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Wing Commander Donald Mackenzie’s reel

Also known as Wing Commander, Wing Commander Donald MacKensie’s, Wing Commander Donald MacKenzie, Wing Commander Donald McKenzie, Wing Commander Donald McKenzie’s.

There are 28 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with Andy Renwick’s Ferret (a few times), Maggie’s Pancakes (a few times), Farewell To Milltown (a few times), The Galtee (a few times) and The Green Fields Of Glentown (a few times).

Wing Commander Donald Mackenzie’s has been added to 27 tune sets.

Wing Commander Donald Mackenzie's has been added to 196 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Three settings

1
X: 1
T: Wing Commander Donald Mackenzie's
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
cE E/2E/2E cEBE|AFFE FAEA|F2FE FGAB|cBAB cffe|
cE E/2E/2E cEBE|AFFE FAEA|F2FE FGAB|1~c2BG A3B:|2~c2Bc Aa a/2a/2a||
|:aefe c2Bc|AFEF ABce|faba fbaf|ecAB BAce|
aefe c2Bc|AFEF ABce|faba fbaf|1ecBc Aa a/2a/2a:|2ecBc A3B||
2
X: 2
T: Wing Commander Donald Mackenzie's
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
BD D/2D/2D BDAD|GEED EGDG|E2ED EFGA|BAGA Beed|
BD D/2D/2D BDAD|GEED EGDG|E2ED EFGA|1~B2AF G3A:|2~B2AB Gg g/2g/2g||
|:gded B2AB|GEDE GABd|egag eage|dBGA AGBd|
gded B2AB|GEDE GABd|egag eage|1dBAB Gg g/2g/2g:|2dBAB G3A||
3
X: 3
T: Wing Commander Donald Mackenzie's
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
cE E2 cEBc|AFFE FAEA|F3E FGAB|cBAB cffe|cE E2 cEBc|
AFFE FAEA|F3E FGAB|1ceBc A3B:|2ceBc ABce||
|:aefe c2Bc|AFEF ABce|fbba fbaf|ecAB cBce|
aefe c2Bc|AFEF ABce|fbba fbaf|1ecBc ABce:|2ecBc A3B||

Twelve comments

Great Edinburgh session tune, written by Phil Cunningham; apologies for any errors in ABC, as I’ve never tried this before

Great tune! It’s on one of my CDs, but I never have managed to work it out by ear. Thanks for posting it!

Triplets

Don’t forget to make them triplets as below or the bars won’t add up correctly.

cE (3E/2E/2E/2

Geoff, you’ll find that Prouse’s add up correctly; yours don’t.

A lovely tune. Whence its name?

Posted by .

Phil Cunningham’s landlord. He came for a cup of tea at one o’clock each day and Phil offered him Bandit biscuits. Phil said he never got the ‘Bandits at one o’clock’ joke, but he left a little note on his coffin to explain it.
Found this info at http://www.capebretonlive.com/video/video-show20.htm

Cape Breton ~ Celtic Colours International Festival

Causeway Crossing Concert

Recording/Video: October 7, 2005
Location: Civic Centre, Port Hawkesbury,
Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

"Wing Commander Donald McKenzie was my landlord when I lived in _Bathkie???___ just outside Glasgow, or halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh. He was a real wing commander from the RAF. He came every day for a cup of tea, and we had biscuits called bandit biscuits And every day at one O’Clock I would give him one of these biscuits, for two years. And he never ever got the joke ~ bandits at one O’Clock. I explained the joke and I left it in a little not on his coffin when they were burying him. I hope he read it as well."

~ Phil Cunningham
In the man’s own words, written out from his comments at the concert, just in case there is a time limit on access to the lovely video offerings on the link given above…

Thanks for the link Lurcherjohn

Slow on the uptake, the ??? above, "Bathkie", should have clicked, I suspect it is ‘Bathgate’… I had problems with the sound, using headphones…

The video is no longer up, and I am very curious about the joke about eh Bandit biscuits at 1:00. Would love to know what the joke was.

Posted by .

It relates to a war movie cliche where the pilot or someone else in the aircraft exclaims "bandits at x O’Clock" (the position in relation to the aircraft - bandits being the enemy).

I can never remember the name of this tune, so I’m glad I stumbled across this page, who says them recording links are no good 🙂

Wing Commander Donald Mackenzie’s, X:3

Slightly different notes in a few sections, but more idiomatic in my opinion.