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

<3 A beauty seldom found in reels. At least to my ears. It’s as beautiful as the wedding reel.

Does anyone have Liz Carroll’s setting for this, as found on her album with Paul Doyle (name escapes me atm)? It sounds quite different to the versions listed here but it’s so beautiful.

Liz Carroll’s setting in F#m from ‘Double Play’ (2009) for mosfeldt.

Thanks a million!

I played this version regularly while fiddling in an 8 week festival in Fairburn, GA. It was the second half to a set starting with Bantry Bay Boys ( B.B.B. in A-minor ).

Amazing performance above!

Which reel is Moftem refering to as "The Wedding Reel" here?

To answer lauri’s question, looks to me that Cormac might be playing one of the old (white) Susato whistles, sounds a little like one too.

Setting from The Irish Descendants.

From the playing of Kierah.

Anybody know what Elieen Ivers plays as the intro to Castle Kelly on her recording = shes just calls it ‘Castle Kelly’s’?

It’s just a wee theme which acts as an introduction. They say, "The arrangement came from a memorable Memorial Day weekend in the Catskills…"

From the playing of Across The Pond.

First tune of their "Castle Set".

From the playing of DÁN.

Variations from the playing of DÁN.

Roughly how the Tulla Ceili Band plays it.