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Mrs. Crotty’s Christening reel

Also known as The Christening, The Midnight, Mrs. Crotty’s.

There are 22 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

Mrs. Crotty’s Christening appears in 4 other tune collections.

Mrs. Crotty’s Christening has been added to 10 tune sets.

Mrs. Crotty's Christening has been added to 79 tunebooks.

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Five settings

1
X: 1
T: Mrs. Crotty's Christening
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
~d3B BAFA|A2 dF BAFA|BEED E2E2|(3Bcd ef gfec|
dedA BAFA|A2 dF BAFA|BEEF E2 E2|(3Bcd ef d2 Ad:|
d2 A~d3 Ad|d2 ef gecA|d2 A~d3 FA|B2 AF E2 fe|
d2 A~d3 Ad|d2 ef gecA|d2 A~d3 FA|B2 AF E2 E2:|
2
X: 2
T: Mrs. Crotty's Christening
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
d3A BAFA|ABdA BAFA|BEED EFGA|Bdce dcBA|
d3A BAFA|ABdA BAFA|BEED EFGA|(3Bcd ce dABc||
d2ed (3ddd ed|(3ddd ef gfec|defd Adfa|bfaf gfec|
d2ed (3ddd ed|(3ddd ef gfec|defd Adfa|bfaf gfec :|d8||
3
X: 3
T: Mrs. Crotty's Christening
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
d3A BAFG|ABdA BAFA|BEED E2FA|(3Bcd ec dcBA|
d3A BAFG|ABdA BAFA|BEED E2FA|(3Bcd ef d4||
dfec d2Ad | defa gece |d2fd Adfa|bgaf gfef |
dfec d2Ad | defa gece|defd Adfa|bfaf gfec ||
4
X: 4
T: Mrs. Crotty's Christening
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
~d3A BAFA|A2 dA BAFA|BEED E2E2|(3Bcd ef dBAB|
~d3A BAFA|ABdA BAFA|BEED E2 E2|(3Bcd ef d2 AB:|
d2 A~d3 Ad|d2 ef gecA|d2 Bd Adfa |bgef gefe |
d2 A~d3 Ad|d2 ef gecA|d2 A~d3 FA|bgef g2 fe:|
5
X: 5
T: Mrs. Crotty's Christening
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
~d3A BAFB|ABBA BAFA|BEED ~E3A|(3Bcd ec dcBA|
~d3A BAFB|ABBA BAFA|BEED ~E3A|(3Bcd ec d2 (3ABc||
~d2 fd Adfd|~d2 ef gfec|d2 fd Adfa|bfaf gfec|
~d2 fd Adfd|~d2 ef gfec|~d2 fd Adfa|bfaf gfec||

Thirteen comments

This is the second tune in a set on John Williams first CD with The Reel with a Birl and Bothar na Sop. He plays these with Micho Russell.

The Midnight Reel

Last in the opening set on the CD "Providence III". I first heard this broadcast by Ronan Burke on his program Thar Droichead Sall on ClareFM ((http://www.clarefm.ie/main/progs/tradarchive.html). I was struck by the similarity in the first phrase of the A section to "The Merry Blacksmith" (https://thesession.org/tunes/72). It’s always easier to learn a tune that has sections that you already know! (Either that, or it becomes a brain teaser trying to keep them straight!)

Alas, if I’m playing a tune with a phrase which occurs in another tune, I find it hard not to stray into the other tune!

Mrs Crotty’s

The tune by this name on Paul Bradley’s Atlantic Roar is a jig

Posted by .

Re: Mrs. Crotty’s Christening

One thing I like about this tune, at least the version by the Chieftains, is that excluding that long ‘d’ at the start of the tune, the first two and a half measures are like the first two of "The Bucks of Oranmore" played a beat later. It can sound a lot like "The Bucks" when you’re starting it, if you do it a certain way. I just think it’s interesting how some (possibly unrelated) tunes sound so similar when they go through transformations like this. Another pair I think of off-hand is "The Glen Allen" vs. "The Bag of Spuds" or (second part, at least) "Down the Broom".

Mrs. Crotty’s Christening, X:5

Played as a driving single reel in the ’70s by one or more of Tommy Peoples/Cathal McConnell/De Danann, my memory is hazy as to which (and I’ve forgotten how to put in grace notes, as well).
I enjoy dropping into the solid pulse of this after a more "floaty" tune ending on e, such as The Humours of Lissadel or Johnson’s.

Re: Mrs. Crotty’s Christening

Yeah, they seem like they could be merged.

Re: Mrs. Crotty’s Christening

See Johnny O’Leary of Sliabh Luachra #304 Pádraig O’Keeffe’s New Reel. In the book it is suggested Pádraig made it out of O’Keeffe’s Speed the Plough https://thesession.org/tunes/901
IMO the New Reel is closer to The Christening.