The Pigeon On The Gate reel

This is a standard session staple - but for some reason it’s rarer than hen’s teeth around my area. I heard it quite a bit in other areas, but I think since it’s close to so many other Edor reels that it gets left on the shelf. I’ve started this tune & had people jump in with "CooIey’s" or "Toss the Feathers" - guess you can call it "Toss the Cooley’s". But seriously this tune is big & deserves more play.

Somebody posted this tune as aka The Old Copper Plate which isn’t correct, the Old Copper plate is a different tune listed in the session database.

This was one of the first tunes I ever learned by ear, and I don’t understand why it’s so un-standard even though everyone says it’s a standard either, Brad — perhaps you’re right about why, because I’ve also had people mistake the tune when it’s started up.

I learned a Kevin Burke setting which is a little unusual for this area, and I sometimes wonder if that’s why it’s mistaken for other tunes in the first couple notes, as well.

Zina

you can add the kerry reel to the above as well.

The title of this song is so intriguing to me, as are many others. I would greatly enjoy discovering the history of all those cryptic names of tunes in my O’Neill’s. It must be somewhere on the web…excuse me, brb,,,,,
My band, Celtic Stew, has been playing this tune for a few years now. Edorian key works so well with guitar and bass, while the flute and mando take the melody. Recently I discovered a D harmonica makes a lovely and cheap substitute for drones in this mode. We play it following a reelish version of Star of County Down, wonder what else might go good with it?

We play Pigeon on a Gate in a set starting with Dick Gossip’s, then Mason’s Apron, and ending with Pigeon. Kind of a quirky transition. I’ve also played it going into Woman of the House

end Pigeon with dBAF EFGA| and go straight into Woman on that long B3, but you switched to G major.

ag|e~A3 egag|~e2=fd edBF|G2ge dGBA|GBga bgag|
e~A3 egag|~e2dg edBD|G2ga bgae|gedB ~A2ag|
e~A3 egag|~e2dg edBD|G2ge dGBA|GBga bgag|
e~A3 EABd|eAAG AGEF|G2ga bgae|gedB ~A2ag|
eaae abag|ebae gbag|edd^c dega|bgae gbag|
~e2ab (3c’ae ag|ebae gbag|edd^c dgba|gedB ~A2ag|
e2ae aeag|ebae gbag|edd^c dega|bgae gbag|
~e2ab (3c’ae ag|ebae gbag|edd^c dgba|gedB AGag|

dc|BE~E2 BEdE|BE~E2 BAFE|D2dB ADED|D3A BAFA|
BE~E2 BEdE|~B2Ad BAFE|DEFA dfed|dBAF E2|
dc|BE~E2 BEdE|BE~E2 BAFE|D2dB ADED|D3A BAFA|
BE~E2 BEdE|BE~E2 BAFE|DEFA dfed|1dBAF E2:|2dBAF ~E3A||
|:B2ee efed|Beef gfed|Bddc d3B|AddB ADFA|
B2ee efed|Bdef g2fg|(3agf fe faec|1dBAF E3A:|2dBAF E2||

|BE~E2 EdcA|BEBc dBAF|D3D BDFE|DE(3FGA BAFA|
BE~E2 EdcA|B2~B2 dBAF|DEFA dDfe|dBAF E3A|
|BE~E2 EdcA|BEBc dBAF|D3D (3DDD FE|DE (3FGA BAFA|
BE~E2 EdcA|BEBc dBAF|DEFA dDfe|dBAF E3A|:
Beed efed|(3Bcd ef gfec|Bddc d3B|~A2FA DEFA|
B2~B2 efed|(3Bcd ef ~g3^g|afge f2ec|dBAF E4:|

The following is a beautiful setting from the mighty Paddy Fahy, from East Galway . I’ve written it out in G, but in fact it drifts between major and mixolydian. Similar, but not quite as magical, settings are played by Paddy Canny, from Clare and Jerry Holland, from Nova Scotia.

T: Pigeon On The Gate, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: G
|:Bc|dG~G2 dcAd|{e}dcde dcAG|=F3d cF~F3|Agfd c=FAc|
dG~G2 dcAd|{e}dcde dcAG|FGAd g2ag|1 fdcA GA:|2 fdcA G3B||
|:dg{a}gf gagf|dg{a}g2 {b}af{a}gf|dc{d}cB cage|f2ag fgef|
dg{a}gf gagf|dg{a}g2 {b}af{a}gf|dc{d}cB cage|fdcA G2Bc:|fdcA G2||

Perhaps I owe an apology to the other settings I mentioned above, since I have not actually heard them played, only seen them on paper. I know Paddy Canny performs magic with tunes - I have never heard Jerry Holland.

K: Gdor
Ac|dG ~G2 dcAc|~d3e dcAB|cF ~F2 cFAB|~c3f dcAc|
dG ~G2 dcAc|~d3e dcAG|FAcf abga|fdcA G2:|
(3ABc|dg g/2g/2g fagf|dgga bgaf|dc c/2c/2c =Bcde|f2 eg fdcA|
Gg g/2g/2g fagf|dgga bgaf|dc=Bc gceg|fdcA G2:|

Zina (or anyone else)

Have you got the abc for the Kevin Burke version? - I really like it

Thanks

A friend sent me this transcription by e-mail. He says "this is Neilie Boyle’s setting of Pigeon on the Gate, marked out by the interesting syncopation in the first bars. It’s got a fair bit in common with the setting of the Old Pigeon on the Gate".

X: 1
T: Pigeon On The Gate
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
Ac|: dGGF GedG | Gdce dcAG | =F2 FA cF F/2F/2F | =F2 dF cFAc |
dG {A}G/2G/2F GedG | Gdce dcAG | =F2 Ad fage | =fdcA G2 Ac :|
|: dggf gagf | dg g/2g/2g | bgag | d=f f/2f/2f afgf | d/2e/2=f eg fdcA |
G2gf gagf | dg g/2g/2g bgag | d=f f/2f/2f afge | =fdcA G2 Ac :|

Howdy,

As you may know, there is a wonderful recording of "Pigeon On The Gate" by Liz Carroll.

In the "A" part, she plays an unusual low phrase.

Despite my many efforts, I can’t seem to decipher just what she is doing.

Might you know of a source for a transcription?

Sincere thanks,

A.C.

I have a recording of Pigeon on the Gate, followed by Sporting Paddy off the CD Celtic Grooves. Muscians are Loretto Reid and Brian Taheny. Trying to find more history on Pigeon and Sporting Paddy.

Pádraigín

X:1
T:The Pigeon on the Gate
S:Jerry Holland
D:Master Cape Breton Fiddler
M:C|
K:Gdor
c|:dG (3GGG {e}dcAc|d2de dcAB|cF (3FFF cFAB|c2cf dcBc|\
dG (3GGG {e}dcAc|d2de dcAG|FAcf afga|fdcA GABc::\
dg (3ggg fagf|dgga bgaf|dcde fgfd|cAf2 fgaf|\
dg (3ggg fagf|dgga bgaf|dcde fgfd|1cAFA GABc:|2cAFA G2G|]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb1gfq1h5kw&feature=rec-HM-fresh+div

play video

This is a lovely laid back version by John Weir, Clare Keville and Eithne Ni Dhonaile

The same set appears on their album "An Tri is a Rian": https://thesession.org/recordings/1317

That’s one of my favourite recordings.

Here’s a mighty rendition of this popular reel: http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_247_4_naomh_padraig_ceili_band

Here’s an interesting interpretation from Vinnie Kilduff, the second tune.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqUcxsja1Uw

play video

X: 1
T: Pigeon On The Gate, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Edor
|:GA|BE~E2 BAFA|BE~E2 BAFE|D3B ADFE|DEFA BAFA|
BE~E2 (3Bcd cA|~B2 dB BAFE|DEFA dfec|dBAF E2:|
|FA|:Beee efed|(3Bcd ef gfed|BAFA dedB|A~F3 DEFA|
Beef efed|(3Bcd ef ggfg|a2(3gfe fd ec|dBAF E3A:||

Arcady play this tune in their album Many Happy returns. It is played slowly and has plenty of ornamentation in it, waiting to be picked out! It is played with Paddy Ryan’s and another tune. I am listening to them now!
lol
🙂

Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill do a great version of this on Welcome Here Again- very different from the one on the sheet music here. Of course, being them, they change the key… G instead of E. Good stuff.

…also has a version in G

X:1
T:Pigeon on the Gate
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:G
|:Bc|dGGG dGeG|dGeG dBAB|cFFF AFFF|B/c/ded cABc|dGGG dGeG|dGeG dcAG|FGAB cded|fdcA BG:|
|:Bc|dggg fage|dggg b2ag|fdde fde^c|defg a2ge|dggg fage|dggg b2ag|fdde fde/f/g|fdcA BG:|

I posted it 8 years ago.
https://thesession.org/tunes/1596

Dymphna O’Sullivan has it in Dminor on concertina

Joe Burke did this justice on Outlet years ago. Josie Mc Dermott did it on his Topic album but heard that Paddy Carty could play this in three keys. What keys would they be -guess that the lovely version by John Weir, Clare Keville and Eithne Ni Dhonaile (above) would be close? Which keys changes would best do the poor pigeon a favour, well it has been on the wing a long time?

I would like to know the origin of the tune. Is it irish or scottish ?
I play great highland bagpipes, and the tune is listed in the Scots Guards books. It is arranged by Pipe Major J. G. Slattery. Generally, there’s only scottish tunes in those books ; further more, tunes composed to fit the GHB…
Does somebody know the history of it ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC7T2XHFCrY

play video

X:12 from the piping of Patsy Touhey. Interestingly enough about a century ago a newspaper notice mentioned Seamus Ennis’s father James playing the pipes at a concert in Dublin, and it was noted how he played the Pigeon On The Gate as learned from a recording of Touhey. This is perhaps the earliest instance of a traditional musician learning something from a recording.

Ennis indeed played this reel much as Touhey did - the chief departure from the norm is the sequence dBAF D2 in the 3rd bar of the 2nd part. Touhey throws in more variations too, of a less apparent nature than the two I transcribed. His wax cylinder recording of this reel may be heard at archives.irishfest.com/dunn-family-collection.htm Coleman and Morrison’s recording of this tune also has the f~b3 f~a3 variant, and other tunes they recorded have parallels with Touhey’s playing.

Sebastian and I are on the same wavelength, looks like.

I’ve added another version (in Gmix) as played by Neillidh Boyle -X:13 above. He played it in a set together with Jenny Picking Cockles (Gmix version).

Nice version by Eilis Crean in Dmin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5lMUxOFEhc

play video

There are several nice ideas in this version that don’t appear in any of the other 14. For example, alternating between high B and low B leading into the three E rolls, and the unusual 4th bar of the second part.

O’Neill’s #648.

I made a spree piano and low whistle arrangement of this tune here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnF9Cd3bs2c

play video

My sound engineering skills are not the best, but i think it lends itself well to this setting.

From the Spike Island Lasses set - by Breaking Trad

Finbarr Dwyer version!

A transcription of the Comhaltas version on Fionn Seisiún 3

This transcription is from Michael Coleman’s 1922 recording for the OKeh label.

As played by one of our local pipers.

Taken from this lovely video of Sean Ryan, starting at 3:50: https://youtu.be/q0pXmS1Ljmk

play video

It’s one of the interesting G major/mixolydian versions with an interchangeable F - sometimes natural, sometimes sharp, sometimes seemingly in between, and I find Ryan’s version quite haunting. I felt it was worth adding as it has some differences to similar versions here.