back menu
Log in or Sign up

Marian’s Favourite reel

By Tony Sullivan

Also known as Marian’s Favorite, Marion Egan’s.

There are 19 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

Marian’s Favourite has been added to 6 tune sets.

Marian's Favourite has been added to 44 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Three settings

1
X: 1
T: Marian's Favourite
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:E|FAAB AFDF|EGFE DB,~B,2|FAAB AF(3FGA|(3dcB AF EFDE|
FAAB AFDF|EGFE DB,~B,2|A,B,DE (3FGA BF|1 AFEF D3:|2 AFEF D2(3FGA||
|:~d3e dBAd|BdAd BAFA|~d3e dBAF|E2fe dBAB|
~d3e dBAd|BdAd BAFA|D2(3FGA dBAF|1 EDFE D2(3FGA:|2 EDFE D3||
2
X: 2
T: Marian's Favourite
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
ce~e2 ecAc|BAcB AF~F2|ce~e2 fece|afea fecB|
ce~e2 ecAc|BAcB AF~F2|EFAB ceaf|1 ecBc A2AB:|2 ecBc A2ce|
ae~e2 aefa|f3a fecB|ABce a2ga|fbba bafg|
ae~e2 aefa|f3a fecB|ABce afec|1 BAGB A2ce:|2 BAGB A4||
3
X: 3
T: Marian's Favourite
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
Bdde dBGB|AcBA GEED|Bdde dG (3Bcd|gedB ABGA|
Bdde dBGB|AcBA GE~E2|DEGA (3Bcd ge|1 dBAB G3A:|2 dBAB G2Bd||
|:~g3a gedg|egdg edBd|~g3a gedB|AcBA GEDf|
~g3a gedg|egdg edBA|G2 (3Bcd gedB|1 AGAB G2Bd:|2 AGAB G3A||

Ten comments

Marion Egan’s

Composed by whistle player Marion Egan.

I’ve heard this (and play it) in G rather than D.

Marion Egan’s

Please all note that BLARNEYSTAR is wrong. Marian Egan (was Flannery then) did not compose it – ask her and she will tell you so. I composed it for her when we played together in our group SULLIVAN’S PRIVATE STOCK.
She played it as a whistle solo (in G) on my album SULLY’S FANCY (HM301). A few years later I changed the key to A, added a 3rd part and played it as a banjo solo on my album DUBLIN BANJOS (HM309).
But Marian’s rendition has become most popular (2 parts in G, or A, but not the key of D as shown here). Please note the correct details now are: MARIAN’S FAVOURITE, composed by Tony Sullivan, aka SULLY.
Comment from Tony (Sully) Sullivan, 7th July 2009.

Could you post your 3 part version?

I’d love to try it out! Thanks!

Posted by .

Setting #2 is transcribed from a session recording from Drumshanbo in 2011, played by a bunch of musicians from Belfast. This version, aside from being in a different key, differs significantly from the first setting but is much the same as the version recorded by Deanta, as Marian’s Favourite.

Thanks to Tradschool for identifying this tune.

Just out of interest, tonysully, which version is closest to your original?

I’ve only ever heard this played in G in sessions where I live - something like this…

X: 1
T: Marion Egan’s
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
Bdde dBGB|AcBA GEED|Bdde dG (3Bcd|gedB ABGA|
Bdde dBGB|AcBA GE~E2|DEGA (3Bcd ge|1 dBAB G3A:|2 dBAB G2Bd||
|:~g3a gedg|egdg edBd|~g3a gedB|AcBA GEDf|
~g3a gedg|egdg edBA|G2 (3Bcd gedB|1 AGAB G2Bd:|2 AGAB G3A||

Re: Marian’s Favourite

How am I supposed to play the first one on a whistle?

Re: Marian’s Favourite

‘How am I supposed to play the first one on a whistle?’
It clearly can’t be done as written within the range of a D whistle: you could try (a) ‘folding’ bits of the melody to raise the unreachable lower notes to a higher octave or (b) play it in a D-whistle-friendly key - as in X:3. I’m not sure, but perhaps it could be played on a low G whistle - someone here will know.

Posted by .