Farewell To Milltown reel

I hope I’ve notated it correctly, I’m new to ABC format, and I think rather than know that its in F dorian.
The DF3 in bar 4 is usually played DF then triplet F. I haven’t notated the lead in notes, F for part 1, c for part 2.

Its by Junior Crehan. Its on Martin Hayes’ Under The Moon, and Kevin Crehan’s An Bhabog sa Bhadog. Possibly its more suited to fiddle than other instruments.
It’s one of my favorite tunes. I find it beautiful and slightly sad. It seems to belong at a steady tempo.

Call me crazy, but are you sure this tune isn’t in G dorian? I mean, the midi file sounds funky, but when I hum it in G it sounds more like a trad tune. I remember reading somewhere (probably here) that you can tell what key a tune is in by the note it ends on. Since this tune ends on a G, bla bla bla etc. You might want to download software that allows you to hear your ABC files before you post them here, then you can tweak until they sound right.

Thanks. My misunderstanding re the key. I was not at all trying for funky. Good tip also re getting some software to try it on first. Cheers.

Just got an email request for this tune and noticed some significant differences in the setting I learned from Under the Moon. So here’s what my ears are telling me misters Hayes and Bays are playing on the cd.

T: Farewell To Milltown
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
D: Martin Hayes with Randall Bays, Under the Moon
K: Gdor
|:DGG^F G3A|BcAB GFDE|F2 CF DFCF|DF (3FFE FDCF|
|DGG^F G3A|BcAB GFDE|F2 cF dFcF|1 AdcA G3 F:|2 AdcA GABc||
|:dgg^f g3 a|bgaf gfde|f3 f{a} fede|fgaf gfdc|
|dgg^f g3 a|bgaf gfde|f3d {e}dcAG|1 FdcA GABc:|2 FdcA G3 F||

T:Farewell To Milltown
M:4/4
L:1/8
R:reel
K:Gmaj
|:EAAG A3B|cAAG AGEF|G2DG EGDG|EG2A GEDG|
EAAG A3B|cAAG AGEF|G2dG eGdG|BedB A4:|
|:eaag a3b|c’aag agef|g3a gfef|gabg aged|
eaag a3b|c’abg agef|g3e fedB|AedB A4:|

we play this real in session but in Gmaj

A Dorian… 😉

Angela Crotty, Junior’s daughter, said that Junior was playing with a ceili band at the time. He was waiting outside the house for the car to come to take him to a rehearsal. But the car never came. Disgusted he went back to the house and this tune came into his head. She told me that he originally wanted to call it “Farewell to fecking Miltown Malbay,” but he didn’t think that would go over well.
In her lovely book, Martin Junior Crehan, Musical Compositions and Memories, 1908-1998, there is a picture of him on page 12, waiting for the lift that never came.

Compare a version of The Rainy Day: https://thesession.org/tunes/7228

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-csPt2ZlFF0

play video

Farewell to Milltown followed by The New Road.

X: 1
T: ?
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gdor
|:DGGF G2GA | BGGF GFDE | F2CF DFCF | DFFG FDCF |
DGGF G2GA | BGGF GFDE | F2cF dFcF |1 AdcA G2GF :|2 AdcA GABc|
|:dggd gdga | bggf gfde | f2 fe fccc | fgaf gfdc |
dggd gdga | bggf gfde | fddf dcAG |1 AdcA GABc :|2 FdcA G2GF ||

Emer Howley - from 1.10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dKWEDK2GGc&feature=grec_index

play video

I know what the fiddler’s will say, it’s meant to be in Gminor!
Here’s for the fluters anyway:

X: 1
T: Farewell To Milltown
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: A dorian
EAAG A3B|cdBG AGEF|G2DG EGDG|EG3 GEDG|
EAAG A3B|cAAG AGEF|G2dG eGdG|BedB A4:|
eaae a3b|c’abg agef|g3a gfef|gabg aged|
eaag a3b|c’abg agef|g3e edBA |BedB A4:|

oops, the Flute had posted that one already, sorry Frank!

From 40secs in :
https://youtu.be/qzuamiiukJw

play video

[ A real blast from the past 🙂 ]

Bobby Casey seems to play this with B-naturals on ‘Casey in the Cowhouse’ (some are a little tricky to tell as he slides on them), and Pete Cooper notates it as such in his ‘Irish Fiddle Solos’ collection.

Learned at Ceol Aneas in Nelson NZ 2005 from John Carty