The Merry Days Of Easter reel

From Harry Bradley’s 1st recording - a great flute tune, which he got from Gary Hastings, another Belfast player. According to the sleeve notes, Gary associated the reel with the late Peg McGrath, so it’s flute-players all round. [And it’s got a high “c”.]

The following setting comes from Micheal O Raghallaigh’s ‘The Nervous Man’, bearing the title, The Merry Days of Easter. A setting by this name appears in O’Neill’s, but is somewhat less reminiscent of the tune poseted here by Kenny.

M:4/4
K:G
BG~G2 cBAc | BdGB c2cA | BG~G2 DGcA | Bdgd BGGA | B3d c3A | Bdgd cA~A2 |
BG~G2 DGGA | Bdgd Bdga ||
bgaf (3ggg fg | (3eee ag a2ac’ | bgaf gfed | (3Bcd ef g3a | ~b2ab g2fg |
~e2ag a2ab | c‘eac’ bgef | gbaf gedc ||

Fiddler Gerry O’Connor calls this Jim Erwin’s, and says it’s also known as Mick McKeigue’s from the playing of P.J. Hernon. On Gerry’s Journeyman cd, it goes as follows:

X: 1
T: Jim Erwin’s
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: G
c|B~G3 DEGA|Bdgd cAAc|B~G3 DEGA|Bdgd BGGA|
~B3d ~c3A|Bdgd cAAc|B~G3 DEGA|Bdgd BGG2 ||
bgaf ~g4|e~a3 eaga|bgaf gfed|^cde=c B/c/d ga|
bgaf gbfg|ea a/a/a eaab|{c’}babe agef|gbag {a}gedc||
[B3D3] G DEGA|….

I found a lovely field recording of a young Seamus Connolly playing this very same tune here: www.comhaltasarchive.ie The title given for the tune there is “The Aughrim Slopes”. As I recall from a conversation with a friend who knows Seamus, he is VERY good with names of tunes…

This is a merry tune.

Artist: Harry Bradley
Album: Bad turns and Horseshoe Bends

One of my favourite flute tunes. The rhythm , pulse and groove of this tune is something else. You can’t help but rock your head or tap your foot when you listen to this. Unfortunately, alot of modern flute playing, with it’s smooth, fluid style and fancy finger work lacks this amazing, hypnotic rhythm. I know what I prefer to listen to anyway, give me this anyday.

Here’s a link to the tune. It’s the second tune in the set.

https://youtu.be/Sil0V4W0noc

play video