Darby’s Farewell To London reel

Requested by “madmike”, and I was surprised it wasn’t here already.
Another classic flute reel by Josie McDermott. This was a difficult one to transcribe, because there are so many different versions with different variations going around. It’s been much recorded by flute-players, and none I could find played it the same as anyone else. Even Josie himself didn’t play it the same when he played it twice on his 1977 record on the Topic label. “Darby’s Farewell” was the title track.
Please feel free to add any of the many recorded variations on this fine piece of music.
Because of the variations, I’ve posted the first part as 16 bars.

Josie’s own recording of the tune can be found on Rich Lafferty’s Flute Geezers page: http://www.lafferty.ca/music/irish/flute-geezers

This tune is played in a set by flute player Peg McGrath. Originally from a broadcast of The Pure Drop in Sept. 1989.
It was subsequently broadcast on Come West Along the Road; 13 Jan. 2012. It’s at the beginning of the programme, & is available until the 3rd of February, 2012.
Grand, Peg!
http://www.rte.ie/tv/programmes/come_west_along_the_road.html

Thanks, appreciated… Maybe you could mention it in ‘Discussions’? That’s where these things often end up, later to be edited out by Jeremy…

“…. Josie, as well as composing tunes and songs has written some musical plays, which were performed by the local Comhaltas for charity. One of the recurring characters is a man called Darby. This part was always acted by Tom Hart, a good friend of Josie’s. As a result, many people in the area call Tom Hart ”Darby“. Indeed, some of his more recent acquaintances only know him by that name. One time, Darby, Josie, and another fine Roscommon flute-player Patsy Hanly, were invited to the Comhaltas dinner in Birmingham. Luck was not with them. First they missed the plane to Birmingham. Then they flew to London, but missed the train connection and had to take a taxi to the ”second city“. On the way up, Tom Hart said that there would have to be a tune made. Josie obliged there and then. Of such stuff tune titles are made.”

Nice one Kenny, good to see this added to the comments, and also for others, to fill out the story behind this superb musicians compositions. It adds life.

Josie is an all time favourite. I was listening to him again today. Daft, I know, but I have LP, cassette and CD, and he’s one whose music I’ve given as a gift. I’ll have to pull out the notes again for a read tonight, to touch base there again…

is from the playing of Peg McGrath:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKjZF5gidN0

play video

She plays it only once anyway, so I’ve just written out the repeats. I love that |abag eggD| thing.

crackin tune 🙂