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Jerry O’Sullivan’s reel

Also known as Hoch Hey Johnnie Lad, Hoch Hey Johnny Lad, The Lads Of Saltcoats, The Lasses Of The Ferry.

There are 14 recordings of this tune.
This tune has been recorded together with

Jerry O’Sullivan’s appears in 1 other tune collection.

Jerry O’Sullivan’s has been added to 12 tune sets.

Jerry O’Sullivan’s has been added to 138 tunebooks.

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Two settings

1
X: 1
T: Jerry O'Sullivan's
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:G2GB AGAB|GEDE A3B|G2GB AGAB|G/F/E DE G3z:|
|:degB AGAB|degd e3d|degB AGAB|G/F/E DE G4:|
G2GB AGAB|GEDE A3B|GFGB AGAB|G/F/E DE GcBA|
G2GB AGAB|GEDE A3B|G2GB AGAB|G/F/E DE G3d|
degB AGAB|degd e3d|degB AGAB|G/F/E DE G3d|
degB AGAB|g2fd e3d/B/|d3B A2 G/A/B|cBG2G4|
2
X: 2
T: Jerry O'Sullivan's
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
z|G2 G>B A>GA>B|G>ED>E A<A A2|
G2 G>B A>GA>B|G>ED>E G<G G:|
d|d>eg>B A>GA>B|d>eg>B A<A A2|
d>eg>B A>GA>B|G>ED>E G<G G:|

Fourteen comments

The tune is played on a Bb flute on the Lunasa recording which was the source for this transcription. The key choice here merely reflects the tune as played on concert D whistle or pipes.

Reel?

Shouldnt it be a little slower than a reel?

Jerry O’Sullivan’s

I think it’s a “slow reel”, of which there are a few examples. It’s also a version of a Scottish tune called “Hoch Hey Johnny Lad”. An attractive tune, in my opinion.

It’s a slow reel if you play it slow, but it’s a fast reel if you play it fast.

Unless by ‘slow’ they are not meaning tempo… 😏

Jerry O’Sullivan’s

I’ve heard a few tunes described as slow reels, and played in the same manner. Sure, you could play any reel slowly, but there are some tunes which seem to lend themselves to that treatment. “Lord Drummond” as played by the Tannahill Weavers, for example, or “Jerry O‘Sullivan’s” as played by Lunasa. I once heard the fine Irish fiddler Tim O’Leary play a great tune, one of his own compositions, which he introduced as a slow reel. Wish I could remember that one.

By the way, “Lord Drummond” mentioned above would go quite nicely with “Jerry O’Sullivan’s” in a set. If it’s not here already, I’ll post it.

Some ‘reels’ were composed with ‘slow’ in mind, “Poor But Happy at 53” being on…

Nigel, if you find the link to “Jerry O’Sullivan’s” or post it, please add the link here…

Jerry O’Sullivan’s

THIS is the page for Jerry O’Sullivan’s, ceolachan - unless I’m not understanding you…

If you play this one slowly what you’ll probably end up with is a fling, not really a slow reel.

Poor But Happy at 53 might sound nice slow. I’ve only ever heard it played at normal reel pace in sessions.

So yeah. A reel is slow if you play it slow, fast if you play it fast.

The Lasses of the Ferry

I was just looking through a copy of “Hamilton’s Universal Tunebook Book 2” (1853) and came across a tune called “The Lasses of the Ferry”:


X: 1
T: Lasses of the Ferry, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
K:G
z | G2 G>B A>GA>B | G>ED>E A<A A2 |
G2 G>B A>GA>B | G>ED>E G<G G :|
d | d>eg>B A>GA>B | d>eg>B A<A A2 |
d>eg>B A>GA>B | G>ED>E G<G G :|

It has the annotation: “Tannahill’s song ‘O hey, Johnnie lad’ is sung to a slightly altered set of this air.”

Lads of Saltcoats

Another name and another setting:


X:1009
T:Lads of Saltcoats
S:Book, Walsh Country Dances (1760)
N:Transposed from A for comparison
Z:Nigel Gatherer
L:1/8
M:4/4
K:G
G3 B AGAB | GEDE A/A/A A2 | G3 B AGAB | GEDE G/G/G G2 :|
de/f/ gB AGAB | de/f/ gB A/A/A A2 | de/f/ gB AGAB | GEDE G/G/G G2 :|

Re: Jerry O’Sullivan’s

Composed originally by Alexander MacKinnon, Corry, Skye.