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The Queen Of May reel

Also known as Kitty Losty’s, The Ladies Taproom, P. J. Crotty’s, P.J. Crotty’s, The Queen Of The May, The Tap Room.

There are 44 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with Dr. Gilbert’s (lots of times), The Bee Minority (a few times) and The Humours Of Lissadell (a few times).

The Queen Of May appears in 8 other tune collections.

The Queen Of May has been added to 6 tune sets.

The Queen Of May has been added to 142 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Five settings

1
X: 1
T: The Queen Of May
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Edor
Bcdf ~e2 dB|ADFD FA ~A2|Bcdf edBc|dBA=c BDFA|
B2 BA BcdB|ADFD FA ~A2|Bcdf edBc|dBA=c BDFA||
~B2 eB fBeB|defa afed|~B2 eB fBeB|dBA=c BDFA|
(3Bcd eg fdeB|defa af e2|fbba fafe|dBA=c BDFA||
2
X: 2
T: The Queen Of May
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Edor
Bcdf eBdB|AD F/E/D FAAd|Bcdf edBc|dB A/A/=c BEGA|
B3 B BAdB|AD F/E/D FAAd|Bcdf edBc|dB A/A/=c BEGA||
B2 eB fBeB|defa afed|~B2 eB fBeB|dB A/A/=c BEGA|
(3Bcd eg ~f3 e|defa afea|fbba ~f3 e|dB A/A/=c BEGA||
# Added .
3
X: 3
T: The Queen Of May
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Edor
|:dcdf e2dB|AD (3(FED) FA A2|Bddf edBc|dBAF BE E2:||
Beef {a}gfge|^defg afdf|e^def {a}g2fe|dBAF BE E2|
Beef {a}gfge|^defg afdf|(g/2a/2g/2f/2g).e (f/2g/2f/2e/2f).e|dBAF BE E2|]
4
X: 4
T: The Queen Of May
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Edor
|dcdf egdB | ADFD FAAG | Bddf edBc | dBAF BEE2 |
dcdf egdB |ADFD FAAG | Bddf edBA | Bcef gfge||
Beef gfge |defg afdf | e^def gafe | dBAF BEE2 |
Beef gfge |defg afdf | gbag fage | dBAF BEE2 ||
5
X: 5
T: The Queen Of May
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Edor
(Be2)(fe2) dB|A2FD FAAc|Bdde d2ec|dBA=c B(E E2):||
((3Bcd) eg (fd)ec|defg afed|((3Bcd) eg (fd)ec|dBA=c B(E E2)|
((3Bcd) eg fdec|defg afdf|g2ge f2fe|dBA=c BEE2||

Fifteen comments

Chieftains’ Queen of May

This is the version of The Queen of May heard on Chieftains 1 (track 5).

Dez Donnelly’s setting

Nice catch, Hiroyuki, and thanks for posting the link. Here’s what I hear Dez Donnelly playing on that Ceili House track (and I transcribed his playing on The Rainy Day under that tune here in the database as well).

X: 1
T: Queen Of May, The
T: P.J. Crotty’s
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: E dorian
Bcdf eBdB|AD F/E/D FAAd|Bcdf edBc|dB A/A/=c BEGA|
B3 B BAdB|AD F/E/D FAAd|Bcdf edBc|dB A/A/=c BEGA||
B2 eB fBeB|defa afed|~B2 eB fBeB|dB A/A/=c BEGA|
(3Bcd eg ~f3 e|defa afea|fbba ~f3 e|dB A/A/=c BEGA||

Posted .

Will, you’re my hero too.

Needless to say, Harry Bradley and Jesse Smith also recorded this great tune together. I have to learn it in a few days.

Interesting to note that the set played by McGoldrick and Donnelly is precisely the same as that recorded by Padraic Mac Mathuna on ‘Blas Na Meala’

I notice, Turophile, that you posted this tune as being in B minor. in terms of notation, this is of no consequence, as the key signature is correct. But I have noticed that backers are often flummoxed by this tune. Something in the opening phrase suggests a B-minor chord, but then, when they try to continue backing in the key ofBm, it doesn’t work. As Will CPT shows in his abc, it is actrually in E dorian. Bm can be used as the opening chord (Em and G both work as well), but the second chord (in bar 2) should be D, not A as is often assumed by backers.

Key Signature

I agree about the correct key signature have changed it to E dorian.

Three part version

A nice Tommy Potts three part version of this tune can be found in CRE I.

it’s the 2nd tune - after Dr. Gilbert’s

This tune is called The Tap Room by Josephine Keegan in her tunebook "A Drop in the Ocean". However, it seems that that title really belongs to the tune treated at thesession.org/tunes/711 . A confusing situation.

Posted by .

The Queen Of May, X:3

This version is from O’Neills (under Kitty Losty’s Reel), unchanged other than changing the key there from Em to Edor.

The Queen Of May, X:4

Another version I have lying around (again as Kitty Losty’s Reel), I can’t be certain where it’s from but I think it’s a Leo Rowsome version.

The Queen Of May, X:5

I transcribed this version from the Francis Reynolds MS1 of Gaigue, Ballinamuck, Co. Longford, dated 1885. The tune is entitled ‘The Ladies’ Taproom’ (No.27) in this document.