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The Fisherman’s Island reel

Also known as Ed Reavy’s, Ed Reavy’s Favourite, The Flight Of The Termite, Morning Sunrise, Reavy’s No. 2, Reavy’s No. 9, Reavy’s No.9, Reevey’s.

There are 45 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with The Hunter’s House (a few times), Never Was Piping So Gay (a few times), The Hare’s Paw (a few times), Kate And Rose’s (a few times) and Katie’s (a few times).

The Fisherman’s Island appears in 1 other tune collection.

The Fisherman’s Island has been added to 28 tune sets.

The Fisherman's Island has been added to 288 tunebooks.

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Eight settings

1
X: 1
T: The Fisherman's Island
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
D2 FA d2 cA | BAGB AFDF | GEFD EFGA | (3Bcd ed cAAg |
fd ~d2 edcA | BcdB AGFD | EFGA (3Bcd ed |1 cAGE FDCE :|2 cAGE D2 z2 ||
|: fd ~d2 AF ~F2 | DFAd fdef | ge~e2 bece | dfed cAGE |
DF~F2 AddA | B2gf edcB | Adfa gbed |1 cAGE D2 z2 :|2 cAGE FDCE ||
2
X: 2
T: The Fisherman's Island
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:D2FA d3A|BAGB AFFF|GEED EFGA|Bded cAA2|
|f2df edce|d2cd BAGF|EFGA Bded|cAGE EDD2:|
|:fddA AFFD|DFAd f2ef|geee gfec|dfed cAGE|
|DFFA Adcd|Bddg fedB|Adfa gfec|dBAG FDD2:|
3
X: 3
T: The Fisherman's Island
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
z | A,DFA d2 cd | BAGB AFDF | (3GFE (3FED CDEF | GBed (3cde Ag |
f2 df e2 ce | dcdc BAGF | EFGB cded | cAGE FDD :|
g | fd d2 AF F2 | DFAd fdef | gece bece | geed c/B/A G/F/E |
DF F2 Ad d2 | Bg g2 edcB | Adfd g2 ed | cAGE FDD :|
4
X: 4
T: The Fisherman's Island
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
D2 FA d2 Ad | BAGB AFDF | GEFD EFGA | (3Bcd ed cAAg |
fd ~d2 edBd | ABde fdAF | EFGA (3Bcd ed |1 cAGE FDDC :|2 cAGE D2 z2 ||
|: fd ~d2 AF ~F2 | DFAd fdef | gecA bgec | defe dBAF |
D2FA defd | Bgg2 edcB | Adfa g2ed |1 cAGE D2 z2 :|2 cAGE FDCE ||
5
X: 5
T: The Fisherman's Island
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
D2 FA d3 A | BAGB AF ~F2 | GEED EFGA | (3Bcd ed cAAg |
fd ~d2 edce | d2 cd BAGF | EFGA (3Bcd ed |1 cAGE EDDE :|2 cAGE ED D2 ||
|: fd ~d2 AF ~F2 | DFAd efef | ge~e2 gfec | dfed cAGE |
DF~F2 Ad ~d2 | B2gf edcB | Adfa gfed |1 cAGE ED D2 :|2 cAGE EDDE ||
6
X: 6
T: The Fisherman's Island
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:A,DFA dfcA|BAGB AFDF|GEFD EFGA|(3Bcd ed cdeg|
fd (3ddd edcA|BcdB AGFD|EFGA (3Bcd ed|1 cAGE FDCE:|2 cAGE D2z2||
|: fd (3ddd AF (3FFF|DFAd fdef|ge (3eee bece|dfed cAGE|
DF (3FFF Ad (3ddd | B2gf edcB|Adfa gbed|1 cAGE D2 z2 :|2 cAGE FDCE ||
7
X: 7
T: The Fisherman's Island
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:"D"DEFA d2 dA|"G"BAGB "D"AFDF|"A"GEED EFGA|"G"B/2c/2d ed "A"cAAg|
"D"fddd "A"ecAc|"D"dddA "G"BAGF|"A"EFGA B/2c/2d ed|1 cAGE "A7"EDCE:|2 "A7"cAGE "D"EDDg|
|:"D"fddd AFFF|DFAd f2 ef|"A"gece bece|"D"dfed "A"c/2B/2A GE|
"D"DFFF Adfd|"G"Bggg edcB|"D"Adfa "G"gbed|1 "A"c/2B/2A GE "D"EDDg:|2 "A"c/2B/2A GE "D"EDD2||
8
X: 8
T: The Fisherman's Island
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:D2 FA d2 cA | BAGB AFDF | GEFD EFGA | (3Bcd ed cAAg |
fd d2 edcA | BcdB AGFD | EFGA (3Bcd ed |cAGE FD D2 :||
|: fd d2 AF F2 | DFAd fdef | ge e2 Be e2 | dfed cAGE |
DF F2 AddA | Bg g2 edcB | Adfa gbed |1 cAGE FD D2:||
# Added by JACKB .

Twenty comments

The Fisherman’s Island

An Ed Reavy tune, it is characteristically full of twists and turns, but with a nice flow to it.

Nice together with Golden Keyboard

I’ve been on the lookout for this the last couple of months.

A co-sessioneer plays this tune in front of Golden Keyboard.I think they make a great set.

He used to refer to it as "Reavy’s" and only last week I got to know the above name of it.

There exists a great "ancient" LP recording with these two tunes together.



Halldor
Oslo, Norway

Ancient LP

The ‘great ancient LP’ Halldor mentions is Noel Hill and Tony Linnane,
by Noel Hill and Tony Linnane

Tune recorded…..

… as well by D

Seriously?

Flight of the Termite??
Where did that come from? Are you sure somebody didn’t just make crappy liner notes that crossed this tune with the next one in the set or something, because - in my oh-so-unknowledgeable opinion - that’s just crazy talk.
I mean, yes, I’ve heard it called "Fisherman’s Island" and "Fisherman’s Harvest" and there’s not much similarity between an island and a harvest, but there’s even less between a Fisherman and a Termite. Well, okay, no need to get existential…

Maybe, after a previously unknown and thoroughly hypothetical event in which a colony of bugs had eaten his home, Ed Reavy just got blistering drunk in mourning, and decided to rename this tune. Unlikely.

Tune also recorded….

By Tommy Peoples on "The Iron Man" album. A wonderful version.

Posted by .

What a great tune!

Tommy People’s version on "The Iron Man" is nice indeed.

Flight of the Termite

In a comment above, Concertinette seems to be rather bugged (pardon the pun) that somebody added "Flight of the Termite" to the list of alternative titles for this tune. Let me explain. On their first album, Deanta called the entire first set "Flight of the Termite," but in their liner notes they call this tune "Ed Reavy’s." Why they chose to call the set "Flight of the Termite" I don’t know, but at least they did give credit to Ed Reavy for writing this great tune.

Posted by .

Another Reavy tune

I play this tune followed by Hunter’s House, another great Reavy composition.

Deanta’s Version

On "Dance of the Celts" collection it is listed as Fisherman’s Island (in "The Flight of the Termite" set) though Reavy is mentioned in the notes. Their version goes more like this.

X:1
T:The Fisherman’s Island
M:4/4
L:1/8
R: reel
K:D
|:D2FA d3A|BAGB AFFF|GEED EFGA|Bded cAA2|
|f2df edce|d2cd BAGF|EFGA Bded|cAGE EDD2:|
|:fddA AFFD|DFAd f2ef|geee gfec|dfed cAGE|
|DFFA Adcd|Bddg fedB|Adfa gfec|dBAG FDD2:|

Combined with "Katie’s Reel" (not the one mentioned in TheSessions. Look in comments) and Sean Dorris’.

Fisherman’s Island Commentary

Reavy believes that fishermen long to have their own island so they can live surrounded by the sea they love. This reel celebrates their quest for that elusive island home and it is one of Ed’s most popular compositions.

Source:- ‘The Collected Compositions of Ed Reavy’ by Joseph M. Reavy

Posted .

The Fisherman’s Island, X:3

What a fantastic tune. This setting was recorded by The Hamefarers dance band from Shetland in 1983, with the great Willie Hunter on fiddle.

Re: The Fisherman’s Island

This lovely tune makes a fantastic set, followed by Maudabawn Chapel, wich is an Ed Reavy tune too.

https://thesession.org/tunes/302

Posted by .

The Fisherman’s Island, X:4

As heard at sessions here in Austin.

The Fisherman’s Island, X:6

I like playing a little D arpeggio at the start of this lovely tune.

The Fisherman’s Island, X:8

My take

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