The Rambling Sailor reel

Played often in Sydney. This is a flute setting transcribed direct from a minidisc recording.

Bar 22 of the sheetmusic should be |AcGE FEDG|

This is the way Paddy O‘Brien had it on his recording with Seamus Connolly. In O’Neill, it’s in D major, so maybe O’Brien “adjusted” it for the box.

I came across this in O’Neills 1001 (in D as mentioned above) and was immediately struck by its similarity to Strike the Gay Harp. It’s a reel version of the jig (or vice versa!).

We have a completely different tune called ‘The Rambling Sailor’, but according to the FAQ I cannot submit another setting of an existing tune, so here it is. This tune, in E Dorian is used for a dance by Brighton Morris Men. There is a song that goes with it, but we don’t usually sing it, and I can’t remember the words.

X:326
T:Rambling Sailor
M:4/4
S:A(AB)5
R:Reel
Z:John (Yogi) Allen for BMM
Q:150
K:E Dorian
|: “Part A” BG | “Em” E2 B2 “G” BG “D” AF | “Em” E2 E2 “Bm” d3 d |\
dB “A” cA “G” BG “D” AF | “Em” E2 E2 z2 :|!
|: “Part B” B2 | “G” BcdB “Em” e2 e2 | “G” BcdB “Em” e2 e2 |\
“Bm” d2 Bd “A” c2 A2 | “G” BcBA “D” F2 F2 |!
“Em” E2 B2 “G” BG “D” AF | “Em” E2 E2 “Bm” d3 d |\
dB “A” cA “G” BG “D” AF | “Em” E2 E2 z2 :||!