Nancy reel

This is a Scottish march, featured by Stacy Phillips in his Teach-In Fiddle column in the recent SingOut! This version was recorded by Joe MacLean of Sydney, Cape Breton on "Old Time Scottish Fiddle Music (Rounder 7024) in 1977. It should be played about 140 in 4/4 meter.

This tune is almost exactly the same as the popular Northumbrian tune with the Tom Clough variations, and close to the version played by Willy Taylor. Both Taylor and Clough played the tune as a reel

It’s a Tom Clough composition, and not Scottish. I don’t know why people in Northumberland call this a reel. It’s nothing like the sort of reels Willy Taylor wrote. You play it with a quicker pulse than you’d play a reel, like a march with variations. A reel would just sound silly played at 140.

Definitely Northumbrian and not a reel - I remember playing this in a Newcastle band. Just a couple of comments about temp to add to the discussion… I am aware that people often speak of the ideal tempo for a reel (or indeed any other type of tune). However, there is rarely such a thing - some reels sound fabulous at breakneck speed whereas others sound rubbish. Likewise a slower tempo can allow a player to accentuate the more interesting tones, articulations and ornamentations in some reels, but can be a painful tempo for others resulting in a dull tune. Of course this is very subjective - depending on the taste of player/listener and the ability of the performer. But theres no point in suggesting that every reel sounds silly at 140.

Okay I’ll rephrase it: it is my personal opinion that reels sound silly at 140, and the point of saying it is that it’s my opinion. Better? :-)

On their recording it is taken at a very steady pace - about 106bpm/minim.

|:(3ABc|d2D2 F2A2|d2fe d2A2|d2ef gfed|c2e2 A2Bc|
d2D2 F2A2|d2fe d2A2|B2g2 fedc|d4 d2:|
|:fg|a3b a2gf|g3a g2fe|f2d2 gfed|c2e2 A2Bc|
d2D2 F2A2|d2fe d2A2|B2g2 fedc|d4 d2:|
|:(3ABc|dcBA GFED|F2A2 d2A2|dcde gfed|cdec ABcA|
dcBA GFED|F2A2 d2A2|B2g2 fedc|d4 d2:|
|:fg|aAaA a2gf|gAgA g2fe|fdfa gfed|cdec ABcA|
dcBA GFED|F2A2 d2A2|B2g2 fedc|d4 d2:|

A grooved up version features on Nancy Kerr & James Fagan’s album "Steely Water", where it is entitled "Nancy Clough’s" and played at a much livelier pace of about 128bpm/minim.

|:(3ABc|d2D2 F2A2|d2fe d2A2|d2ef gfed|cdec ABcA|
d2D2 F2A2|d2fe d2A2|B2g2 fedc|d4 d2:|
|:fg|a3b a2gf|g3a g2fe|f2d2 gfed|cdec ABcA|
d2D2 F2A2|d2fe d2A2|B2g2 fedc|d4 d2:|
|:A2|dcBA GFED|FDFA d3A|d2ef gfed|cdec ABcA|
dcBA GFED|FDFA d3A|B2g2 fedc|d4 d2:|
|:fg|aA A/A/A aA A/A/A|gA A/A/A gAgA|fAfA gfed|cdec ABcA|
dcBA GFED|F2A2 d2A2|B2g2 fedc|d4 d2:|

According to the liner notes, "a squeaky wheelbarrow is said to have been Tom Clough’s inspiration for this charming pipe tune, named for his wife. The tune itself later inspired the naming of a certain fiddle player".

Tom Clougfh tune. Composedin the 30s for Northumbrian Small Pipes.
Proper nameis Nancy Clough (named for Tom’s wide.)
As any who look at Northumbrian tunes will know, its a rant though you do get some in the NE who play the first part as a reel. They generally die when they attempt to do the doubling into the variation.

Tom Clough said that the notes are supposed to sound like a lad running a stick along railings - each note separate and sharply articulated, so no slurs anywhere, even in the semiquaver runs.
Noel

Have you ever tried playing this one in D dorian? We play a medley with the minor version first going into the "traditional" major. It’s good for laughs if nothing else.

This tune is recorded as a polka on Mayo flute player Paul Smyth’s recent solo album.

Here’s the variation from Barbara McOwen’s Leaves of Cabbage:

ABc | dcBA GFED | FDFA d2 A2 | d2 ef gfed | cdec ABcA | dcBA GFED | FDFA
d2 A2 | B2 g2 fedc | d4 d2 :|| fg aAfA a2 gf | gAeA g2 fe | f2 df gfed
| cdec A2 (3ABc | dcBA GFEC | FCFA d2 A2 | B2 g2 fedc | d4 d2 :||

It (the variation, I take it) is attributed to Nancy Dickson, pianist. Instead of being listed as Gan Anim, it’s listed as "third tune." It’s in a set with Hopeful Lover and Alaisdair an Duin put together for a dance called Rest and Be Thankful.

The Nancy recorded by Joe Derrane is not the same tune as Nancy Clough. it is a Waltz composed by Joe himself

a long belated thanks to Dow for the Nancy Kerr version….fantastic!