The Ladies Pantalettes reel

Source: Planxy “The Woman I Loved So Well”, except for the second bar that comes from Eamon Cotter “Trad. Music from County Clare”.
Transcription: g.m.p.

Planxy? What’s Planxy?

Planxty!

As Gian Marco says, the 2nd bar is different from in Planxty’s setting. I’ve heard a number of variants of the 2nd bar:

| AF~F2 cF~F2 |
| AF~F2 cA~A2 |
| AF~F2 cFAF |
| AF~F2 dF~F2 |
| AF~F2 dFAF |
| AF~F2 dFcF |

Excuse me if I’ve made one or two of them up (they might qualify as variations rather than variants).

The last one is sometimes played with an F-natural:

| A=F~F2 dFcF |

The final bar of the B-part is sometimes played:

| fdcA BGG2 |

I agree with you David that it’s sometimes played with the F natural in Bar 2 (A =F~F2 cFAF) which personally I think sounds better as it gives the tune a lot more character. I’ve also heard the tune referred to as the “Duke of Leinster’s Wife” - can only assume that there must have been a pairing with the “Duke of Leinster” reel by some renowned musician in the past!

Just answered my own question - I should have checked the details section first! The 2 reels are indeed shown paired on the listing for the “Masters Of Irish Music” recording by Martin Byrnes

|AF~F2~F2~F2| ( Three “F” short rolls )

Eochra, that’s where I got the Lady’s Pantelettes from in the first instance back in the early eighties. This was a great series of music books which gave easy access to well known session tunes (as against the more esoteric in some of the other collections!). I don’t know if the books are still obtainable although I did see some copies in Custy’s Music shop, Ennis the other day.

I had the pleasure of playing a few tunes with Ben Lennon this summer in Drumshanbo, Leitrim. He is particularly fond of ‘The Duke of Leinster and his wife’ as a set, and would probably never be heard playing either without the other.

i learned this tune in dminor from a book and do it with a bflat tune the name of which i forgot..shoot!

The name of the tune refers to a particular type of sail on the old sailing ships - so called because it was the one that was deployed when the ship was approaching shore and the sailors were looking forward to removing the pantalettes of real ladies!

There is a Shanachie LP 33006 “Classic Recordings of Michael Coleman” on which the set has the Duke and his wife titles.

A version of this tune, “County Clare Reel”, is #906 in the Petrie Collection. Petrie collected it from Frank Keane on 10 March 1856.
The obvious difference between this Petrie version and the Ladies Pantalettes is the use of the F-natural, which gives a significantly different feel to the tune.
X:906
T:County Clare Reel
R:reel
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:Gmaj
BdcA G2GB | A=FcF dBcA | BdcA G=feg |1 =fdcA BGGA :|2 =fdcA BGG2 |
g2gf d2de | fgag fdde | fgaf g2ag | =fdcA BGG2 |
fgaf g2ag | fgag fdde | =fede fgag | =fdcA BGG2 ||

That’s a nice version, Trevor. Worth reviving.

Nice version on Track 2 -Christy McNamara (accordion) the House I was Reared in 2007 along with Splendid Isolation

Michael Coleman and Pakie Dolan played the Duke and his Wife on a Columbia 78. Its on CD2 Track 2on the reissued viva voce Coleman Colection. The anonymous pianist was hammering away horribly I reckon. Ther version wa sG withan F natural thrown in occasionally

Yes, Jean Carignan on the ‘Archives’ triple CD set also plays ‘The Duke of Leinster’ coupled with this tune - considering the comment above, he most likely learned it from that Coleman recording too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiwzxbiakJM

play video

Wax cylinder recording by Patsy Touhey c. 1904.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQjbTBevfVQ

play video

This version taught to me by fantastic flute and whistle player Meadhbh O’Rourke.