Castle Kelly reel

You could play this a fast reel in amongst a set but you’d be missing out on the tune’s real beauty.

This is a tune to play slowly. It has a very haunting, almost medieval sound to it.

Some well chosen triplets or rolls could enhance it nicely. And watch out for that F natural.

Brad Maloney kindly pointed me to an rte radio program, Ceili House (http://www.radio1.ie/weekend/ceilihouse/) this week, featuring the Burren Band, of Boston, led by Tommy McCarthy Jr. on fiddle. They galloped through a set of reels, and I really enjoyed their setting of Castle Kelly, as follies:

S: Burren Band, rte Ceili House
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Am
|:A3 G ABcA|GE{G}E^F G2 EG|A2 cA GAcd|1 egdB cAAG:|
|2 egdB cAAg||
|age^c dfed|cAGE G2 eg|age^c d2 =cd|eaag a3 a|
|age^c dfed|cAGE G2 EG A2 cA GAcd|1egdB cAAa:|2 egdB cAAG||

The lads actually played the A part four times and the B part twice.

Shifting between the c sharp and nat gives the tune more bite, as does the F sharp in bar 2 of the A part. For variety, I play that same bar as |G~E3 G2 EG|

Much fun when played fast on the banjo

I heard this played in the Red Deer Folk Club in Sheffield - long ago when there WAS a Red Deer Folk Club in Sheffield. It was something like this - so this is how I learnt it:

X: 50
T:Castle Kelly
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:100
K:A dor
A2 cA ~A2 cA | GE ~E2 G2 EG | A2 cA GAcd | (3efg dB BAdB |
A2 cA ~A2 cA | GBEF G2 EG | A2 cA GAcd | egdB BA ~A2 |
age^c ~d2 ef | cAGE ~G2 G2 | age^c ~d2 cd | eaag a2 bg |
age^c ~d2 ef | cAGE G2 EG | A2 cA GAcd | egdB BA ~A2 |

Paddy Glackin and Paddy Keenan repeat the B part when they play it on Doublin’, making it 24 bars.

Here is a rendition (with bowing suggestions) based on Paddy Glackin’s version on the "Doublin’" album with Paddy Keenan.

X:1
T: Castle Kelly
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Am
(EG)||(A2c)(A2 B)cA|GcEG- G2EG|(A2c)A GAc(d|1 "4"e)(cd)(B cA)AG:|2 "4"e)(cd)(B cA)A2||
|:(ag)ec dfe(d|cA)GE (EG2)g|agec (cd)cd|uea{b}ag (ga)ba|
vgedc dfe(d|cA)GE (EG)EG|uA2cA GAc(d|1 "4"e)(cd)(B cA)A2:|2 "4"e)(cd)(B cA)AG||
"First time A1"
A2cA (AB)cA|

X: 1
T: Castle Kelly
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K:Bmin
|:B2 dB BcdB|AdFA A2 FA|B2 dB ABde|fdec dB B2:|
|bafd egfe|dBAF A3 a|bafd e2de|fbba b2 c’b|
afed egfe|dBAF|A2 FA|B2 dB ABde|fdec dB B2||

If you play this version on a C whistle you’ll avoid the awkward Fnatural fingering while still sounding ‘in A’. You can also play it in A without any F’s, it’s just as nice.

There’s a nice clip on Youtube of a young Tony MacMahon playing it in Amin after My Love is in America in C. Sonny Brogan cited as source

First tune http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dH9832d7Rg

play video

I love this reel, it lends itself to putting in so many variations as the mood fits. I have added a few variations to this setting.

At a prodding from ‘ceolachan’ - the string, over at ‘Mild Mabel Kelly’-

https://thesession.org/tunes/9046.

The setting that JACKB posted is remarkably similar to an arrangement by Chatham Baroque with Chris Norman. I’ve added a second voice to his setting, roughly based on their performance.

The structure is the same, though I’ve had to change the repeats/notation to account for variance in the first part the second time through.

Unbelievable - truly stunning. Anyone know what kind of whistle Cormac is playing? (Not that it’d be any less brilliant on another whistle - just curious.) Thanks so much for posting. Makes me want to practice 24 / 7. :-)

Father Charlie Coen plays this on the 1979 album ‘Father Charlie’ under the title "Kelly’s Castle".

Setting by Marie Claire, guest instructor for the Mid-Missouri Celtic Arts, Columbia, MO, Summery 2002