The Boys Of Ballivanich reel

Source: Sé, Lúnasa.
Composer: Ian Kirkpatrick
Transcription: Pere

possibly Ballynahinch,Co.Down

Don’t think so , "cos". The title of the tune is definitely "Ballivanich" - no mistake. Ian is a Scottish accordion player, from the borders, and Ballivanich is on Benbecula. Never heard him talk of any associations with Co.Down.

Lúnasa spelt it Ballivanich.

Definitely no Co Down but Benbecula - I only speak with certainty as I am Ian’s wee sister. Glad you liked the tune.

Wolfstone also plays a version of this tune.

Love it. :)

Damn.. I think that f should be e…

3rd bar——-> |~f3e deBd|

Sorry, I’ve realized one month later…

my transcript of the Wolfstone version of Balivanich on their Live album Not Enough Shouting - love it too ! :)


T:Balivanich - Wolfstone
C:
N:
Q:1/4=112
V:1 %
R: Reel
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:D
f2 fe dB Bd |AB B2 fa ag |f2 fe dB Bd |cA A2 eA ce |f2 fe dB Bd |AB B2 fa af |g2 gf ef ed |cA A2 eA ce |fB BA B3 e |f2 fe fa ag |fB BA B3 d |cA A2 eA ce |fB BA B2-Be |f2 fe fa af |g2 gf ef ed |cA A2 eA ce |
d2 ag ef fe |dB B2 df fe |c2 af ef ed |cA A2 eA ce |d2 ag ef fe |dB B2 df fe |A2 af ef ed |cA A2 eA ce |B2 ag ef fe |dB B2 df fe |c2 af ef ed |cA A2 eA ce |d2 ag ef fe |dB B2 df fe |A2 af ef ed |cA A2 eA cA |
A2- A2 z4 |]

Great tune! Brilliant tune! My fave is Wolfstone version. Have it on an old Green Linnet compilation, Blew me away when I first heard it and never tire of listening to it.

This tune was recorded on the album "The First Measure" (Pipedown) as The Boys of Balivanich.

X: 1
T:The Boys of Balivanich
Q:1/4=112
R: Reel
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:Bmin
f2 fe dB Bd |AB B2 fa ag |f2 fe dB Bd |cA A2 eA ce |f2 fe dB Bd |AB B2 fa af |g2 gf ef ed |cA A2 eA ce |fB BA B3 e |f2 fe fa ag |fB BA B3 d |cA A2 eA ce |fB BA B2-Be |f2 fe fa af |g2 gf ef ed |cA A2 eA ce |
d2 ag ef fe |dB B2 df fe |c2 af ef ed |cA A2 eA ce |d2 ag ef fe |dB B2 df fe |A2 af ef ed |cA A2 eA ce |B2 ag ef fe |dB B2 df fe |c2 af ef ed |cA A2 eA ce |d2 ag ef fe |dB B2 df fe |A2 af ef ed |cA A2 eA cA |
A2- A2 z4 |]

i heard this at tune played by some folk from the RSAMD at a celtic connections concert last weekend. fantastic tune, but none of the transcriptions about quite works for me.

here’s another version, taken directly from their playing. the principal difference is at the end of the third part - i have a feeling that the tune was originally written as played by Breabach and Pipedown, but i prefer it this way.

X: 11
T: The Ballivanich Reel
R: Reel
M: 4/4
K: Bm
f2 fe dBBd |A ~B3 faag |f2 fe dBBd |cA A/2A/2A eAce |
f2 fe dBBd |A ~B3 faaf |g2 gf efed |cA A/2A/2A eAce:|
fBdA B3 d |e ~f3 faag |fBdA B3 d |cA A/2A/2A eAce |
fBdA B3 d |e ~f3 faaf |g2 fg efed |cA A/2A/2A [1eAce:|[2eAcA|
B2 ag effe |dB B/2B/2B dffe |c2 af efed |cA A/2A/2A eAce |
d2 ag effe |dB B/2B/2B df f/2f/2f |f-gfg efed |cA A/2A/2A [1eAcA:|[2eAce|

Sounds like there are definitely similarities with the "Man of Aran" reel.
https://thesession.org/tunes/973

Isn’t this just another name for James Sutherland’s tune - The Piper’s Cave?
"Sutherland’s overseas posting was Egypt where he composed his great little 2/4 march ‘The Pipers’ Cave,’ named after the Pipers’ room in the Barracks in Cairo." :-)

https://www.pipetunes.ca/composers.asp?pg=Details&composerID=138

Or are the folks who posted this video mixing up their tunes?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP-LWVesN48

play video

However, I suspect that this is actually The Boys of Balivanich & the Piper’s Cave is a completely different tune after all. :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8ghzmWte9c

play video

Cheers,
Dick

Hi Dick - you’re quite right, they are 2 totally different tunes. The tune in the first video is "The Piper’s Cave", composed by Pipe Major J. Sutherland of the "Seaforth Highlanders" regiment.
Ian Kirkpatrick - whom I haven’t seen in years - composed "The Boys Of Ballivanich" and recorded it 25 years ago on a CD called "Names And Places", which was a collaboration between "Eclipse First", a group Ian was playing with at the time, and the "Scotrail Vale Of Atholl" Pipe Band. I’ll add it to the recordings section later today.

Ian had this to say about "The Boys Of Ballivanich" :

"The last two reels, "The Creagorry Ceilidh" and "The Boys Of Ballivanich" have a distinct Highland feel. They were inspired by a memorable ceilidh which began one evening in the Creagorry Hotel on Benbecula and finished very much later in the village of Ballivanich"