The Creel Of Turf jig

An Old Favorite. I learned this one down in my basement from an old
John Vesey record from Shanachie (mid 70’s, you won’t find that one anymore.) He follows that the way Coleman did. Kevin Burke follows it on his live record with “Boys OUT on the Town” (not Boys on the Town, or the other “Boys on the Town”) . The O’Niel’s book gives it’s alternate title of “the Unfortunate Rake”, but no one ever says that. (well, ok, I have just to be different, then I say, UP SLIGO!“ Those versions are, of course, slightly different, not using the higher “D” as often. check ’em all out! tim

This is a transcription of a recording by Michael Coleman. I don’t know the name of the source.

K:Edor
BEE {c}BAG|FAA AFD|BEE BEE|AGF ~E3|
BEE {c}BAG|FAA ABc|~d3 ~B3|AGF ~E3||
Bee ede|fdd dBA|Bee ede|fdc ~d3|
Bee ede|~f3 dBA|~d3 ~B3|AGF ~E3||

A Cape Breton Fiddler, Mike McDougall’s composition, Ingonish is closely linked with this tune.
https://thesession.org/tunes/780
I made a mistake in the ABC notation at first, so the music and the sound files for the Cape Breton one are not correct. See my comment.

Hello, I have been playing the jig Up Sligo for a while and I am looking for a companion piece to either play before or after. I am having a difficult time in finding anything that “flows”. Everything I have tried seems forced. Any ideas? Thank you.
Lowhistle

It is an odd one isn’t it!

Do pick up Kevin Burkes wonderful album ‘In Concert’. He starts a great set with Up Sligo.

Up Sligo/The Rollicking Boys Around Tandaragee/Out With The Boys

Let us know how it goes.

Thanks, I will try that. It is always helpful to go to the pros.
Lowhistle

How about Rakes of Kildare, Up Sligo, and then Boys of Coomanore? The first two tunes have the similar feeling, so the latter inevitably have less impact on the audience, but I’m sure you can move on to the next tune quite smoothly.

This is the version I play. Almost identical to the one recorded by M. Molloy, T. Peoples, and P. Brady.

K: Edor
EBB BAG|FAA AGF|EBB GBd|AGF E2D|
EBB BAG|FAA ABc|dcd BdB|1 AGF E2D:|2 AGF E2A||
Bee ede|fef dBA|Bee ede|fdc d2A|
Bee ede|fef dBA|BdB GBd|1 AGF E2A:|2 AGF E2D||

I love this tune! It seems at first I was confused because of all of the different versions, but after I put it aside in frustration, I came back several weeks later and decided to just learn all 3 versions I had–it was/is a good excercise in melodic variation!

T:Up Sligo
M:6/8
L:1/8
S:Kevin Burke - In Concert
R:jig
D:
Z:gmp
K:Edor
D|EBB BAG|FDF AFD|EBB GBB|AGF E2D|EBB BAG|FDF ABc|ded ~B3|AGF E2:|:A
|Bee ede|faf dBA|Bee ede|fec d2A|Bee ede|~f3 dBA|B/c/dB GBd|AGF E2:|

The B- part is almost the same as Creel of Turf. Confusing!

The very basic version they recorded together is something like this:

K: Edor
BEE BEE|AFD D2A|BEE BEE|ABc ~d3|
BEE BEE|AFD D2A|Bcd AFD|1 FEE E2A:|2 FEE EFA||
Bee efg|fdd dBA|Bee efg|fdd d2A|
Bee efg|fdd dBA|~B3 Bcd|1 AGF EFA:|2 AGF E2A||

This is virtually identical to Ingonish Jig, often associated with Cape Breton fiddler Mike MacDougall. And of couse, it’s also a variant of The Tenpenny Bit: https://thesession.org/tunes/109

X: 1
T: Basket of Turf
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Emin
|: EBB BAG | FDF AGF | EBB Bcd | AGF EFD |
EBB BAG | FDF AGF | EBB Bcd | AGF E2D :|
|: Bee efg | fdB AFD | Bee efg | fdf e2A |
Bee efg | fdB AFD | EBB Bcd | AGF E2E :|

Another slightly different take on this tune is as follows:-

D|EBB BAG | FDF AFD | EBB Bcd | AGF E2D |
EBB BAG | FDF ABc | ded BdB | AGF E2 :|
A|Bee ede | fef dBA | Bee ede | fec d2A |
Bee ede | fef dBA | B2B Bcd | AGF E2 :|

The first time I heard this tune was on an old Dubliners LP. Not on the track listing but used as the in-between-bits on the song “The Lark in the Morning”. Took me years to find the name. So if you’re learning this on the banjo or mandolin, you could do worse than listen to this track.

X: 1
T: The Creel Of Turf
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: A dorian
Aee edc | BGB dcB | Aee Aee | dcB c2B |
Aee edc | BGB def | g2g ege | dcB A2G :||
eaa aga | bab ged | eaa aga | bgf g2g |
eaa aga | bab ged | deg ceg | dcB A2A :|

…just because we can

X: 9
T: Creel Of Turf, The
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: ADor
|: ^G |\
Aee edc | BGB dcB | Aee AeA | dcB A2 ^G |
Aee edc | BG/A/B def | gbg ege | dcB A2 :|
|: d |\
eaa a^ga | b^ab ged | e2 a a^ga | bgf g2 a |
eaa a^ga | b^ab ged | GdB ecg | d>cB A2 :|

Pipe Major Robert Mathieson’s(?) Flame in the Fiddle https://thesession.org/tunes/798 is a 4 part jig based on this one

Seamus Tansey’s recording (Seamus Tansey - King of the Concert Flute) of Michael Coleman’s Up Sligo is very interesting. It makes greater use of arpeggios and has one passage of striking brilliance (~B3 bge). Here is a transcription to the best of my ability. Full rolls are to be understood as the principal note played three times, first the note, second the note preceded by a cut and third the note preceded by a tap. Cuts are on the beat, not before it. Tansey also uses the ornament called a “double grace note” by McCullough in his _The Complete Tin Whistle Tutor_ (p22). (Does this ornament have another (better) name? McCullough calls the cut a ‘single grace note’ and ‘cut’ is a definite improvement.) It is also possible that I’ve misheard it and mistranscribed it, so please correct me if I’ve made a mistake with it (also with any other mistakes – I found the second half of measure 4 especially difficult and also all of measure 7. Measure 4 occurs in several other places, e.g. measure 8, all difficult).

X:1
T:Up Sligo#1
B:Seamus Tansey: King of the Concert Flute (Remastered)
Z:Transcribed by cac
S:Seamus Tansey (loosely based on a recording by Michael Coleman)
R:Jig
L:1/8
M:6/8
K:EDor
EGB {c}BAG | FAd AFD | ~e3 dAd | AGF E{a}ed |
ez B {c}BAG | ~F3 {B}AFD | EGB EG{c}B | A{GA}GF E{a}ed ||
ez B {c}BAG | F/G/Ad AFD | ~e3 BG{c}B | AGF Ez d |
~e3 {c}BAG | FAd AFD | ~e3 Bz B | AGF E3 ||
Bee efg | {a}fdB A{A}GF | eBe {a}efg | f/g/af gz g |
~B3 bge | dAd AFD | ez {ef}e BGB | AGF E3 ||
Bee efg | {a}fdB AGF | ~e3 ez g | faf {a}gfe |
~B3 {c}BGE | dz d AFD | ~E3 BGB | AGF E3 ||
EGB {c}BAG | {A}FDF {B}AFD | ~e3 dAd | AGF Ez d |
eGB {c}BAG | ~F3 Az D | EGB EGB | A{GA}GF E{a}ed ||
ez B {c}BAG | FAd AFD | ~E3 BGB | A{A}GF Ez d |
~e3 {c}BAG | FAd AFD | ez {ef}e BGB | AGF E3 ||
Bee efg | fdB AGF | ~e3 ~e3 | gz g {a}gfe |
~B3 bge | dAd AFD | ez {ef}e BGB | AGF E3 ||
Bee efg | ~f3 AGF | ez e ef{a}g | f/g/af {a}gfe |
~B3 bge | dAd fz d | ~e3 BGB | AGF E3 ||

This transcription was posted several months ago, but as a comment (thanks Jeremy, for showing me how to add a variant). The notes to that comment should be read in conjunction with this comment. For the transcription I’ve corrected some errors in the cuts (probably introducing new ones). On Tansey’s record this tune is labelled ‘Michael Coleman’s’ to distinguish it from the following tune ‘Up Sligo’. Here on thesession the two are known as Up Sligo (#1) and Up Sligo #2. Creel (Basket) of Turf is probably the best known name for Up Sligo #1. As noted in the first comment, any corrections will be welcomed.

This tune sounds very much as the Em version of The Tenpenny Bit

Learned it as The Unfortunate Rake, played with a lilt that makes it sound almost like a forebitter. This is the closest to what I learned from a phenomenal fife and whistle player, but still not exact. Will probably post the one I learned when I can recall how to do that. You kids get off my lawn, grumble… 🙂

From the playing of The Irish Descendants, second tune on their Donegal Set.

X: 6
T: The Creel Of Turf
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Emin
|: EBB BAG | FDF AGF | EBB Bcd | AGF E2E |
EGB BAG | FDF AGF | GAB Bcd | AGF E3 :|
|: Bee efg | dcB AGF | Bee efg | fdf e2e |
Bee efg | dcB AGF | GAB Bcd | AGF E3 :|

other version

This is as close to Stocktons wing’s version as I can get . Any improvements of corrections welcome. Their seems to be some confusion re the title. They call it UP Sligo. Its also listed as Green Meadow,The Unfortunate Rake in various places.

I’ve always known this as The Unfortunate Rake and wasn’t aware of the other titles until now. As the number of settings posted here goes to show, it’s a tune that lends itself to being phrased in any number of ways. Can’t remember where I got this version from but I’ve been playing it for years.

There’s a five-part setting in Breathneach’s ‘Ceol Rince na hEireann’ (Vol 5, No. 18) under the title ‘An Cliabh Mona’ where the notes also give ‘The Castle’ as an alternative name.

Play Hole in The Hedge after it. It lifts it and is a great a complementary change either in C or D.

This sounds way better, IMO, with the C’s sharped. Those C naturals just sound really awkward and out of place.

Learned this setting for a dance formation near the town i live in Germany, played it during some really nice gigs.

A 5-part cracker of a setting from Paddy Malynn himself on box, taken from the album “It Was Mighty!”. Wonderful stuff. I don’t know if this matches the setting Bazza mentioned from CRÉ V.

Michael Flatley from his album On a Different Note.
This is a lovely setting and my favourite version of this tune. Matt Molloy and Michael Flatley played this setting of the tune on TG4 ‘Se Mo Laoch Speisialta’ at the 4.40 minute mark - https://www.tg4.ie/en/player/categories/top-documentaries/play/?pid=5687393138001&title=Molloy,%20Flatley%20&%20Tansey&series=S%C3%A9%20Mo%20Laoch%20Speisialta&genre=Faisneis&pcode=068347.

Matt Molloy says its Johnny Henry’s version of the Creel of Turf.

Forgot to mention It’s the second jig in the track named ‘Dance of the Gods’ from Michael Flatley’s album On a different note.

Does anyone know where the third part from this Martin Hayes version originates? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrIROfcHbLY

play video