Mother’s Delight reel

Well, at long last I’ve figured out how to use the ABC format and have submit my first tune. (I hope it’s worked..) And not a minute too soon, since this tune may very well be one of the coolest reels *ever* created in the history of Irish traditional music. Okay, perhaps I’m exaggerating. But it really is a good one; and I’m delighted to have had the honor of submitting it to thesession.org. I first heard this one on Laurence Nugent’s second CD, Two for Two. It is apparently an old reel popular among Clare fiddlers and perhaps there are some fiddlers out there who can shed some more light on this gem. In my experience, it is usually played in the key of Ddorian. However, I have transposed it here up to Edorian. It seems to work particularly well before tunes in the key of Adorian, such as Star of Munster or, as on Larry Nugent’s CD, Lad O’Beirne’s, Enjoy!

Here’s the same reel as posted earlier but in D dorian. I thought this version was worth posting as a variation on the earlier post. This comes from the playing of Cait Reid in San Francisco.

Lovely redition, Will. Have you ever heard the tune played in E Dorian? Does it belong in E dorian? I transposed it up for the sake of those people wedded to the D whistle. But whenever I’ve heard it at session (started by someone other than myself) it has been in D dorian at which point I’ve simply switched to a C whistle.

On his album w/Alec Finn c. 1977

X: 1
T:Mother’s Delight
M:C|
L:1/8
R:Reel
D:Bohola
Z:John Norvell
K:DDor
DE |: FEDF Gz EG | FEDF GFEF | D2 d2 defe | decd ABcA |
dedc A3B | cBcA E/2F/2G FE | D2 dc AGAB |1 cAGF EDDE :|2 cAGF EDDE |
|: FAdA FDDF | EGcG ECCE | FAdA FDDF | EDCE D3E |
FAdA FDDF | EGcG ECCE | FAGE FEDC |1 A,DEF D3E :|2 A,DEF D2DE |]

This is the version I ended up playing learnt by ear from the playing of Frankie Gavin.

X: 1
T: Mother’s Delight
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Ddor
DE|:~F2 FD ~G2 GE|~F2 FD GECE |Ddd^c defe|~d2 dc ABcA|d^cd=c ~A2 AB|
cBcG ECCE|Dddc dcAB|~c2 GE ~D2DE:|:FAdA FD ~D2|EGcG EC ~C2|FAdA FD ~D2 |
|EDCE ~D2 DE |FAdA FD ~D2|EGcG ECCE|~F2 EF DCA,C|1 DFEC ~D2 DE:|2 DFEC ~D3||

A friend e-mailed me this interesting version in G, with lots of accidentals. I think it’s the Donegal version, recorded by people like Paul Shaughnessy and, I think, John Doherty.

X: 1
T: Mother’s Delight
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
d4 |: Bdgd BGGB | Ac=fc A=FFc | Bdgd BGGB | A/2c/2A ^FB AGGc |
Bdgd BGGB | Ac=fc A=FFc | _B2BA Bd=fd | cA^F=B AGGA :|
|: [D2_B2]BA [G2B2]GA | ~_B3d cBAB | Ggga g^fga | =bg{b}af defd |
gagf d^cde | =fdc_B A=F~F2 | Gg g/2g/2g dg=bg | =fdcA =BGGA :|

Paul O’Shaughnessy has recorded two distinct versions of the tune. The G version above is on "Within a Mile of Dublin." Yes, he cites John Doherty as the source.

Yes, that version was transcribed from John Doherty on Bundle and Go, the mutual acquantance tells me.

D version:
https://thesession.org/tunes/257

This is how I learned it here from a concertina playing friend. The first F is played very short. Like an eighth note and a rest. I like the second half of the second measure in the B part-it changes the pattern just a little.

X: 1
T: Mother’s Delight
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Ddor
DE|:F2 FE F2 DE|FEFA GECE|Ddd^c defe|
decd ABcA|d2 dc A3B|cbcG ECCE|Dddc A3B|AGEG FDDE:|
|:FAdA FDDF|EGcG ECDE|FAdA FDDF|
|(3EGE EC A,DDE:|

Sorry, incorrect ABC above.

X: 1
T: Mother’s Delight
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Ddor
DE|:F2 FE F2 DE|FEFA GECE|Ddd^c defe|
decd ABcA|d2 dc A3B|cbcG ECCE|Dddc A3_B|AGEG FDDE:|
|FAdA FDDF|EGcG ECDE|FAdA FDDF|(3EGE EC A,DDE
|FAdA FDDF|EGcG ECFE|Dddc A3_B|AGEG FDD2||

This is transcribed from Paul O’Shaughnessy’s version from ITAM on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6eX7DSWnTg

play video

I posted the first tune here:
https://thesession.org/tunes/79

X:1
T:Mother’s Delight
L:1/8
M:4/4
I:linebreak $
K:G
z2 z c |: Bdgd BGGB | Ac=fc A=FFc | Bdgd BGGB | A/B/A DF AGGc |$ Bdgd BGGB | Ac=fc A=FFA |
_B/c/B =FA Bg=fd |1 cAFG AGGc :|2$ cAFG AGGA |[|: _B2 BA B2 GA | _BABd cBAB | Gdga gdga |
baaf defd |$ g/a/gfa gfde | =fdc_B A=FFA | Gg- g2 dgbg | fdcA BGGA :|]

There’s a three part version on John Carty’s "Yeh, That’s All It Is" album. The additional part is an added A section. What would have been the A section is played as the C section and the B section follows Carty’s added A section, if all that makes sense.

I’ve added a setting based on the above and a transposition of the third setting on https://thesession.org/tunes/257

My intention was to have something a bit closer to the performance by Liz King in the second half of this youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKa_flK4ZyI

play video

A version played by Damien Mullane on a youtube video

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

play video

Other common version.

Got this version from Connecticut fiddler Jeanne Freeman, who got it from P.V. O’Donnell from Donegal. It’s a quirky tune because of those switches to minor, so I included some basic chords. Those Bb chords could be G minor, too. Of course if you’re just playing open fifths it matters less.