Rakish Paddy reel

This is one of my favourite slow reels. It has a very haunting sound.

I learned this tune as a slow reel, but I’ve also heard it played at “session speed”. Personally, I prefer it slow.

The first note of the tune is held so long that it’s just crying out for some kind of ornamentation, yet I find it’s quite effective to simply hold the note without embellishment. If you decide to ornament it, try turning it into a roll.

Watch out for the C notes towards the end of each part. They change from being natural to sharp and back again.

I’ve heard versions of this tune with an extra part (sometimes even two extra parts) but it’s basically just variation on the second part.

The original source of this wonderful reel may be the brilliant Irish-American piper, Barney Delaney. Delaney was a slightly less than sane individual who served as a sergeant in the Chicago police force in those days when playing the pipes with reasonable skill made you fully qualified to be an officer on the force.

According to Con Cassidy, this was probably derived from the Scottish reel “Caba

Yes, it is Scottish. Capercaillie recorded this one as “Caber Feidh (The Deer’s Antlers)” on the bonus track of “Get Out.” Here is their setting (the first one):

K: Ador
c3 B c2 AB|cBAG EG G2|Add^c defe|dcAG FGAB|
c3 B c2 AB|cBAG EFGE|DEFG ABcA|dcAG FD D2:|
|:eg g2 ag g2|eg g2 ed^cd|eaag a2 ag|eaag ed^cd|
eg g2 ag g2|f2 fe defg|afge defe|dcAG FD D2:|
“Variation”
c3 B c2 AB|cBAG EG G2|Add^c defe|dcAG FGAB|
c3 B c2 AB|cBAG EFGE|DEFG ABcA|1 dcAG FGAB:|2 dcAG FD D2||
|:eg g2 ag g2|eg g2 edBd|eaa2 bgag|eaag edBd|
eg g2 ag g2|egge defg|afge fde^c|1 dcAG FD D2:|2 dcAG FGAB||

The second one is what I learned first, but the mixture of these versions is widely played here in Japan.

I think “Farewell to Connaught,” “Toss the Feathers” in Dmix, and “The Old Bush” are the cousins of this reel.

Some musicians in Leeds add one extra part to the beginning of the tune like this:

K: Ador
c2 gc acgc|c2 gc BAGB|d2 ad bdad|d2 ad cBAB|
c2 gc acgc|f2 fe defg|afge fde^c|dcAG FGAB:|

I’m not sure how they got it, but it seems they learned it from the tape recording of a Ceili Band competition. It is somewhat similar to the first part of the New Copperplate. Anyway, it’s fairly whistle- or flute-unfriendly and I’m not good enough to play it. I prefer the compact two part settings.

For the Capre Breton 3-part version of the tune, buy and listen to Fred Morrison’s “Sound of the Sun” album. He also plays the strathspey version of it.

The third part that is mentioned above is thought to be the first of two extra parts composed by Michael Coleman, which Seamus Ennis describes as “in keeping with its theme” and “an achievement endorsed by and endeared to us all”. This is quoted from Tommy Potts’ Liffey Banks. Tommy plays the four part version on the album and the third part is very similar to what Slainte posted above. I will post the two exta parts later. Does anyone play these extra parts?

Since “Rakish Paddy” is derived from the 4-part Scottish pipe-reel “Caberfeidh”, the surprising thing is that the 4 parts aren’t played more often. The only man I know in Scotland who plays the 4-part version of “Rakish Paddy”, Jamie, is our very own Mike Ward. Ask him next time you see him.

When I was over in Skye I had the fortune of playing some music with Dr Angus MacDonald and we delved into some very old tune books, one of which contained Caberfeidh, but I thought, unless my memory is up the spout (it certainly happens), that it too was only a two part?! Mike had also told me about the source being Caberfeidh, but he didn’t know that the two additional parts were Caberfeidh itself, if you see what I mean. Mind you, he didn’t have a clue where he’d learnt them.

Whatever the case, Mike plays the four parts very well, and it was having heard him play them recently that led me to try and find out more about them, and thus my first comment above (after hearing the parts on the Tommy Potts album)….

I’ve been thinking the original Scottish tune had three parts. “Rakish Paddy” and “The New Copperplate” (“The Old Copperplate” as well?) are apparently related to each other, but they dropped out a different part out of three and keep the other two. Don’t know actually. Maybe I’m wrong.

This is a good example of a tune that came over from Scotland and was reworked to fit within the compass of the Irish pipes chanter. The original version of the pipes had a chanter with a low C, obtained with an extra pipe which socketed onto the chanter’s bottom. You could still play two octaves but only legato, as is the case with almost all other bagpipes. Someone in the late 18th century removed this foot joint and discovered they could play the pipes staccato now, at the expense of no longer having the low C; this has been the form of the Irish pipes since, and much music was retooled to suit this change; at the time this was happening it was all fiddles and pipes, with the fiddle the much lower in status of the two. Some kinds of whistle were probably around but no record of what was being played remains. Flutes didn’t come in until a half century later or more. Harpers were practically extinct.

X: 1
T: Rakish Paddy (Donegal Setting)
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmix
|:cded ~c2Bc|AcGc AD~D2|Add^c d3e|fd (3efg fded|
cded ~c2Bc|AcG=F ED^CE|D^CDE =FAdB|1 cAGE EDDB:|2 cAGc ADgf||
efgb (3agf gB|gagf ed^ce|d2ad bdad|abag fedf|
efgb (3agf gB|gagf ed^ce|defg abaf|~g2ag fddf|
efgb (3agf gB|gagf ed^ce|d2ad bdad|abag fdAB|
c2gc acgc|gagf ed^ce|defg abaf|~g2ag fged||

2nd time thru B-part:
efgb (3agf gB|gagf ed^ce|d2ad bdad|abag fedf|
efgb (3agf gB|gagf ed^ce|defg abaf|~g2ag fddB||
c2gc acgc|gagf ed^ce|d2ad bdad|abag fdAB|
c2gc acgc|gagf ed^ce|defg abaf|~g2ag fddz||

As played by Kevin Crehan when he lived in Cincy. HE taught it to a couple of fiddlers who taught it to me. A few of us here play this version.

X:1
T:Rakish Paddy
M:4/4
L:1/8
R:reel
K:Ador
AB |:c2AB c2AB|cBAG EG G2|Add^c defe| dcAG FGAB|
c2AB c2AB|cBAG EFGE|DEFG ABcA|1 dcAG FDAB:|2 dcAG FDD2|
|:egfg ec~c2|ecgc ec~c2|eaga ed~d2|edad ed~d2|
egfg ec~c2|effe defg|afge fde^c|1 dcAG FDD2:|2 dcAG FDAB|
|:c2gc acgc|c2gc edcd|d2ad bdad|d2ad ed^cd|
c2gc acgc|fgfe defg|afge fde^c|1 dcAG FDAB:|2 dcAG FDD2|
|:eg~g2 ag~g2|eg~g2 ed^cd|ea~a2 ba~a2|ea~a2 ed^cd|
eg~g2 ag~g2|fgfe defg|afge fde^c|1 dcAG FDD2:|2 dcAG FD||

it’s in D mix, not A dorian surely?

You’re right Hakan - definitely D mix

Does anyone know where I should put the slurs in this piece?

T:Rakish Paddy
M:Dmix
L:1/8
S:Ril Mhor by Felix Doran
Z:gian marco pietrasanta
K:D Mixolydian
cBcd cAAB|cAAG EG~G2|Add^c d2ec|dcAG FGAB|
cded cAAB|c/B/A AG EGGE|D2ED EA~A2|dcAG F/G/A D2:||
|:eg~g2 ag~g2|eg~g2 edBd|ea~a2 agag|eaag edBd|
eg~g2 ag~g2|effe defg|affe fdee|1dcAG F/G/A D2:|2dcAG FGAB|

There probably were 2-parted settings in the old GHB collections. That’s the case for a lot of the classic 4-6 part strathspeys and reels with rhythms often interchangeable like in Caber Feidh. 3 parts makes a certain sense because, on GHB anyways, the 1st and 3rd part are different but the 2nd and 4th are very similar. But then again, on GHB anyways, it’s almost like the 3rd part is just the 1st but down a 5th.

its actually a four part tune but only sum people no the last two parts

So wheres the other 2 parts jamie ?
I used to play the 4 part vsn but its generally played 2 parts so I tend to do that more often nowadays. I also play it in Cmix for the craic.

Cracking version from Breabach. Yes, c’s are sharp.

X: 1
T: Faber Feidh
C: Trad
S: Breabach - The Big Spree
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Amix
e |: gage g2 de | g2 dc BGGB | Agag a2 ef | a2 ed cAAe |
gage g2 de | g2 dc BGGB | ABcd efge | a2 ed cAAe :|
|: c2 gc ecge | c3 gc edce | d2 ad fdad | d2 ad gfeg |
c2 gc ecge | c3 gc edce | afge fded | caed cAAB :|
|: GBdG BGdB | GBdG BGGB | AceA cAec | AceA cAAB |
GBdG BGdB | GBdG BGGB | ABcd efge | a2 ed cAAe :|

Check here for an amazing 4-part version (second in the set).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV4CqtfjvCU

play video

It’s practically the same as the one in the comments, with Kevin Crehan cited… Was the tune itself originally a 4-part reel or is that an Irish rendition of it? (like that 6-part Johnny Cope by Padraig O’Keefe 🙂) I really like the 2-part version too though, as played by Willie Clancy… But if you want you hair stand on end, listen to the wonderful rendition of the tune by Tommy Potts. A refreshing experience, I’d say!

Listening to Johnny Doherty’s album “The Star of Donegal”, there’s a tune which he calls “O’Halloran’s” (wrongly identified as a version of “The Bank of Ireland”) which is very similar to Dr Dow’s “Donegal Setting” above (it’s a pity Dr Dow doesn’t cite his source).

X: 1
T:O’Halloran’s
S: Johnny Doherty
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmix
|:c2 cB c2 Bd | AdGd ADDc | ddd^c d3e | fdeg fded |
cded (3cdc Bd | AdGdADDC | DEFG Adde | cBAd ADD2 :|
efgb (3agf g2 | gagf eBce | d2 ad bdad | abag fddf |
ecgc acgf | gfga gfe^c | defg abag | fage d^cde :|

I did!

I do apologise, Dr Dow - I see that now, and I should have known you would. Too quick on the trigger, me. That Altan version is rather superb, isn’t it?

It is pretty amazing, isn’t it.

I do admit to failure to source my abc properly in the headers. I should have written S: Altan, Harvest Storm. 🙂

Someone else recorded a similar version, but I can’t remember who. Tommy Peoples maybe?

Here is Con Cassidy playing it 🙂 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQubyMp3o0k

play video

Here’s a really nice version of the tune on the banjo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky7DhIWZ7UM

play video

( Courtesy of Gerard Lord: https://thesession.org/members/58801 )

http://youtu.be/teeFFyrhfaI

play video

Clip was cut short on the 4th part, unfortunately.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd1R7VltILA

play video

This is almost identical to parts 1 and 4 of setting #5, with just a few tiny tweaks.

This is my take of this well known tune. I suspect it’s a compilation of various versions I’ve heard over the years and has settled on something like this. It’s a little different but I play it like this with a few friends and we like it.

From the album Celtic Dance.

… with pleasure for my friends by Horse&Hounds Irish Pub, Padova, Italy

Do you ever find that, out of the blue, a tune suddenly possesses you for a while (not necessarily just as a player but as a listener too)? I’ve had that with this tune for about a week straight now, having suddenly ‘woken up’ to its existence. With a few intermittent practises I’ve more or less got the basic version down, and it just seems so ripe for variation - Tommie Potts does some great stuff with it, and love Willie Clancy’s recordings too!

What I find strange when that happens to me is that it is usually a tune I have been rather subconsciously aware of for years, and then suddenly!! ….. And these ones that ‘creep up on me’ often turn out to be my favorite tunes to play.

One of my favourite reels! I don’t remember where I heard it first, might have been Drumshanbo Co. Leitrim in the early 1980s.

The tune was composed by Joseph Lowe and was given the name Cabar Feidh. Here is the setting from the Athole Collection without ornamentation.

Cabar Féidh appears in the David Young manuscript of 1734. I’m not sure, Connor, how Joseph Lowe came to compose this tune more than sixty years before he was born.
To repeat: The Athole Collection does not list composers of tunes.

This is a Wexford version of this wonderful and popular tune, which I’ve uploaded, realizing that there isn’t a setting where the tune goes down to low ‘C’ in the above versions. I had recently been listening back to the 1967 Bunclody Ceili band ‘Rambles of Kitty’ recording:
https://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/rakish_paddy_the_tailors_fancy_the_high_reel/.

I noticed the fiddlers were playing the variation of the first part that incorporated bringing the tune down to the low C note, and it sparked a memory that Murth Doyle (who was one of the members of the pre-Comhaltas Mayglass ceili band), played the tune more or less the same way. So I thought I’d notate a ‘composite’ version, using the Bunclody recording and the variation I remember Murth playing back in the 1970’s when he took part in duet competitions with George Ross’s nephew, my classmate, the piper, Brendan Wade of Wexford . Brendan has made a professional career in music, initially as a singer but more lately he has returned to his piping and is a long-time resident of Winterthur in Switzerland.

Here’s a whistle friendly version of my take on this tune.