Chris Droney’s Favourite reel

Source: Jimmy Noonan, Chris McGrath - The Maple Leaf
Transcription: gian marco p.

It’s very like the Congress Reel.

I don’t think so.

That’s fair enough but I can find similiarities.

Yeah, I know all the Ador tunes sound similar. I thought it’s a bit like the Bag of Spuds. I suspect this one is Chris Droney’s composition. Is that right?

hhmm. I can differanciate between each Ador tune. I just thought this was in particular like the Congress, nothing else. The Bag of Spuds? Again, if that’s what you think its like, ok but I find the Bag of Spuds has a completley different mood.

Now, I think I should stop arguing and learn this reel. It’s different from any other Ador tune anyway.

Yeah, I’m gonna do the same. Happy playing!

That’s the real title of this tune. Kevin Crawford recorded a different version with Tommy Peoples on “In Good Company.” No wonder it sounds familar to me though I haven’t listened to the recording for long. It’s credited to Chris Droney from Bellharbour.

It’s also on Aidan McMahon And Anthony Quigney, track 4.

Isn’t it amazing the kick you get out of reading old posts made by yourself?

Yes, Chris Droney wrote this tune. I learned it from him in 1989. He played it more or less like this, which is somewhat different from the posted version:
X: 1
T: Chris Droney’s
L: 1/8
M: 4/4
R: reel
K: Ador
eA (AAA a2 bg|agef gedc|BG (3GFG DG (3GFG|Bdef gedg|
eA (AAA a2 bg|agef gabg|agab gedB|GABG A2 Bd||
a2 ea agbg|agef gedc|BG (3GFG DG (3GFG|Bdef gedg|
eaag a2 bg|agef gabg|agab gedB|GABG A4 :|

The version I got from Chris was also different in the third measures of the first and second parts. He wrote the tune in A dorian (?) but Kevin Crawford liked it in E dorian. I still like it better in the original key, especially on the concertina and the flute.

X: 3
Anthony Quigney – Wooden Flute Obsession 2 & Clare Conscience (2002)

X: 4
Kevin Crawford – In Good Company (with Tommy Peoples)

After playing the tune with Chris Droney in Kilfenora yesterday (17 March 2014) I realised that I hadn’t been playing it just as Chris did. So I returned to The Flowing Tide to listen with more educated ears (I have learned a bit about ABCs), and since then I’ve revised my transcription. I think that this is just as he plays it. Hopefully Dr. Dow will vet it and let me know….

Looks a lot more like the tune to me. Nice transcription, David.

This is “The Belharbour Reel” as played in Aidan McMahon (fiddle) & Anthony Quigney (flute) cd “A Clare Conscience”.
From the booklet notes (written by Anthony Quigney):
“As a young boy I often listened to a recording which my mother had on an old reel to reel tape recorder of Chris Droney the great concertina player from Belharbour. This was one of the recordings which influenced me greatly in my formative years. Many thanks to Chris for permitting me to play his composition ”The Belharbour Reel“ in this set. I am joined by my siser Marie on Piano here. Recording this, reminded me of being back at home in Clooney when we would often start an impromtu session along with our sister Áine”
Anthony plays this set with an Eb flute alone with his sister:
“The Belharbour Reel, The Torn Jacket, The Raveled Hank Of Yarn”

Chris Droney did indeed compose this tune, but he played it in A dorian, not E dorian. I have a recording of him playing it on a Comhaltas Tour in Edinburgh in 1978, and it is in “Bulmer & Sharpley Vol.4” as “Droney’s Favourite” - tune #6 on page 2.
“The Bell Harbour” reel is a totally different tune* - already posted here :

https://thesession.org/tunes/622

I’ve just listened to Chris himself play it on his CD “Down From Bell Harbour”.
It would appear that Messrs. MacMahon and Quigney got the composer right, but have confused the titles of 2 of Chris Droney’s compositions.
[* unless he gave the same name to 2 different tunes, which I would suggest seems a bit unlikely ].

https://thesession.org/tunes/622

from a version played by Siobhan Peoples

This is from Track 10 from Yvonne Casey’s self titled album. She labels the 2nd and 3rd tunes “The Belharbour Reels”. The 2nd Belharbour in G is common and can be found on thesession website (I linked the tune and tweaked the track name) but the second I couldn’t find anywhere so I am adding it.

As heard played at sessions in Austin, TX. Played by Erica Braverman, who I believe got this setting from John Williams.