB|ABAG EFGB|AD (3FED A2 dB|~A2 GE ED D2||
cdec d3 B|cdef gedB|cdec d2 dB|cAGE ED D2|
cdec d3 B|cdef gedf|eaag efed|cAGE ED D2||
2
X: 2
T: Sporting Nell
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Ddor
|:AD{F}ED A2 dc|AcGE {F}ED (3EFG|AD{F}ED A2 dc|1 AcGE {F}ED D2:|2 AcGE {F}EDEG||
~c2 ec gcec|~c2 ec AddB|~c2 ec gcec|AcGE {F}EDEG|
~c2 ec gcec|~c2 ec Adde|f3 d efed|cAAG Addc||[D4A,4] z4||
3
X: 3
T: Sporting Nell
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
AD~D2 A2dc|AcAG EG~G2|AD~D2 A2dc|AcGE ED~D2:|
^cdec ~d3A|(3B^cd ef gedA|^cdec deed|^cAGE ED~D2|
^cdec ~d3A|(3B^cd ef gedg|eaag eged|^cAGE ED~D2||
4
X: 4
T: Sporting Nell
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
AD (3EFG AB cd|dccA GED2|AD (3EFG AB cA|1 GEED AFD2:|2 GEED FAd2||
dedc A2 (3Bcd|edcA G2 Ad|dedc ABcA|GEED FAd2|
dedc A2 (3Bcd|edcA G2 Adde|f2 ed|cAGE EDAF||
AD (3EFG AB cA|dBcA GED2|AD (3EFG AB cA|1 GEED AFD2:|2 GEED FAd2||
5
X: 5
T: Sporting Nell
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
|:A ~D3 A4-|A2AG EFGE|A ~D3 A4|ABAG E2D2:|
|:efge defg|a2ag e2d2|efge d4-|d2 AG E2D2:|
6
X: 6
T: Sporting Nell
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
dB|AD (3FED A2 dB|ABAG EFGB|AD D2 A2 dB|ABGE EDDB|
ADFD A2 dB|ABAG EFGB|AD (3FED A2 dB|ABGE EDDd||
^cdec d3A|(3B^cd ef gedA|^cdec deed|^cAGE EDDd|
^cdec d3A|(3B^cd ef gedg|eaag eged|^cAGE ED D2||
# Added by JACKB .
7
X: 7
T: Sporting Nell
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
AD~D2 A2dc|AcAG EG~G2|AD~D2 A2dc|AcGE ED~D2:|
^cdec ~d3A|(3B^cd ef gedA|^cdec deed|^cAGE ED~D2|
^cdec ~d3A|(3B^cd ef gedg|eaag eged|^cAGE ED~D2||
8
X: 8
T: Sporting Nell
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
A2 AG AddB|cBcG E ~G3|A2 AG AddB|cAGE ED D2|
A2 AG AddB|cBAG EFGE|A2 AG AddB|cAGE ED D2||
A ~d3 dcAB|cdef gedc|A ~d3 dcAB|cAGE ED D2|
A (~d3 d3)B|cdef gedf|eaag effd|cAGE ED D2||
# Added by GRMMA .
9
X: 9
T: Sporting Nell
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmix
|:AD (3FED A2dB|ABAG EFGB|AD (3FED A2dB|ABGE EDD2:|
c2ec gcec|c2ec AddB|c2ec gcec|cAGE EDD2|
c2ec gcec|c2ec Adde|=f3d efed|cAGc Add2||
10
X: 10
T: Sporting Nell
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Ddor
|:AD~D2 A2dc|AD~D2 EDEG|AD~D2 A2dc|1 AcGE EDEG:|2 AcGE EDD2||
c2ec gcec|c2ec dBGB|c2ec gcec|AcGE EDD2|
c2ec gcec|c2ec dBG2|f3d ~e3d|cAGc Addc||

Eighteen comments

source: Ceol Rince na hEireann No. 3

Sporting Nell

1) As written, and as played by e.g. the wonderful musician Tommy McCarthy (may he R. I. P.), this is really in a mode of D. Different versions use either f natural or f# in the second part, which might change how you name the mode (if you care about that), but the tonality is D.
2) Other versions (sometimes called “Gorman’s”) are often played in a mode with an “E” tonal center, which especially suits some pipers, whistlers, and flute players.
3) Could the name refer to Nell Gwyn? Or a less famous but locally popular character of similar reputation?

To add --
comment #1 was made because the key is currently listed as “G.”

Sporting Nell

Love this tune setting from Patrick Ourceau. Patrick is a master. Real soul and passion. Not sure about the modality but it works out, feels right in resolving to a D. I like a slow slide up to the low A on the G-string while playing the unison open D string at the end of the tune.

X:1
T: Sporting Nell
M:C
K: D Dor
S:Patrick Ourceau
|:AD{F}ED A2 dc|AcGE {F}ED (3EFG|AD{F}ED A2 dc|1 AcGE {F}ED D2:|2 AcGE {F}EDEG|
[|~c2 ec gcec|~c2 ec AddB|~c2 ec gcec|AcGE {F}EDEG|
~c2 ec gcec|~c2 ec Adde|f3 d efed|cAAG Addc|] [D4A,4] z4|

Origin

I was told by the late Micho Russell RIP that the name originates from the tune called Nell Flaherty’s Drake.
He supposed that the name came from someone sportin’ around with it to make it into the reel

A more major version gets played in our session, with C#s in the 2nd part:

X: 1
T: Sporting Nell
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmix
AD~D2 A2dc|AcAG EG~G2|AD~D2 A2dc|AcGE ED~D2:|
^cdec ~d3A|(3B^cd ef gedA|^cdec deed|^cAGE ED~D2|
^cdec ~d3A|(3B^cd ef gedg|eaag eged|^cAGE ED~D2||

I’ve been playing through the version with C nats, and now I’m not so sure which is played at our session. I think maybe it sounds better with nats. Ach whatever… 🙂

McGoldrick´s version Wired (something like that)

X: 1
T: Sporting Nell
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmix
AD (3EFG AB cd|dccA GED2|AD (3EFG AB cA|1GEED AFD2:|2GEED FAd2||
dedc A2 (3Bcd|edcA G2 Ad|dedc ABcA|GEED FAd2|
dedc A2 (3Bcd|edcA G2 Adde|f2 ed|cAGE EDAF||
“variations”
AD (3EFG AB cA|dBcA GED2|AD (3EFG AB cA|1GEED AFD2:|2GEED FAd2||

Manu Novo transcription, with barline corrections, moved to tune comments for #7223…

Sporting Nell

X:5 from a Parlophone 78 of Dublin piper Billy Andrews, his title was “Johnny Gorman.” Gorman was a famous Roscommon piper.

Re: Sporting Nell

which version hear is the closest to the way Mick plays it. I’ve tried the first few and the triplets dont seem to fit

Sporting Nell, X:8

As close as the teetotalers’ version as I could get it, but transposed into Dmix. They have a few variations that are nice to throw in there as well.

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Re: Sporting Nell

There are three variations I like to play, one can be heard by the Teetotallers’ performance of the tune. It occurs in bar 2 and/or 6:
|C3 G EFGE|

It really helps break up the monotony of the first part of the tune. The other variations are for the second part and are in the 14th and 15th bar as follows:
|cdef ~g3z|eaab (3gag fg|cAGE ED D2||

It’s nice as a way to end the tune.

The other one is my personal favorite which I actually default to as a my standard setting:
|eaag =f^fed|cAGE ED D2||

Subtle but the f natural into the f sharp gives the tune a lifting sound that makes me think of a chromatic piping style.

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