Pachelbel’s Frolics reel

This setting is based loosely on the playing of Eileen Ivers on her "Eileen Ivers" cd (at least one of the simpler cuts out of that track) with Win Horan. But to my ear, they jumped to the resolve too early at the end of each half, rushing back to the d tonic. So my version hangs on the g a bit longer. Martin Hayes also does this one on his Live in Seattle cd.

Ivers does a nice moving bowed triplet on the second ending of each half: |gfed (3ccd ef|gece d….| Putting this in as the second ending to each half helps me remember where I’m at in the tune (this being one of those reels where it’s easy to slip into a trance and lose track of how many times you’ve played each part).

If the triplet-filled B Part is too tricky, just repeat the first eight bars of Part B again. Here in Montana we do that anyway, and save the triplets for the second or third time around as a variation.

Also, for variety you can roll or triplet on most of the quarter notes or on the GFG, dcd, or B note phrases. The other fun thing to do with this tune is to play a little of the classical slow intro that strings would play at the start of Pachabel’s Canon. This doesn’t have to be as involved as Ivers version, just the first 16 bars. Your audience will think you’ve gone black coat and tie on them, and then you spring into the Frolics….

Sorry about the high b in measure 11 of the second half. That was supposed to be B. I corrected the abc.

MY GOODNESS! I’ve heard this!!!:) I love it! THanks so much!!!:)

Two other Versions from Martin Hayes, Live in Seattle and John Williams, Steam. Both originally in C but transposed here to the more session-friendly key of D. These are basically what they play the first time through before going into orbit.

Have fun

X: 1
T: P.Joe’s Pecurious Pachelbel Special
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmaj
S: Martin Hayes, Live in Seattle
N: Originally played in the key of C
|d3 c def^g|^gaag afed|BAB (d d)cdB|A3 A2 FDF|
|G3 B2 ABc|dcde faba|gfed Bdc/d/e|fdd/d/c dABc|
|d2 dc defa|a^gab afed|B3 c dcdB|A3 A2 FDF|
|GB,GA BGBd|dcde faba|gfed Bdce|fddc dfag||
|:f/g/ada fada|eaca eaca|dfBf dfBf|AdFd AdFd|
|G3 B2 ABd|dcde faba|gfed Bdce|1 fddc dfag:|2 fddc dABc||

X: 1
T: P.J.’s Pecurious Pachelbel Special
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmaj
S: John Williams, Steam
N: Originally played in the key of C
(3ABc|:d3 c defg|a3 b agfe|B3 c dcdB|A2 AB ADEF|
|G3 A BABc|dAB/c/d faba|gfed Bdce|1 fddc dABc:|2 fddc daag||
|:fada fadf|eaca eace|dfBf dfBf|AdFd AdFA|
|G3 A BABc|dAB/c/d faba|gfed Bdce|1 fddc daag:|2 fddc dABc|]

For a really fun rendition, check out the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. They make several passes through the canon in various decidedly un-classical styles, including bluegrass banjo (which Scott Tenant plays on banjo on the official recording, but somehow manages to play convincingly on classical guitar(!) in concerts).

There is a popular legend that Eileen Ivers made this reel after the famous Pachelbel’s Canon. That is proven to be wrong.
This tune was published as an untitled Hornpipe in a Scottish book around 1881-5, the book is "Kohler’s Violin Repository", and the original key for the tune is C.
The tune has been part of the repertoire among Cape Breton fiddlers, where it is known as "Kohler’s Hornpipe", way before it was transcribed to D and popularized by Ivers as "Pachelbel’s Frolics". She obviously noticed its resemblance with Pachelbel’s piece and thought they would sound good together.
If Kohler or whoever wrote the tune was influenced by Pachelbel’s Canon remains unknown.

Sorry to once again take the credit off the Irish musicians to give it back to the Scottish, but we have to be fair here. :)

Cheers.

Gregorio.

please, this is the correct spelling - he couldn’t help being German.
Also, why not make a baroque-ing set and go into a ‘folked-up’ version of the Gigue (Jig) that Pachelbel originally wrote to follow the Canon (but which unfortunately is rarely played)? I’ll ABC it another day…

Awesome tune! I’ve heard a good fiddler play it at a session and it didn’t even seem playable on the whistle when I first heard it, but it actually is and now I can’t stop playing it.

Im thinking of learning this (Off the sheet music on this site). Im fairly sure that this tune needs a number of musicians playing it together for it to work, and that one person playing it solo wont be effective, and also (as Ive posted on other threas previously), I dont like playing on my own at a session.
So I guess Im asking a number of questions here, would this tune fit in at a session, do many people know the piece well enough to play it at a session, does it work if only 1 or 2 play it etc, does it work with banjo!?
Any feedback welcome!

I’d welcome someone starting up this tune, especially if theyed learned it from the dots. Any chance to go to the bar or nip out for a smoke is fine by me.

I dare say Mike Oldfield could have brought a banjo in, when the thing was beginning to get wacky and fruity…yes, a trad (+ other input) take on Pachelbel’s Canon is an intriguing idea. I wonder if De Dannan did it.

Learn it off John Wynne’s "With every Breath"
No need for Wind Chimes or finger cymbals.

Don’t waste your time - too many far far better tunes to learn.

I’ve explored Pachelbel’s Canon on my own, in terms of Guitar and Pennywhistle. You can do a two-part classical guitar version, if you are up to it, which sounds okay. I think you could get away with two people playing on pennywhistle. In a session? No. The tempo is just wrong, and too slow anyway. On one banjo, no. On two banjoes, maybe. Let me know when the CD comes out. ;)

I first came across Pachelbel’s Canon as a teenager when our school orchestra did it. With the very clever ITM adaptations I miss the slow part and the drawn-out bass notes. It was written in four-part harmony. So it may sound OK on guitar and whistle but does it sound good?
Personally I don’t consider it as a session tune. Play it as a show piece if you will.

1. Would this tune fit in at a session? Yes, it’s been done with great effect at our session;
2. Do many people know the piece well enough to play it at a session? Unpredictable, depends on who’s in;
3. Does it work if only 1 or 2 play it? Sure.
4. Does it work with banjo? Not my first choice, more a flute/whistle/fiddle tune I think.

My 2 cts.

It’s a very chord-centred tune, which most Irish trad tunes aren’t . It’s a nice enough sequence of chords, very easy to improvise around (the C18th European equivalent of a 12-bar blues?), but that’s not necessarily what you want from a session tune. You’d probably find that everyone would have their own version.

If I am not mistaken, the tune in question actually appears in some C19th collection of Irish music (I can’t remember which - Roche, perhaps), under the title of ‘hornpipe’ - so you’d be wrong in thinking that it’s a recent adaptation. It’s also worth noting that more-or-less the same chord sequence is used in Ralph McTell’s ‘Streets of London’ and in the first part of the Hymn of The Russian Federation.

It’s played regularly in some North American mixed sessions. Best time we ever had with it was in the ‘Party Barn’ at Danse Neige quite a few years ago. Boxes, fiddles, harmonicas, piano, snare drum, flute, whistles gave it a very sprightly go…it’s a good dance tune.

I believe it was called Pachabells frolics? perhaps in O’Neills?…Eileen Ivers recorded it on one CD.

more 18th century cover music…..

It was very popular before prozac and valium

Jeez, there it is! in the title of this thread.. duh! Better get a coffee.

Have a listen to Martin Hayes playing it on the Live in Seattle album, incredible!

Jonathan :)

It’s still spelled PACHELBEL
honest.

Yes, it is Johann Pachelbel!
I’m from Germany, so you can believe me. ;-) By the way: Pachelbel was an Austrian. But he spoke German anyway.

~ of Celtic extraction then… ;-)

Here’s a very lively way of playing it, (also called ‘Eileen Ivers’).
X: 1
T: Eileen Ivers’
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmaj
d3 d2 efg|a3 a2 fed|B3c d3B|ABAG FGAF|
GFGA BABc|dcde fgaf|gfed cdef|gece d4:||
f~d3 f~d3|e~c3 e~c3|d~B3 d~B3|c~A3 c~A3|
GFGA BABc|dcde fgaf|gfed cdef|gece d4:||

Blowzabella recorded it in 1997 as The Savage Hornpipe on their album Bobbityshooty.

The late Barry Callaghan’s "Hordcore English" prints this in G and gives the original source as the John Clare MS of 1820. John Clare was a Northanptonshire dialect poet.

Hi, have to play that song on a wedding and don´t know where I can finde the whole violin part. Please help me! Onder steetmusic is just the beginning. Thanks a lot!

This is from Köhler’s Violin Repository.

X: 1
T: Hornpipe, arranged by W. B. Laybourn
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: hornpipe
K: Cmaj
((3GAB)|(cB)cd (cd)ef|(g^f)ga (ge)dc|(AG)AB (cd)cA|(GE)cA (GE)CE|
(FE)FG (AG)AB|(cB)cd (eg)ag|(fe)dc (Ac)Bd|edcB c2 :|
|:(gf)|egcg egcg|dgBg dgBg|ceAe ceAe|GcEc GcEc|
(FE)FG (AG)AB|(cB)cd (eg)ag|(fe)dc (Ac)Bd|edcB c2 :|

Has anyone transposed the tune to the key in this video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1nN4iH9kgg&feature=colike

play video

I agree with Kenny, this tune is a waste of time, it’s just too showy and rambles! The C natural is particularly nasty and is enough to make you want to drop your instrument or leave your seat…
I would save these bars though:
|fdAd fdAd|ecAc ecAc|dBFB dBFB|AGAB they’re a nice echo of the Baroque.

After so many instances of abuse, the original is still inspirational: I used to be the second kid on the left here (!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5X0XaUfsoo ! :-)

play video

It appears in the John Moore (of Tyneside) MS of 1841, p79; as "The Preston Hornpipe" with a note in the same hand "by Dixon", in the key of Cmajor.
In Barry Callaghan’s book "Hardcore English" it appears as "The Savage Hornpipe", John Clare MS

Hi can anyone transcribe or add sheet music for Ian Walsh’s version?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3yCuYkcJIc

play video

Many thanks

I heard this played at my local session last night, by 6-8 (if not more) enthusiastic players. I’m not sure how many of them were playing the same part at the same time (all were in sync with the chord progression, though); I couldn’t quite tell if they were playing it as a canon, but the result was a layering effect not unlike, yet far more spontaneous-sounding than, the original. It certainly sounded like a departure from ITM, but not so far as to feel out of place at the session. And everyone who played it knew it well, and so while there was a certain chaotic feel to it, it still worked: indeed, it was utterly glorious.

So, to Kenny and birlibirdie, I must respectfully but emphatically disagree: this thing can sound amazing. (I do agree with birlibirdie, though, that Pachelbel’s original is also pretty incredible, and deserves a better rap than it gets.)