Forget Me Not reel

This tune is a little tough to play, but very well worth it. It’s not the most popular of Redican’s tunes, but I think it was his best.

I was playing this tune last night & comparing it to a recording I have of Martin Wynn playing this tune. I realised that I was playing the first bar of the B part was different so I updated it to MArtin Wynn’s version.
11-1-01

I was just bumbling through JC’s tunefinder for “Cronin’s Hornpipe” & came across this Redican tune - low & behold it’s the same one. It’s also known as “Forget Me Not” & “Gerry Cronins”. so there you have it.

Some different versions from the net in the keys of C and D:

X:1
T:Forget Me Not
C:Larry Redican
R:reel
M:4/4
L:1/8
Z:Philippe Varlet
K:C
c2ec AGED|CA,~A,2 G,A,CD|EGcd ecdc|Addc dged|
c2ec AGED|CA,~A,2 G,A,CD|EGce dBcA|GEDF ECCG:|
|:c2gc acgc|fcec dcAc|Gc~c2 Gcea|gece d2eg|
agea gede|cd (3edc dcAG|EGce dBcA|GEDF ECCG:|

X:2
T:Gerry Cronin’s Reel
M:2/2
L:1/8
R:Reel
D:Siona, “Launching the Boat”
K:C
c2ec AGED|C~A,3 G,A,CD|EGcd ecdc|Addc dfed|
c2Bc AGED|C~A,3 G,A,CD|EGce dBcA|1 GEDG EC,EG:|2 GEDB, C2EG||
|:c2gc acgc|fcec dcBc|Gc~c2 Gcea|gece d2eg|
a~e3 gede|cdec dcAG|EGce dBcA|1 GEDG EC,EG:|2 GEDB, C2EG||

X:3
T:Martin Rocheford’s
T:Gerry Cronin’s
T:Larry Redican’s
T:Forget Me Not
R:Reel
D:Irish Dancing Tape (P. Acc)
Z:Adrian Scahill
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:C
c2ec AGED|CA, (3A,A,A, G,A,CD|EGcd e2dc|Addc dfed|
c2ec AGED|CA, (3A,A,A, G,A,CD|EGce dcAc|GEDE C3B:|
|:(3cdc Gc acgc|fcec dcAc|Gcc2 Gcef|gece d2eg|
aee2 gede|cdec decA|(3GAG EG cBcA|GEDE C4:|

X:4
T:Martin Rocheford’s
M:4/4
L:1/8
Z: Greg Taylor
K:D
d2fd BAFE|DB,B,2 A,B,DE|FAde f2ed|Beed egfe|
d2fd BAFE|DB,B,2 A,B,DE|FAdf ecdB|AFEA FDD2:|
|:d2ad bdad|gdfd edBd|Add2 Adfb|afdf e2fg|
aff2 afef|defd efdA|FAdf ecdB|AFEA FDD2:|

X:5
T:Crehan’s
M:4/4
L:1/8
S:Martin Rocheford
R:Reel
K:D
d2fd BAFE|DB, (3B,B,B, A,B,DE|FABc (3ddd dc|(3BBB ef edBc|
(3ddd fd BAFE|DB, (3B,B,B, A,B,DE|FAdf ec (3dcB|AFEG FDDA:|
|:d2 (3ddd bdad|gdfd edBd|Ad (3ddd Adfg|afdf (3eee fa|
bf (3fff afec|defd ecdB|ABdf ecdB|AFEG FDD2:|

…and a setting from my session:

X:4
T:Forget Me Not
M:4/4
L:1/8
Z:Dow
S:The playing of Greenwiggle
K:D
d2fd BAFE|DB,~B,2 A,B,DE|FA (3Bcd efeA|Beed egge|
dfed BAFE|DB,~B,2 A,B,DE|FA (3cBA eA (3cBA|d2AG FD (3ABc:|
|:d2ad bdad|gdfd edBd|Addc defg|afdf ea (3fga|
bf~f2 affe|defd e2dA|ABdf eABc|d2AG FD (3ABc:|

No I was never taught how to count past 5.

I got this from a Davey McNevin years ago and it was called Crehan’s and played in D.

Check out YouTube, keywords “Dubliners, Irish Washerwoman” This is the first tune John and Eamonn in a three tune set. Lovely.

Anyone know if Larry’s compositions are copyrighted, and who I would talk to about that?

I requested this tune ages ago, but frustration forced me to transcribe it myself. Transcription based on the dazzling performance of Brendan Mulholland, Brendan Hendry, and Paul McSherry on their album *Tuned Up*. How can you not love the B part?

Posted 9 years ago https://thesession.org/tunes/233 albeit in C. Why not keep the D transcription too…

Larry Redican’s son Larry (Larry Og aka Lorcan) Redican is alive and well in Massapequa, NY. He’s in the phone book. You might ask him. But as far as I know, there are no copyright issues, and if there are, a lot of folks have been paying no attention for a long time. The “official” version of this tune would be the one published (as “Forget Me Not”) in a long-ago issue of Treoir, which was in Larry’s own hand.

Not that it matters a lot-- but Siona in fact plays the tune in C, not in D. I play it in D on the concertina and in C on the fiddle. Great tune.

The last tune here by Brendan Mulholland, Brendan Hendry and Paul McSherry, played up a semi tone. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkFK7qB2Zxw

play video

Nice piano rendition by Catriona Cullivan here:

http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_258_6_catriona_cullivan

This tune also makes a great hornpipe and I actually fancy the hornpipe version of it more than the reel version!
I think the melody sounds so much more cheerful and lively when played with a rather swingy hornpipe rhythm!

I sort of jokingly started to call this tune “Mateusz’ Hornpipe” at sessions, in lack of its real name, since Mateusz is the name of the guy I learnt it from!

It’s a lovely tune that I think should be played at sessions much more often!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkFK7qB2Zxw

play video

third tune

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkFK7qB2Zxw

play video

tis the third tune!

The tune referred to above -- called The Belfast Traveller -- is the same as the Forget Me Not. Although it has been attributed to Larry Redican, it seems that a tune that has traveled so far and wide, and has so many different names, would be a much older traditional tune.

I’m just saying….

This is the same tune as Forget Me Not*. It has been attributed to Larry Redican-- though it seems that a tune that has traveled so far and wide, and has so many different names, would be a much older traditional tune.

I’m just saying….

*Also known as Crehan’s, Dan Cronin’s, Forget Me Not, Forget Me Not Composed By Larry Redican, Gerard Cronin’s, Gerry Cronin’s, Larry Bedican’s, Larry Radican’s, Larry Redigan’s, Martin Rocheford’s, Martin Rochford’s, Rochford’s

My version.

Should be K: Gmaj

I’m not sure what Toppish means by “Should be K”, but the tune sounds strange with the C sharps when the tonic is G. It sounds better in G major with C naturals. Great tune JACKB, many thanks for this one and all the others you’ve been adding.

“Toppish” is saying that the key - “K” - should be G major and not “D” major, as posted by “JACKB”.

I have this tune from the playing of Josephine Keegan, in C. A transcription of her version is in Ceol Rince na h-Eireann 3.

Thanks “Kenny” for the explanation. I’m OK with sheet music but not too familiar with the ABC notation.

This reel was recorded by The Bridge Ceili Band on their 1975 vinyl LP. They called this tune Garry Cronin’s Reel & they played it in the key of C. Mighty reel which they learned from the playing of the Cork fiddle player Garry Cronin.

Got the tune from John Sheehan on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0hnrLIcHTI

play video

the tune starts at 5:16

Does name mean what it says or is it for the dainty blue flower? I loved seeing that flower growing in the Ratty Burn, near Kirkwall, Orkney. It likes watery places. Also grows alongside the road leading to the Stones of Stenness, maybe in some unseen water.

Learned from Vincent Griffin on his 1977 Topic album

https://youtu.be/26LQSw29jrQ

play video

Kerry Elkin, fiddler mostly known for playing Contradances recorded this as Larry Redican on the recording Soir et Matin (Larry Redican’s / Dm Reel / Maids Of Castlebar).
Kerry sadly passed away in 2009 :(
https://library.unh.edu/find/archives/collections/elkin-kerry-papers-1975-2000

A setting of this lovely reel from Frances Marriott.