The Laurel Tree reel

Here is The Laurel Tree, as requested by Squeezebox. This version comes from Henrik Norbeck’s collection. I should say that it is slightly different from the version I have - bar 4 of the 1st and 2nd parts can be played: BAGB A (3Bcd .

I have also heard a couple of diffferent versions of the 2nd part:

|: eaag egdc|BAGA Bcdg|eaag egdc|BAGA A2 (3Bcd|
eaag egdc|BAGA Bcd2|~e3f gaaf|gedB A2 (3Bcd :||

i.e. bars 1 to 8 of the second part are repeated instead of playing bars 9 to 16.

and:

|:eaag egdc|BAGA Bcdg|eaag a2ga|bagb ~a3g|
eaag egdc|BAGA Bcd2|~e3f gaaf|gedB A2 (3Bcd :||

i.e. bars 9 to 16 of the second part are repeated instead of playing bars 1 to 8.

It’s very hard to explain what I’m on about without playing it. I hope the abcs make it clear.

Why didn’t you give the version you have in the first place? If we wanted the swedish version we could always look on Norbeck’s site.

The first part of this tune is virtually identical to that of Scottish tune Lochiel’s Awa tae France. I might post it in a few days.

In the sleeve notes of Mary MacNamara’s second solo album, this reel is mentioned as “a development from the old tune Scatter the Mud.” I wonder why I haven’t realised that myself.

Link to “Scatter the Mud”: https://thesession.org/tunes/728

Liz Carroll played a version of this tune on the Irish Music from America album and its titled “The Lost Indian”.

Key signature: E Dorian
Submitted on March 3rd 2007 by spoon.
https://thesession.org/tunes/6887

Here is the A-part for this from the ‘Comments’, courtesy of ‘spoon’:

K: A Dorian
|: g | eA A/A/A e2 dc | BG G/G/G BEEa | eA A/A/A e2 dc | BGAG gee :| ~

T:Laurel Bush, The
M:4/4
S:Music Of Sligo by Peter Horan And Fred Finn
R:reel
K:ADor
eA ~A2 e2ed|BG~G2 Bcdg|eA ~A2 e2dc|BGdG BAA2|
eA ~A2 e2dc|BG~G2 BcdB|e3f gbag|gedB BAA2:|
eaag e2dc|BG~G2 Bcdf|ea~a2 a2ga|bagb a3g|
eaag e2dc|BG~G2 BcdB|e3f gbag|gedB BAA2:|

Based on the concertina duet of Hugh and Colm Healy on their cd Macalla na hOige.

X: 1
T: Laurel Tree, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
eA A/A/A e2 dc|BAGA Bcdg|eA A/A/A (3ege dc|BAGB ABcd|
eA A/A/A e2 dc|BAGA Bcdg|edef gbaf gedB ABcd:||
eaag egdc|BAGA Bcdg|eaab (3aba ga|bagb abag|
eaag egdc|BAGA Bcdg|edef gbaf|gedB ABcd:||

X:1
T:Laurel Tree
M:4/4
S:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aqgx81sV904

play video

R:reel
K:ADor
eA ~A2 e2dc|BGGA Bcdg|eA ~A2 e2dc|BAGA BAA2|
eA ~A2 e2dc|BGGA Bcdg|~e3f ~g3a|gedB BAA2:|
eaag egdc|BGGA Bcdg|eaag egdc|BAGA BAA2|
eaag egdc|BGGA Bcdg|~e3f ~g3a|gedB BAA2|
eaag egdc|BGGA Bcdg|eaag a2 ga|bagb a2ag|
eaag egdc|BGGA Bcdg|~e3f ~g3a|gedB BAA2||

http://www.scribd.com/doc/74638144/Gaelic-Names-of-Plants-Scottish-Irish-and-Manx-by-John-Cameron-1900 (original-p85 original, cyber-p107)
or p60 at:
http://archive.org/stream/gaelicnamesofpla00cameuoft/gaelicnamesofpla00cameuoft_djvu.txt

Cherry laurel (Labhras silíní):
http://invasivespeciesireland.com/

really great tune, darkly rearranged here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScWaJtaj6Dc

play video

^ WHAT ON EARTH?

“really great tune, darkly rearranged here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScWaJtaj6Dc”

play video

Brilliant. Not the music so much as the intrigue.

David

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOArHOAD4rg

play video

vynil available here:
http://www.nostressnetlabel.net/NN_Vinyl001_11_12.html

😲

is from the flute blast of Christina Dolphin et al. (2nd tune, starts @ 1:17):
http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_200_7_christina_dolphin/
The melody is reconstructable gaplessly at least since the fiddle enters, however I asterisked the notes she drops for taking breath the first time through to reflect her (and the other tooters’) phrasing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdeTQan4hM8

play video

The version played by Brian Finnegan (with hair) as the second tune in this set:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW18di2WhL4

play video

It is a rocking, brilliant tune, though you have to have some skill with flutter tonguing to be able to play it. Brian is playing what I think is a G Patrick Olwell bamboo flute in the video. Learning to play the tune the same way Brian does takes some work, comparing the dots to the playing, but it is well worth it.
Cheers,
Artemis

This is a transcription of Matt Molloy’s version of the Laurel Tree taken from what I assume is a televised performance with the bothy band in 1977.

The performance can be found here for now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dzJ_qC2tHE&t=89

play video

The high E’s on the phrase found on the third beat of the first measure of the B part are played as fast cranns and on the first b of the fourth measure of the B part Mr Molloy does something fast that I don’t understand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoiKwM5s_9Q

play video

Another tin whistle version- cracking stuff 🙂

Mary MacNamara’s version, it came from Vincent Broderick’s set Tinker’s Daughter / Kerry Reel / Laurel Tree.

Source:Tommy McCarthy
Transcription:Gian Marco Pietrasanta
https://youtu.be/EtDd7B9XpNI

play video

The second tune is a particularly fine recent rendition by Iarlaith Mac Gabhann: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pg3zDdGOhE

play video

I’ve always wondered if this tune is named for the pub The Laurel Tree in Camden Town. Can anyone put me straight?

It could just refer to the tree (I note it’s sometimes called the Laurel Bush instead). But in the 1950s the Laurel Tree pub was one of the early venues for sessions in London, with Willie Clancy, Bobby Casey and Martin Byrnes among others playing there. (See Reg Hall’s interview with Tommy Healy (https://sounds.bl.uk/World-and-traditional-music/Reg-Hall-Archive/025M-C0903X0377XX-0100V0).

The tune itself is clearly older than the 1950s - a version was recorded by Tom Morrison in America in 1928 - but I haven’t so far found an earlier use of the Laurel Tree name. Tom Morrison called it the Castlebar Traveller.

The pub building still stands (at 113 Bayham Street) but is now a Brewdog.