John Brennan’s reel

Despite it’s repetitiveness, this tune is a lot of fun to play, kind of like Mulqueen’s. Josh’s version is essentially how I know it, with a few minor variations. To wit:

I do the first and 5th measures of the A Part with the second d quarter note an octave higher than Josh shows, so my version goes: |D2 FA d2 cd|…

Then, to repeat the A Part, the last measure goes: |afeg fddB| into a slightly different first measure for the A Part: |ADFA d2 cd| so the whole turn to repeat Part A looks like:

|afeg fddB|ADFA d2 cd|….

I use this also when going from Part B back to Part A.

To smooth out the big jump in Part B from the 4th to 5th measures, I go up an octave again in the 4th measure: |BAGB Egfe| This is still a two string hop with the bow on fiddle, but it works easier both in my ear and on my bow (for me at least) than the jump from E on the 3rd string to f on the 1st string as written in the sheet music. And the notes are the same, just an octave higher.

Will

Sorry, not Josh, but John.

Hi gang! When I play this tune I follow it by playing The Sligo Reel in the key of G major. Here is how I do it…..the last time around, I play part B once then switch back into part A and play that part once. From there I go into The Sligo Reel. Whistledon

For some reason this tune isn’t showing up as being on John Halloran’s “But Why Johnny” CD (it is though), but if you ever get a chance to listen to it, on track 2 there is a really cool accordian/banjo duet that ends with this tune. Puts me in a good mood every time I hear it.

There, Jase, it does now.

yay synchronicity strikes again - I was just wondering not two hours ago what this tune was called.

That isn’t how I’ve heard the tune in sessions. I hear it going back down low in the B-part. It’s less repetitive that way:

X: 1
T: John Brennan’s
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmaj
D2FA d2ed|cdBd AF~F2|BAGB ADFA|BAGF EGFE|
D2FA d2ed|cdBd ADFA|BAGB ABde|(3fga eg fdd2:|
f2df e2de|fedB AF~F2|BAGB ADFA|BAGF Ecde|
fAdf e2de|fedB ADFA|BA^GB ABde|faea fdde|
f2df efde|fedB A2FA|BAGB ADFA|BAGF EGFE|
D2FA d2ed|cdBd ADFA|BAGB ABde|faeg fdd2||

We got given a very nice version of this in Norwich, where they played it as the first of a set with The Providence and The Nine Points of Roguery.
I’ll try and post the variations when I get my ABC up to speed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2fecYB9eiA

play video

Go to about 1 minute in to hear them play this tune -- absolutely fantastic playing!

This is from a TG4 documentary about Frankie Kennedy’s life.

The aforementioned youtube clip is excellent!

The “John Brennan’s” of the Brian Rooney’s ‘Godfather set’ is definitely another tune.

The tune named John Brennan’s on the Brian Rooney’s Godfather CD is actually :

X: 1
T:Jim Kelly’s Reel
T:Maguire’s Reel
T:Ash Plant, The
M:C|
L:1/8
R:Reel
K:D
dB[|:AF~F2 BFAF|DEFA BABd|eB~B2 egfe|dfed BcdB|!
AF~F2 BFAF|DEFA BABd|egfg efdB|1AFGE D2dB:|2AFGE D2FA|]!
~d3e fefg|afbf afdf|eB~B2 gB~B2|fedf edBd|!
AF~F2 ABdf|afbf afdf|g2fg efdB|1AFGE D2FA:|2AFGE D2dB|]!

That’s already on this site: https://thesession.org/tunes/1139

I used to know this reel under “Molloy’s favourite”, heard on Mick Moloney’s “We have met together” , and followed by “the earl’s chair”. The liner notes say that Mick heard it first played by Matt Molloy, which I would enjoy to have listened to. This is what I remember, since I didn’ play it since 25 years when it suddenly came back to my mind yesterday !

X:1
T:reel John Brennan’s (aka “Molloy’s”, as played by Mick Moloney in “We have met together”)
M:4/4
R:reel
K:D
D2 FA d2 cd | BAGB A3 A | BAGB ADFA | BAGF EGFE |
D2 FA d4 | BAGB A4 | BAGB ABde | f2 eg fd d2 :|
f2 df eA de | fedB ADFA | BAGB ABdf | bagf egfe |
f2 df e2 de | fedB A3A | BAGB ABde | f2 eg fd d2 :|

Didier

Setting #5 was intended to be an approximate (there are several different versions going on, so it can only be *approximate*) transcription from this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=87Pfsa1bo5U

play video

On subsequent listening, however, I realise that they are playing bars 2 & 6 as:
cdBd AF~F2
not
cdBc AF~F2 as I have transcribed it.

I have chosen not to edit this, since I have heard the cdBc variant in sessions and #5 is the only setting so far that includes this.

Just adding Dr. Dow’s version into an official setting. I think it’s most like the version Martin Hayes plays on his recent quartet album.