Ed Reavy’s reel

I first heard this tune years ago in a session at the Willie Clancy week. It was also recorded by the Dublin women’s band "Macalla",
but I didn’t know it was a Reavy tune until Oisin Macdiarmada, Brian McGrath & Michael Rooney recorded it and mentioned it in the sleeve notes. One of many tunes transcribed for me some years ago by Malcolm Reavell, - a flute, whistle and saxophone player, resident in Aberdeen, so thanks to him.

Kenny, I’ve heard this at our session but the version is slightly different:

X: 1
T: Ed Reavy’s
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
G2d^c dBcA|~=F3A dBcB|Azd^c dfeg|1 fdcA BdcA:|2 fdcA BGBd||
fzgf fede|fgag fddz|fgag fdeg|fdcA BGBd|
fzgf fede|fgag fddz|fg~g2 ~g2ag|fdcA BdcA||

The source reports that when he starts the tune, people tend to think it’s a version of the Ladies’ Pantalettes https://thesession.org/tunes/2050.

I just googled that abc and got this:

X: 165
T: Reavey’s
R: Reel
D: Traditional Music On Fiddle, Banjo, And Harp
D: Oisin MacDiarmada, Brian Fitzgerald, and Michael O Ruanaigh
Z: transcribed by Dave Marshall
M: C|
K: Gmaj
GBd^c d=ccA|=F3A dccB|Add^c dgeg|fdcA BdcA|
GBd^c d=ccA|=F3A dBcB|Add^c dgeg|fdcA BGBd||
~g3f fede|fgag fdef|~g2ag fdeg|fdcA BGBd|
~g3f fede|fgag fdef |~g3f ~g2ag|fdcA dccA||

Looks like my source got it from that recording you mentioned.

Arrgh I forgot to unaccidentalize the "c"

X: 1
T: Ed Reavy’s
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
S: Sydney session (minidisc recording)
K: Gmaj
G2d^c dB=cA|~=F3A dBcB|Azd^c dfeg|1 fdcA BdcA:|2 fdcA BGBd||
fzgf fede|fgag fddz|fgag fdeg|fdcA BGBd|
fzgf fede|fgag fddz|fg~g2 ~g2ag|fdcA BdcA||

Before anyone points it out, although this reel is showing up as being on 21 recordings, because Reavy has so many tunes known by his name, and this one is relatively obscure compared to his other compositions, I can only guarantee that this is on the MacDiarmada & co CD, and also on the 2nd "Macalla" recording, which I’ll post later today. If anyone knows of it on any of the other recordings listed, please say so.

I listened closely to the Oisin MacDiarmada, Brian Fitzgerald, and Michael O Ruanaigh recording and adjusted the ABCs to reflect more or less what they’re playing.

X: 1
T: Reavey’s
R: Reel
D: Traditional Music On Fiddle, Banjo, And Harp
D: Oisin MacDiarmada, Brian Fitzgerald, and Michael O Ruanaigh
Z: Jack Gilder
M: 4/4
K: Gmaj
GBd^c d=ccA|E=F=FA dBcB|Add^c dgeg|fdcA dccA|
GBd^c d=ccA|E=F=FA dBcB|Add^c dgeg|fdcA BGBd||
fggf fede|fgag fdef|fgag fdeg|fdcA BGBd|
fggf fede|fgag fdef |fggf g2ag|fdcA dccA||

Often they seem to play the 4th and last bar thusly:

|fc~c2 dccA|

Wondering if this might be a version of Fair-haired Mary. It has similarities to the settings in O’Neill’s and Ryan’s.

So, if this is really a composition of Reavy’s, why doesn’t it have a name, like all his others? And how come it isn’t in the reavy.us database? It’s a great tune, and it definitely shares some motifs with other tunes of his, so there’s got to be some kind of connection. Can anyone shed some light?

This reel appears as "Lad O’Beirne’s" on Mary MacNamara’s first recording. In the sleeve notes, Jackie Small attributes it to Lad O’Beirne. Don’t know who’s correct.

As I said above, this reel was recorded as “Reavy’s” by Oisin MacDiarmada, Brian Fitzgerald and Michael O’Rhuanaigh. The sleeve notes provide the following explanation :

“This first reel is believed to be a composition of Philadelphia-based Cavan fiddler Ed Reavy [1898 –1988]. It is not included in the publication of his works, “The Collected Compositions Of Ed Reavy”. It featured on a private recording of Reavy made in America and entered the repertoire here in Ireland through the playing of Nickie and Anne McAulliffe of Castleisland, Co. Kerry. It was subsequently recorded by the Dublin-based group “Macalla” in the mid-1980s”.

Thanks for that.