The Ships Are Sailing reel

I saw this track listed on the "Murphy Roche Irish Music Club", and was surprised that such a common tune wasn’t listed here before. This tune can be really nice in the right hands. I usually play it as a single reel by myself to make it less repetitive, but it’s still a double reel at sessions.

i play it as a double reel. when i learned it i had trouble with it because i would play it as a single reel and then stop and start over because i didnt learn it as one.

A tune with the identical second part: https://thesession.org/tunes/3957

As you may have noticed, in the second bar of the A part, goes to the A below the staff. This is normally adjusted to the standard low A on your whistle.

On the CD "Traditional music in support of Doolin Coastguards", this tune is played by Martin Hayes, John Williams on the box and Eoin O’Neill on bouzouki! It’s followed by The Graf Spey… brilliant!

Hi there - could you tell me what are Tony McMahon’s fingers doing when he’s playing the last time through the B part of Ships are Sailing - see the following link.

http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=P26i_g_RjE4

play video

I can’t seem to replicate it and wondered if anyone else knows what he was up to.

thanks
Nathan

i play that fingering sometimes. it doesn’t sound good when other people are playing though, clashes with the melody.

he’s playing g, then rolling e, then hitting high b, rolling e again, then hitting f, rolling d, hitting the a, rolling d again. So something like:

ef| ge3 b’e3 | fd3 ad3 | ge3 b’e3 | fAdf e3f |

One of my all-time favorite clips. 😀

X: 1
T: Take her out and air her-a Cork reel
M: 2/2
K: A Dorian
Z: From P. Carew’s MSS
Z: Petrie’s #397
AB|cAB^G A=GEF|GABc dBGB|cAB^G A=GED|EAA^G A2AB|
cAB^G A=GEF|GABc dBGB|cAB^G A=GED|EAA^G A2||
AB|cdef g2eg|a2ed cAAB|cdef gfgd|eaa^g a2AB|
cdef g2eg|aged cAAB|cAB^G A=GED|EAA^G A2||

Interesting mixed-mode take on it, different key.

In the collection, it’s notated as Am, but all the Fs are sharp, so I simplified by notating it as Dorian. Otherwise, it’s the same.

This tune pairs great with the Dash to Portabello, if you can mange to not mix up the second parts of each.

See setting #4 for a jig version and play it before the reel !
Or, for a maritime metaphor, begin with that one into Cliffs of Moher to end on Out on the Ocean

Just had a look at the settings here… #3 seems to be a version of The Old Torn Petticoat, not The Ships Are Sailing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guf0EjX36qc

play video

The fourth setting of this tune has been notated as a jig, not a reel.

I heard this version from Jim Coogan played on his box about 35 years ago. He lived in Newburg, NY and was the father of Mary Coogan who is a founding member of Cherish the Ladies. Jim was a great person, welcoming and friendly. He passed away a few years ago, and we miss him greatly.

Just to note that, contrary to the header of this entry, this is NOT the same tune as A’ da Ships ir Sailin, a Shetland tune. Totally unrelated melody. cf https://www.tunearch.org/wiki/All_the_Ships_are_Sailing