The Sailor On The Rock reel

I’ve been playing this tune like this:

K: Dmaj
defd BAFB|AD (3FED FAAB|defd BAFB|1 ABdf efdB:|2 ABdf efd2||
faag fedf|gfga be~e2|faag fedB|ABdf efd2|
faag fedf|gfga be~e2|fgfe d2dB|ABdf efdB||

I think this is close to what we often hear in the real sessions in many parts of the world. Obviously, it shares a virtually identical second part with “The Boyne Hunt.”

An alternative version of the tune was recorded by East Galway flute player Sean Moloney and Mike McGoldrick: the second part of it is similar to that of “My Maryanne.” It seems Frankie Gavin also recorded it. Does anybody else play it?

This tune came up often on my recent trip to Ireland. I recognized it because it was played a lot around here in the 80s. The version I heard there had a decending line on the repeat of the first part. I recorded the version they were playing on one of my tapes and when I find it I’ll post it here. There must have been some recording made recently that it showed up on in that setting I guess.

I learned the tune this way in last years scoil eigse:

X: 1
T: Sailor On The Rock, The
M: 4/4
R: reel
K: Dmaj
d2fd BAFB|A (3DDD D FAAB|d2fd BAFB|ABdf efde|
d2fd BAFB|A (3DDD D FAAB|defd BAFB|ABdf efd2||
f (3aaa g fdef|gfga bgeg|faag fedB|ABdf efde|
f (3aaa g fdef|gfga bgeg|f2fe d2dB|ABdf efd2||

I’ve just learned it from the flute playing of Sean Moloney, the son of legendary musician Eddie Moloney of Ballinakill.

K: Dmaj
defd BAFB|AD (3FED FA~A2|defd BAFA|1 Beed egfe:|2 Beed e2df||
a2ba fdd2|fbba bafa|afbf afdB|1 ABdf e2df:|2 ABdf e2 (3ABc||

This unusual setting is also on Michael McGoldrick’s “Morning Rory.” The sleeve notes of the recording inform that it comes from Frankie Gavin’s playing. I believe Gavin learned it from Eddie Moloney, simply because they both come from East Galway and had played together.

As I pointed out above, it’s a bit similar to “My Maryanne”: https://thesession.org/tunes/2912

“The Storyreller” is apparently a strathspey but “Sailor on the Rock” is played under that name on “Champions of Ireland: Concertina”.

Is this tune on an album by Joe Cooley by any chance?

Habermas

Click on the “Details” tab of this tune then look down the list of recordings, then click on the link by Joe Cooley’s name.

This is the version played by Matt Cunningham on his Dance Music of Ireland CDs:

T: The Sailor On The Rock
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: Reel
K: Dmaj
d3A BAFB | ADFD DAAB | dcdA BAFB | ABdf edBd |
AddA BAFB | ADFD FAAB | d2dA BAFB |ABdf efd2 :|
|: faad fdef | gfga beeg | faae fedB | AB df efde |
faad fdef | gfga beeg | faae fedB | ABdf efd2 :||

Found in O‘Neill’s Music of Ireland (1903) with the name ’Johnny With The Queer Thing’.

On Donncha O’Briain’s album.

I found a tune on the Topic anthology “My Ship Shall Sail the Sea” called “Sailor on the Rope” played by John Rae on harp which sounds pretty much the same as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Knbz7fW7T38

play video

An early recording of this tune was offered by Michael Coleman -- with variations. The second tune on the track is ‘Paddy On The Turnpike’ or ‘The Bunch Of Keys’.